Movement behaviors of specimens of mite (Tetranychus urticae) were computationally analyzed after the treatments of pesticide, abamectin, at a low concentration of 0.78ppb. During the observation period, test specimens were placed individually on the bean leaves (diameter=7mm), and their position was recorded in 2-dimension at 0.25 second intervals (8 hours before treatment and 8 hours after treatment). The selected parameters such as speed, angular change, meander, etc, were checked for characterizing response behaviors after the treatments. The difference of mite behavior was accordingly observed after the treatments, and the time spent in the center area appeared to be longer after the treatments. Additional characterization of movement behaviors was computationally checked, and utilization of behavioral monitoring in pest management was further discussed regarding early detection of susceptible or resistant strains.

Accurate estimation of insect density is essential for effective pest management. A simple robotics and image processing system were combined to automatically recognize the density of whiteflies. Subsequently the robot arm was utilized to spray the pesticides in the area of infestation in a minimized amount. The estimated densities of samples in the laboratory condition were in accordance with the actual values. The detection system was efficient when the whitefly densities were at medium to high levels. The results of the present study indicate that the robotic and image processing integration system described here would be useful for evaluating the population dynamics.