The tomato russet mite (TRM), Aculops lycopersici, is a destructive pest of tomato crops worldwide. It poses a significant challenge to growers in both greenhouse and open-field conditions. Traditional chemical control methods are often ineffective, promote resistance, and have negative environmental impacts. This has prompted the search for alternative strategies, such as biological control and eco-friendly botanical pesticides. In this study, we evaluated the acaricidal effects of essential oils (EOs) extracted from three officinal plants, Origanum vulgare L., Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., and Salvia officinalis L., cultivated using precision aromatic crop (PAC) techniques. Their efficacy was evaluated against A. lycopersici under laboratory conditions. The chemical composition of the EOs was determined by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The dominant component of O. vulgare EO was carvacrol (83.42%), followed by ρ-cymene (3.06%), and γ-terpinene (2.93%). In S. rosmarinus, α-pinene (28.0%), 1,8-cineole (11.00%), and borneol (7.72%) were the major components. S. officinalis EO was characterized by high levels of 1,8-cineole (27.67%), camphor (21.91%), and crisantenone (12.87%). We tested multiple concentrations (320–5000 μL L−¹) and exposure times (1–4 days) to assess mite mortality. The results revealed both dose- and time-dependent toxic activity, with significant differences among EOs. O. vulgare EO was the most toxic, causing 90% mortality at 0.5% (w/v) concentration after 4 days. S. rosmatinus and S. officinalis EOs had more limited effects, with 46% and 42% mortality, respectively. Lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values were 2.23 mL L−¹ (95% CI: 1.74–3.05) for O. vulgare, 5.84 mL L−¹ (95% CI: 3.28–22.29) for S. rosmarinus, and 6.01 mL L−¹ (95% CI: 2.63–261.60) for S. officinalis. These results indicate that O. vulgare EO shows efficacy comparable to commercially available botanical pesticides. Our findings support the potential of O. vulgare EO as a viable alternative for the control of A. lycopersici, contributing to integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.

Over the last two decades, mango cultivation in Sicily showed a steady increase of cultivated areas. This expansion has also facilitated the introduction of potentially harmful alien species. This paper reports the presence of the eriophyid mite Cisaberoptus kenyae Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) for the first time in Sicily and, therefore in Europe. In the perspective of a potential further expansion of mango also in other European areas as a consequence of the climatic changes, a brief overview of current knowledge on this species is also provided.

Tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici is considered one of the most important crop pests globally. The main control strategy is based on synthetic acaricides which, however, create resistant strains and ecological risks. In this context, biopesticides could be a viable and sustainable alternative for the eriophyid control. In the present study, the toxic effects of a N-alkylamides-enriched extract obtained from Acmella oleracea and of carlina oxide, the main bioactive component of Carlina acaulis, on A. lycopersici were evaluated, as well as their side effects on the phytoseiid Typhlodromus exhilaratus Ragusa under laboratory conditions. Six concentrations were tested for each product against A. lycopersici adults (0, 320, 640, 1280, 2500 and 5000 μL L^-1), and the median concentration (1280 μL L^-1) was evaluated against eggs and females of the phytoseiid T. exhilaratus. Both the N-alkylamides-enriched extract and carlina oxide showed total lethal effects (100% of mortality) towards A. lycopersici at the two highest concentrations. Moderate to high mortality was also recorded with the lower concentrations: from 42.22 to 97.78%. Probit analysis identified LC₅₀ values of 205.32 μL L^-1for carlina oxide and 253.79 μL L^-1 for the N-alkylamides-enriched extract, respectively. Carlina oxide showed a moderate ovicidal effect on T. exhilaratus eggs (50.00% hatching rate) on T. exhilaratus, and caused 39.13% mortality on females, whereas the N-alkylamides-enriched extract was less toxic, with a hatching rate of 88.00% and a mortality rate of 18.75% on females. In conclusion, carlina oxide and the N-alkylamides-enriched extract showed high toxicity on A. lycopersici, with a reduced effect on phytoseiid. These results highlight the potential of these products as sustainable means for the management of tomato russet mite.

