INVESTIGATIONS ON SELECTED TEST CRITERIA OF A LABORATORY METHOD TO EVALUATE PESTICIDE SIDE-EFFECTS ON THE PREDATORY MITE TYPHLODROMUS-PYRI SCHEUTEN

Trials were carried out in order to improve selected test criteria of the open glass plate rest by LOUIS and UFER (1995) for the assessment of pesticide side-effects an the Predatory mite Typhlodromus pyri Sche uten. The test criteria escape rate, mortality rate and egg production per female were evaluated. Neither modifications in the number of tes t animals or the sex ratio of T. pyri per test arena, nor the addition of different types of shelters on the test arenas led to a significan t improvement of the test criteria with regard to their proposed limit . values for the validation of the rest.