Prospects for biological control of wood-boring insects using phoretic mites

A novel biological control strategy using phoretic mites to target wood-boring pest insects is proposed. Phoretic mites are intimately associated with wood-boring insects and can reach habitats inaccessible to standard chemical and biological control strategies. Phoretic mites can deliver microbial biocontrol agents directly to their breeding sites inside tree trunks. These opportunistic mites have diverse feeding habits and behaviors that can be explored for the development of novel biological control strategies. Attributes of different groups of phoretic mites that could make them efficient vectors of microbial agents are discussed. The choice of microbial agents, mass-rearing techniques and possible field-delivery methods for phoretic mites are also discussed.