EVALUATION OF SOME ACARICIDES AGAINST TWO SPOTTED SPIDER MITES, TETRANYCHUS URTICAE KOCH (ACARI: TETRANYCHIDAE) ON COTTON CROP UNDER LABORATORY AND FIELD CONDITIONS

The study was carried out to determine the efficacy of some commercially available acaricides against two spotted spider mites (tssm), tetranychus urticae koch in the laboratory and field conditions at department of entomology, university of agriculture, faisalabad, pakistan during summer 2010. the chlorfenapyr 36 sc, pyridaben 15 ec and fenpyroximate 5 sc proved to be the best miticides among the tested ones for the control of tssm based on their lc_50 values in the lab and percent mortality in the field. all the tested acaricides caused significant mortality in the lab as well as in the field up to 72 hours after treatment. the chlorfenapyr (87-100 % mortality in the field and the lab) was the most effective; whereas, dicofol (32-38 % mortality in the field and lab respectively) was least effective. however, the fenpyroximate showed the lowest lc_50 value (5.18 mg 1^-1) in the lab tests 48 hours after treatment proving its effectiveness against mites. the recommended application rates used in the field and the lt_50 values further suggested judicious use of effective acaricides.