El papel de Anaphothrips obscurus (Müller) en la mejora del control biológico de Tetranychus urticae Koch

Zusammenfassung

This PhD thesis is focused on the role of the thrips Anaphothrips obscurus (Müller) in the biological control of the mite Tetranychus urticae Koch, a key pest of clementine orchards, when a ground cover of the grass Festuca arundinacea is used. To achieve this goal, we have studied the ecobiology of A. obscurus, including its relationship with this spider mite, the crop and the main natural enemies of T. urticae, the phytoseiid predatory mites. Our results highlight that A. obscurus can play several roles: it can compete with T. urticae in the ground cover, it is a suitable alternative food for the phytoseiids.