Biology and life table of Oligonychus punicae Hirst (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) on three host plants

Abstract

Avocado brown mite, Oligonychus punicae (Hirst) (Acari: Tetranychidae), causes significant damage to crops, such as avocado (Persea americana Mill. [Lauraceae]). To implement strategies for integrated management of O. punicae, it is necessary to understand its biology when it feeds on different hosts. Life tables of O. punicae on three host plants (P. americana cv. Hass, Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth [Fabaceae] and Rosa hybrida L. [Rosaceae]) were developed under laboratory conditions. The developmental time of immature females differed among the host plants tested and ranged from 10.09 days on P. americana cv. Hass to 12.78 days on R. hybrida. For immature males, it ranged from 10.08 days on P. americana cv. Hass to 12.80 days on R. hybrida. The highest total fecundity was recorded for P. americana cv. Hass (47.48 eggs/female) and was lowest for R. hybrida (21.12 eggs/female). The highest intrinsic rate of increase (r m ) of O. punicae was registered on P. americana cv. Hass (0.240 day−1) and was lowest on R. hybrida (0.156 day−1). The demographic parameters suggest that R. hybrida is a poor host for the development of O. punicae, and the best O. punicae performance was on P. americana cv. Hass.