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How to Manage Pests
Identification: Natural Enemies Gallery
Euseius tularensis
Scientific name: Euseius tularensis
Click on image to enlarge
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Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Acari
Family: Phytoseiidae
Prey: Citrus red mite and citrus thrips are common prey. Also feeds on other species of spider mites,
nymphs of scales and whiteflies, and on pollen and leaf sap. Occurs primarily in citrus, but also is in avocado
where E. hibisci is the more common Euseius species.
Commercially available: No
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Euseius hatches from an egg and develops through a six-legged larval stage and 2 eight-legged
immature nymphal stages (protonymph and then deutonymph) before becoming an adult. Adults are pear-shaped and
shiny. Nymphs are smaller but otherwise look like adults. Adults and nymphs are white or yellow when feeding
on pollen, leaf sap, or citrus thrips, and red after feeding on citrus red mite. The eggs are oblong and slightly
larger than the round pest mite eggs. Eggs and larvae are transparent.
Except when feeding or molting, predator mites move quickly. They avoid direct sunlight and when held on a leaf
in the sun they run rapidly along the main vein or across the leaf. Euseius tularensis overwinters on
succulent shoots inside the tree canopy. Predator populations increase when new leaf flush develops in spring
and fall. During the day, they occur primarily along the midvein on the underside of shaded leaves and under
the calyx of the developing fruit where pest thrips may feed. During twilight, at night, and when it is overcast,
they feed over the entire surface of fruit and leaves. Depending on their diet, at 78 to 80°F the development time from egg to adult is 6 to 10 days and females live about 1 month, during which they lay about 1 dozen to 3 dozen eggs.
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