page_title: Biological control of gorse in New Zealand
section_title: Tetranychus lintearius (gorse spider mite)
hierarchical_section_title: Biological control of gorse in New Zealand / Biological control agents / Tetranychus lintearius (gorse spider mite)
caption_attribution_description: Tetranychus lintearius English: Introduced gorse spider mite on gorse prickle within their protective silk webbing. Wellington, New Zealand.
context_page_description: Biological control programs for gorse in New Zealand have existed since the introduction of the gorse seed weevil in 1928. Biological pest control is the use of natural mechanisms such as predation to limit the growth and prevalence of a pest. The early research into the biological control of common gorse in New Zealand was among the first of such programs worldwide.
context_section_description: Native to Europe, Tetranychus lintearius is a host-specific mite that lives in colonies under sheets of silk on gorse plants. It damages the plant by feeding on its tissues, and can reduce its growth and flowering activity dramatically. It is regarded as the most effective biological control agent for gorse in Europe.
  A T. lintearius population from the United Kingdom was introduced to New Zealand in 1989, but did not do well in regions with higher precipitation and temperatures. Five new populations from Spain and Portugal which were selected to better match the climate in these regions proved to be more successful. The mite is now established throughout New Zealand, despite predation by Stethorus bifidus and Phytoseiulus persimilis, the latter of which was deliberately introduced to counter mite pests.
caption: T. linteariuss on gorse in Wellington
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