Typhlodromus pyri

 

Typhlodromus pyri is extremely important in the biological control of European red mite. It is often common in New Zealand apple orchards and, although it preys particularly on the active stages of mites, it also eats scale crawlers, pollen, fungal tissue, and honeydew. T. pyri takes about 17 days to develop from larva to adult when fed San Jose scale crawlers. Adult females then lay 0.5 eggs per day. These data indicate that scale crawlers are not the best food source but are capable of supporting full development. Cannibalism occurs in T. pyri populations when other food sources are absent.