The predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus:: its potential as a biocontrol agent for the fruit tree red spider mite Panonychus ulmi in the UK

The non-native predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus developed from egg to adult more quickly than the native Typhlodromus pyri, and equally quickly with Panonychus ulmi or Tetranychus urticae as the food source. A strain collected in the UK was able to diapause, whereas one from the USA did not. A strain from Spain exhibited limited diapause propensity. A survey of overwintering refuges established that the strain found in the UK was surviving field conditions.