Dear Tom:
     Has this mite DEFINITELY been proven to die if  confined in an
environment in which there aren't any living plants?  I for one, has seen far
too many failures of biologic controls.  Remember the experiment which
attempted to control rabbits with a virus?
That's only one example, but it should suffice to make my point.  In the
Spanish language, (which I know better than English) we have a saying to this
effect:  "A button is enough for a sample."
Happy new Year to All.
Dr. R.