Influence of Some Host Plants and Temperature on Biological Aspects of the Citrus Brown Mite,Eutetranychusorientalis (Klein) (Acari: Actinedida: Tetranychidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Fruit Trees Mites Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

The citrus brown mite (CBM), Eutetranychusorientalis (Klein, 1936) is a key pest of citrus, date palm, filed crops and ornamentals. Development time, reproduction and life table parameters of E.orientaliswere studied on leaves of six host plants:castor bean, date palm, Indian laburnum, mulberry, plum and sweet potatounder laboratory conditions of 25 and 30±2°C; 65±5% R.H. andphotoperiodof16L:8D. Results indicated that the highest life cycle was 19.95& 9.38 and 19.31&9.8 days for male and female on date palm at 25 and 30°C, while, the lowest value of this period was obtained on castor bean were 16.45& 16.75 days for male and female at 25°C, and 6.31& 8.43days for male and female at 30°C onIndian laburnum,respectively.Mean longevity of female E. orientalisranged from 13.53 to 15.13 days at 25ºC, and from 9.9 to 16.9 days at 30ºC. The highest mean total fecundity was 19.45 and 14.1 eggs/ female on Indian laburnum and castor bean at 25 and 30°C, respectively. The sex ratio % (female/ total) ranged from 65 to 76%. The highest intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was0.143on Indian laburnum at 25ºC and0.138 (individuals/ female/day) on castor beanat 30 ºC. The individuals had the ability to double with the shortest time at 30ºC (4.81 days) on Indian laburnum and the longest time at 25 ºC (12.38 days) on date palm.The meangenerationtime(T)andgenerationdoublingtime(DT)valuesdecreasedwith temperatureincrease.This mitefavoredhightemperature;castor bean and Indian laburnum weremorefavorablehosts than others.

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