Spider-mite-predator
Guides
Campylomma verbasci
mullein bug
Campylomma verbasci, commonly known as the mullein bug, is a plant bug in the family Miridae. It is a predator-phytophage that functions as a biological control agent in orchards, feeding primarily on pear psylla (Psylla pyricola) and European red mite (Panonychus ulmi). The species overwinters as eggs on woody hosts including apple, pear, Rosa spp., and Amelanchier sp., then completes two to four generations annually depending on region. Adults disperse to herbaceous plants, particularly common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), during summer months before returning to orchards in autumn. It has been studied extensively for pheromone-based mating disruption, representing the first documented case of such control in Heteroptera.
Cycloneda
Spotless Lady Beetles
Cycloneda is a genus of lady beetles in the family Coccinellidae, commonly known as spotless lady beetles. The genus contains approximately 18–20 described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Members of this genus are recognized by their typically unmarked, polished elytra lacking the spots characteristic of many other coccinellids. They are predatory beetles that feed on soft-bodied insects, particularly aphids and spider mites, and are valued as biological control agents in agricultural and garden settings.
Hyaliodes vitripennis
Hyaliodes vitripennis is a predatory mirid plant bug native to North America. In Quebec apple orchards, it serves as one of the most important biological control agents of spider mites and aphids when integrated pest management practices are employed. The species is univoltine, with adults appearing in late July to early August and populations peaking shortly thereafter. Adults spend nearly all their time on the undersides of leaves.
Oligota
Oligota is a genus of small rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae. Multiple species have been documented as predators of mites, particularly spider mites (Tetranychus urticae), and are studied for their potential use in biological control. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with species recorded across North America, Europe, and Asia. Individual species show specialized predatory behaviors and habitat associations ranging from decaying organic matter to agricultural crop environments.
Scolothrips
six-spotted thrips
Scolothrips is a genus of predatory thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) established by Hinds in 1902. Species within this genus are obligate predators of spider mites (Tetranychidae) and related mite families (Tenuipalpidae). The genus includes economically important species such as S. longicornis and S. sexmaculatus, which have been studied for biological control potential. Some species show apparent host specificity, while others feed on multiple mite prey species. Development, reproduction, and survival are strongly influenced by environmental factors including temperature and photoperiod.
Typhlodromus occidentalis
Typhlodromus occidentalis is a phytoseiid mite species specialized as an oligophagous predator of spider mites, particularly the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Laboratory studies indicate it has an obligate feeding requirement during the larval stage—all larvae die without prey. The species exhibits distinctive behavioral patterns including high larval walking activity compared to related species, but the lowest deutonymphal activity among studied phytoseiids. Formerly classified under the genera Metaseiulus and Galendromus, this species has been subject to taxonomic revision. Its life history traits differ from polyphagous phytoseiid species, with longer larval stages and shorter deutonymphal stages.