Genetic and phenotypic variation between Tetranychus ludeni populations from Benelux

The occurrence of the bean spider mite, Tetranychus ludeni, in The Netherlands and Belgium is reported here for the first time. Mite populations were collected from the field and established in the laboratory. Morphological and genetic analyses were performed to determine the species identity of multiple field-collected individuals. Comparing the sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit-1 (CO1) of the field populations with sequences available in NCBI revealed the extent of genetic differentiation between T. ludeni populations from around the world. The reproductive performance of mated females was assessed on various host plant species relevant to agriculture, including several leguminous species and tomato. These findings highlight the potential of T. ludeni to become an agricultural pest in Europe, particularly in the context of increasing global temperatures and agricultural practices.