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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(8)

Emerging pest mites of grains (Balaustium medicagoense and Bryobia sp.) show high levels of tolerance to currently registered pesticides

Aston L. Arthur A B , Ary A. Hoffmann A , Paul A. Umina A and Andrew R. Weeks A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research, Departments of Genetics and Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: a.arthur@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(8) 1126-1132 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07181
Submitted: 15 June 2007  Accepted: 17 October 2007   Published: 14 July 2008

Abstract

Balaustium medicagoense and Bryobia sp. (clover or pasture mite) have recently been identified as potential emerging pests of crops and pastures within southern Australia. Recorded damage by these mites has markedly increased in the past decade. There is limited information on the pesticide tolerance of these mites relative to other earth mite pests. This study examined the response of Ba. medicagoense and Bryobia sp., using the redlegged earth mite [Halotydeus destructor (Tucker)] as a comparison, to several currently registered pesticides against earth mites (omethoate, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, methidathion and α-cypermethrin). Ba. medicagoense had a much greater level of tolerance to all pesticides tested than H. destructor. Similarly, Bryobia sp. had a higher level of tolerance to bifenthrin, methidathion and α-cypermethrin than H. destructor. However, in the case of omethoate and chlorpyrifos, the tolerance levels were similar for Bryobia sp. and H. destructor. Ba. medicagoense had a higher level of tolerance than Bryobia sp. to the organophosphates tested (omethoate, chlorpyrifos and methidathion), but there was no difference for bifenthrin. We were unable to compare tolerance levels between Ba. medicagoense and Bryobia sp. to α-cypermethrin because of inconsistencies between replicate tests. These emerging pest mite species, therefore, have a high natural tolerance to currently registered pesticides and may prove difficult to control in the field. These findings suggest that other strategies that are not reliant on chemicals should be considered for the control of Ba. medicagoense and Bryobia sp.


Acknowledgements

We thank John Roberts, Heidi Macklin and Stewart Pearson for technical assistance with the laboratory bioassays. We also thank the chemical companies Bayer Crop Science, Nufarm Australia Limited and Syngenta Crop Protection who provided the pesticides used in this study. This study was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (grant number 83997) and the Australian Research Council through their Special Research Centre program.


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