Seasonal mite population distribution on Caryocar brasiliense trees in the Cerrado domain

Abstract

Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) trees have a wide distribution in the Cerrado, and it is protected by federal laws. The need to monitor and understand pest damage to crops and forests is a major motivation for the study of population distribution. The mites (Acari) population distributions on C. brasiliense are unknown. We studied seasonal mite population distribution and their ecological indices on C. brasiliense trees in Cerrado areas during three years. Greatest number of Agistemus sp. (Stigmaeidae), Histiostoma sp. (Histiostomidae), Proctolaelaps sp. (Ascidae), and diversity and species richness on leaves of C. brasiliense occurred in the autumn; Tetranychus sp.1 (Tetranychidae) on leaves in the autumn and winter; Histiostoma sp., and Proctolaelaps sp. in fruits in the summer. No significant effect of season was observed in the abundance of Eutetranychus sp., Tetranychus sp.2 (Tetranychidae) and Acaridae. The populations of Acaridae, Eutetranychus sp., Proctolaelaps sp. and Tetranychus sp.1 negatively correlated with temperature. Proctolaelaps sp. and Tetranychus sp.1 correlated negatively with rainfall and Eutetranychus sp. and Proctolaelaps sp. positively with sunlight. The period with low rainfall and relative humidity increases the phytophagous mites and their predators, especially Agistemus sp.. The Tetranychus sp. and Histiostoma sp. species may become pests in C. brasiliense in the Cerrado domain.

Free-feeding organisms and galling insects (Hymenoptera) interactions on Caryocar brasiliense (Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) trees, a savanna plant from Brazil

“…Federal laws in Brazil protect this tree, and, therefore, they are left in deforested areas of the Cerrado (Leite et al, 2006). Isolated C. brasiliense individuals in the agro-landscape are subjected to higher leaf, flower, and fruit damage by herbivorous insects (e.g., Hemiptera and Coleoptera), including galling insects and mites (Leite et al, 2012(Leite et al, , 2016(Leite et al, , 2017(Leite et al, , 2020a(Leite et al, , b, 2021(Leite et al, , 2022Demolin-Leite, 2024).…”

Composition and abundance level of pest mites in jasmine gambier (Jasminum officinale) plantation of Purbalingga, Central Java, Indonesia affected by some abiotic factors

“…Goleva and Zebitz (2013) reported that the population dynamics of various types of pest mites are closely related to the conditions of temperature, humidity, rainfall, season, an abundance of predatory mites and types of plant cultivars (Hewitt et al 2015). Leite et al (2022) reported that the gambier jasmine plants require warm and wet environmental conditions such as a temperature of 28-36°C, night 24-30°C during the day and night times a day and so air humidity of 50-80% for growth, unfortunately, the same condition is also favorable for the pest mites. Moreover, low-level of rainfall and humidity are also known to increase the population abundance of various phytophagous mites (Ihsan et al 2021).…”

“…Moreover, low-level of rainfall and humidity are also known to increase the population abundance of various phytophagous mites (Ihsan et al 2021). Furthermore, Kean et al (2019) and Leite et al (2022) suggested that high rainfall is negatively correlated with the population abundance of Tetranychus urticae, or vice versa, T. urticae is very resistant to a high level of rainfall. The favorable various environmental factors, as described previously, lead to a decrease in this predatory mite drastically, resulting in an increase in various pest mites (Nishida et al 2005).…”