Poster Display
Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology
Fang (Rose) Zhu, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
Said Kewedar
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
Qi-Ren Chen
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
Timothy W. Moural (he/him/his)
Principle Investigator
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
Douglas Walsh
Professor of Entomology
Washington State University
Prosser, Washington
Two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae, feeds on over 1100 plant species, including highly valued economic crops such as hops, mints, and raspberries. Due to hot dry climate conditions, T. urticae is one of the major arthropod pests affecting these crops in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the US. Over the years, T. urticae control has been dominated by the application of various acaricides. However, T. urticae quickly adapts to these acaricides by developing resistance. Diagnostic tools for resistance management play critical roles in preventing and controlling the emergence and spread of pesticide resistance in pest populations. Here, we combined diagnostic bioassays, robust acaricide mutation screening, and molecular docking to analyze how acaricides interact with proteins harboring these mutations or mutation combinations identified in hop/mint/raspberry fields. Our study provides new information in understanding the complexity of T. urticae adaptation to multiple acaricides, which will help in designing effective and sustainable management strategies for T. urticae on hops and other economically valuable crops.