Amblyseius swirskii is a generalist predatory mite of the family Phytoseiidae, originally from the eastern Mediterranean. It feeds on young thrips larvae, whitefly eggs and young nymphs, broad mites and other small mites, and can live on pollen when prey is scarce. That diet makes it one of the most widely used preventive predators in greenhouse crops.
In practice
Growers release swirskii in veg, loose on leaves or in sachets, to keep thrips and whitefly from building. It needs warmth: it performs best above roughly 20 °C (68 °F) and does poorly in cool roomsbeing reviewed. Low humidity limits egg survival. Because it does not eat spider mites well, it is often combined with Neoseiulus californicus or Phytoseiulus persimilis. It is also used against broad mites on tips. Rooms with heavy trichome coverage can slow movement on some cultivars, which is one reason releases go in early.
Don't confuse with
- Neoseiulus cucumeris: the cooler-tolerant thrips predator, usually cheaper and less persistent.
- Orius: a predatory bug that eats adult thrips as well as larvae.
- Spider mite predators: persimilis and californicus.
Mites, mostly of the family Phytoseiidae, released as biological control to eat pest mites, thrips larvae, whitefly eggs or fungus gnat larvae.Slender insects about 1-2 mm long, chiefly western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), that rasp leaf surfaces, leaving silvery streaks dotted with black frass.Small white-winged sap-sucking insects of the family Aleyrodidae, mainly Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci, that fly up when disturbed and coat leaves in honeydew.Polyphagotarsonemus latus, a microscopic tarsonemid mite whose toxic feeding twists, glazes and stunts new growth; often mistaken for calcium deficiency or heat stress.Tetranychus urticae, the commonest cannabis mite indoors: a 0.5 mm sap-feeder that stipples leaves pale and spins webbing, breeding fastest in hot, dry rooms.A generalist-leaning predatory mite that eats spider mites and broad mites, survives on low prey or pollen, and tolerates warmer, drier rooms than Phytoseiulus.A specialist predatory mite that eats almost only Tetranychus spider mites, eggs to adults; fast-acting on hot spots but starves once prey runs out.A predatory mite that eats first-stage thrips larvae and some broad and cyclamen mites; tolerant of cooler rooms and widely used in sachets as a preventive.
