Development and Validation of Sampling Plans for the European Red Mite Panonychus Ulmi (Acari: Tetranychidae)

A total of 24 data sets was available from April until September 2018 to develop a binomial sequential sampling plan to monitor Panonychus ulmi population. Action threshold of 2.31 mobile forms /sample unit was determined using the empirical model and used for developing and evaluating sequential sampling plans through 500 Monte Carlo iterations. Based on data of presence /absence sampling plan, a fixed precision sequential plan at D= 0.20; 0.25; 0.30; 0.35 and 0.50 was established. The mean sample numbers decrease significantly with increasing precision using 500 iterations. Presence of a common k (k c ) of negative binomial distribution was verified and its value was calculated according to Bliss and Owenƒ??s procedure. For Waldƒ??s sequential probability ratio test, a minimum of 19 sample units is required to detect the presence of harmless populations of P. ulmi, comparatively to 4 units obtained by Iwaoƒ??s sequential sampling plan, which is an alternative to overcoming ?ñ and ?ý error values ƒ??ƒ??and does not need any mathematical distribution of P. ulmi. The terminology and methodology of each plan were clarified and the results were discussed. Developing a reliable sampling method for monitoring P. ulmi is essential for implementing integrated pest management measures.