Abstract: 【Aim】 This study aims to clarify the bioactivities of rosemary and zanthoxylum oils against the carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval), in the laboratory. 【Methods】 The fumigation activities, oviposition inhibition activities and repellency activities of rosemary and zanthoxylum oils against the 5-day-old female adults of T. cinnabarinus were detected by the methods of fumigation and repellency. By using EthoVision XT6, the effects of the two essential oils on the behavior of T. cinnabarinus were analyzed at the sublethal concentrations. 【Results】 The mortalities of female adults of T. cinnabarinus fumigated by rosemary oil were significantly higher than those by zanthoxylum oil at 12, 24 and 48 h after exposure (P <0.05). Moreover, as the fumigation time or the concentration of the two essential oils increased, the fumigation activities were enhanced. At 24 h after treatment, the oviposition inhibition rates of female adults of T. cinnabarinus exposed to the rosemary oil were significantly higher than those exposed to the zanthoxylum oil at different concentrations ( P <0.05). After 24 h of exposure, the LC₃₀ values of rosemary and zanthoxylum oil against female adults of T. cinnabarinus were determined to be 6.731 and 120.142 μL/L, respectively. The repellency activities of the rosemary oil against female adults of T. cinnabarinus were higher than those of zanthoxylum oil. When the female adults of T. cinnabarinus were treated by the two essential oils at the sublethal concentrations, their spontaneous movement tracks changed significantly and the mobility frequencies were the highest at the LC₁₀. Moreover, the spontaneous movement abilities of female adults of T. cinnabarinus were more obviously affected by rosemary oil than by zanthoxylum oil. 【Conclusion】 The bioactivities of T. cinnabarinus induced by the rosemary oil were significantly higher than those induced by the zanthoxylum oil. Therefore, rosemary oil has higher application value in the biological control of T. cinnabarinus. This study provides a scientific basis for the development of botanical acaricides for green vegetables.

Key words: Tetranychus cinnabarinus, botanical acaricide, rosemary oil, zanthoxylum oil, bioactivities, behavior