Is the predatory mite Kampimodromus aberrans a candidate for the control of phytophagous mites in European apple orchards?

The most important biocontrol agents of Tetranychidae in European apple orchards are the predatory mites Amblyseius andersoni, Typhlodromus pyri and Euseius finlandicus (Phytoseiidae). A similar situation is found in Trentino (north-eastern Italy), one of the most important apple production area in Europe. Another species, i.e. Kampimodromus aberrans can be dominant in neglected fruit orchards but is rare in commercial orchards to pesticides. A pesticide resistant strain of K. aberrans has been successfully released on an experimental farm in Trentino.Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of cultivar (Golden Delicious, Red Chief, Reinette du Canada) on apple colonization by K. aberrans. Field releases of K. aberrans were successfully performed in four commercial apple orchards and this predatory mite showed to persist as dominant species. The adaptation of K. aberrans to environmental conditions, its resistace to pesticides, and its competitiveness towards other phytoseiid species suggest a potential role of this species in the biological control of phytophagous mites in European apple orchards.