Balancing efficacy and resistance: oils vs. synthetic acaricides in the control of Panonychus citri

A laboratory study compared two synthetic acaricides, cyetpyrafen (SYP-9625) and abamectin, with two oils-a soybean-based vegetable oil and a mineral oil-against the citrus red mite (Panonychus citri) using a susceptible laboratory strain, a field population, and an F₁-selected population. SYP-9625 and abamectin caused rapid adult mortality and completely suppressed mite fecundity, whereas the vegetable oil required longer exposure to achieve complete mortality and had minimal effects on reproduction at sublethal concentrations. The mineral oil provided a rapid knockdown of adults. After one generation of selection, resistance ratios to SYP-9625 and abamectin increased sharply, while resistance to both oils rose only slightly; accordingly, abamectin and SYP-9625 exhibited the highest resistance risk, and the vegetable oil the lowest. All treatments had minimal adverse effects on F₁ developmental survival, indicating no substantial transgenerational fitness costs. These findings support the integration of vegetable and mineral oils into integrated pest management (IPM) programs for sustainable citrus mite control, offering effective population suppression with a lower risk of rapid resistance development.