The spider mite Oligonychus yothersi (McGregor, 1914) is for the first time reported in Europe from four European insular regions with mild oceanic and Mediterranean climates- the Azores and Madeira archipelagos (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain) and Sicily (Italy). Although populations were detected in the Canary and Azores islands since 2006 and 2015, respectively, their taxonomic identification remained unresolved due to the lack of male specimens and the unavailability of DNA reference sequences. An integrative taxonomic approach based on morphological traits of two males collected in September 2024 and on recently and previously obtained COI DNA sequences from multiple localities and host plants samples allowed its accurate identification and host plant records. Specimens have been collected from a range of 21 host plants, including native, cultivated and invasive species. New host plant records suggest host adaptation in the colonized areas. Six COI haplotypes have been identified in the studied areas. COI DNA sequences obtained from accurately identified specimens which can support further identifications are provided. Its pest status on other continents is detailed along with the warning on the risk that this spider mite poses for Europe.

The tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici, is considered one of the most important crop pests globally. The main control strategy is based on synthetic acaricides; however, they create resistant strains and ecological risks. In this context, biopesticides could be a viable and sustainable alternative for eriophyid control. In the present study, the toxic effects of a N-alkylamides-enriched extract obtained from Acmella oleracea and of carlina oxide, the main bioactive component of Carlina acaulis, on A. lycopersici were evaluated, as well as their side effects on the phytoseiid Typhlodromus exhilaratus under laboratory conditions. Six concentrations were tested for each product against A. lycopersici adults (0, 320, 640, 1280, 2500, and 5000 μL L⁻¹), and the median concentration (1280 μL L⁻¹) was evaluated against eggs and females of the phytoseiid T. exhilaratus. Both the N-alkylamides-enriched extract and carlina oxide showed total lethal effects (100% of mortality) towards A. lycopersici at the two highest concentrations. Moderate-to-high mortality was also recorded with the lower concentrations: from 42.22 to 97.78%. Probit analysis identified LC₅₀ values of 205.32 μL L⁻¹ for carlina oxide and 253.79 μL L⁻¹ for the N-alkylamides-enriched extract, respectively. Carlina oxide showed a moderate ovicidal effect on T. exhilaratus eggs (50.00% hatching rate) on T. exhilaratus, and caused 39.13% mortality on females, whereas the N-alkylamides-enriched extract was less toxic, with a hatching rate of 88.00% and a mortality rate of 18.75% on females. In conclusion, carlina oxide and the N-alkylamides-enriched extract showed high toxicity on A. lycopersici, with a reduced effect on phytoseiid. These results highlight the potential of these products as sustainable means for the management of tomato russet mite.

The tomato russet mite (TRM) Aculops lycopersici, a destructive pest of tomato crops worldwide, is a significant challenge to growers, both in greenhouse and open-field conditions. Traditional chemical control methods are often ineffective and set up resistance and adverse environmental impact. This has prompted the exploration of alternative control methods, such as biological control and eco-friendly botanical pesticides. In this study, the acaricidal effects of essential oils (EOs) extracted by three officinal plants, Origanum vulgare L., Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., and Salvia officinalis L., cultivated using precision aromatic crop (PAC) techniques was evaluated against A. lycopersici under laboratory conditions. The chemical composition of EOs was ascertained by a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Carvacrol (83.42%), ρ-Cymene (3.06%) and γ-Terpinene (2.93%) were the major components of O. vulgare, while α-Pinene (28.0%), 1,8-Cineole (11.00%) and Borneol (7.72%) were present in S. rosmarinus. 1,8-Cineole (27.67%) was the major constituent of S. officinalis EO, followed by Camphor (21.91%) and Crisantenone (12.87%). Multiple concentrations (320–5000 μL L⁻¹) and exposure times (1 to 4 days) were tested to assess mortality rates. Results showed both dose and time-dependent toxic activity with significant differences among EOs. Oregano EO was found to be the most toxic of the EOs (90% of mortality at 0.5% w/v concentration after 4 days), while rosemary and sage EOs showed limited effects (46% and 42% for the latter EOs respectively). The lethal concentration (LC50) values were 2,228 μL L⁻¹ for oregano, 5,835 μL L⁻¹ for rosemary, and 6,013 μL L⁻¹ for sage, demonstrating ef-ficacy similar to commercially available botanical pesticides. These findings support the potential of O. vulgare EO as a viable alternative for controlling A. lycopersici, contributing to integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, and highlight the need for further re-search for discovering botanical agents for an eco-friendly pest control.