No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Previous investigations showed that (1) predatory mites use odours volatilizing from spider-mite infested plants for remote prey selection and (2) the response to the volatiles is correlated to the predator's ability to control populations of the prey species. Based on this correlation, it is hypothesized that preselecting predatory mites with the aid of olfactometer experiments will increase the probability of finding an efficient natural enemy. Y-tube olfactometer experiments with 11 species of phytoseiids showed that only four species were attracted by the odour of cassava leaves infested with cassava green mite Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar). If the hypothesis mentioned above is valid, the probability of finding an efficient natural enemy within this group of four will be higher than finding one by randomly taking a species from the initial group of 11 species. Since testing of phytoseiids with an olfactometer can be done in a few hours, it is suggested that these tests precede more laborious evaluation methods.

No abstract

No abstract

A. R. Braun, N. C. Mesa, M. E. Cuellar, E. L. Melo and G. J. de Moraes. Biosystematics of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) associated with cassava. Exp. Appl.Acarol. 17:205-213. Laborato~ crossing experiments indicate that populations of A. fimonicus sensu lato collected from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Brazil (Cruz das Almas) and Colombia (Palmira and Monteria) are conspecific and different from A. limonicus Garman & McGregor sensu stricto collected in Riverside, California, USA and Jaguariuna, Brazil. A. limonicus s.l. did not cross with A. tenuiscutus, A. rapax or A. limonicus s.s.. A. limonicus s.s. did not cross with A. rapax. Populations ofA. aerialis, A. anonymus and A. idaeus from Colombia are conspecific with Brazilian populations of these species.

No abstract