Demecology of the false spider mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) (Acari, Tenuipalpidae)

Abstract

A life and fecundity table has been constructed for Brevipalpus phoenicis, a serious pest of plantation crops, and various demographic parameters have been calculated. Although this mite has been found to possess a low growth rate (rm = 0.127), it possesses high rates of survival even in its senescence. Under constant experimental conditions the net reproduction rate is 33.2 eggs/mite, the generation time is 27.6 days and the population doubles once in 5.5 days. The stable age profile of the population is distributed as 74.9%, 19.24% and 6.07% of eggs, immatures and adults, respectively. Another aspect considered in this paper is the evolution of the population in function of an effective initial population of 10 individuals. This mite takes a longer time to reach constant growth rate and stable age distribution (156 days), however, the population growth is astronomical. The damage caused by them passes beyond the economic injury level within 34 days by an effective initial population of 10 mites in a tea bush having 100 leaves. This suggests an earlier intervention to check the population. The demographic analysis reveals that the following five aspects of its life history, namely high survival and fertility rates, reproductive intensity in the prime youth, lack of diapause, parthenogenetic mode of reproduction and euryphagy on perennial crops, are of major importance. Reasons for the importance of these characteristics are also discussed.

Reproductive performance of the mite Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) on citrus and coffee, using life table parameters

“…In spite of all the study examples mentioned, there is no study that compares the reproductive performance of B phoenicis in different hosts using the fertility life table. In agreement with Kennedy et al (1996) the economical importance of B. phoenicis is largely due to its high fertility and survival rate as well as reproductive intensity in the first days of oviposition, diapause absence, thelytokous parthenogenesis as main reproduction forms and polyphagia. The construction of the life table enables us to characterize demographic properties, such as the intrinsic rate of population increase, the net reproduction rate, the necessary time for the population to double, as well as the distribution of different ages of a population (Kennedy et al, 1996) enabling us to evaluate the biotic potential of a species under certain conditions.…”

“…In agreement with Kennedy et al (1996) the economical importance of B. phoenicis is largely due to its high fertility and survival rate as well as reproductive intensity in the first days of oviposition, diapause absence, thelytokous parthenogenesis as main reproduction forms and polyphagia. The construction of the life table enables us to characterize demographic properties, such as the intrinsic rate of population increase, the net reproduction rate, the necessary time for the population to double, as well as the distribution of different ages of a population (Kennedy et al, 1996) enabling us to evaluate the biotic potential of a species under certain conditions. Therefore, the objective of this work is to evaluate the reproductive performance of B. phoenicis in two of its main host plants in Brazil (citrus and coffee) parameters calculated from the fertility life table and biology.…”

“…Chiavegato (1986) found an average period of incubation of 7.71 ± 0.48 days in citric fruit at 25 ± 1 °C for the same mite, a very close result of that also obtained in this work for citrus. Haramoto (1969) and Kennedy et al (1996) had already observed average periods of incubation of 9.4 days in papaya at 25 °C, and 9.53 ± 1.71 days in Indian tea leaves at 26 °C. These results demonstrate that B. phoenicis presents a variation in the duration of the embryonic period due to the host in which the female develops.…”

“…The mites are found on leaves, branches and fruit of the citrus (Martinelli et al, 1976) and coffee plantations (Reis et al, 2000), usually in low population densities, but can cause damage due to virus transmission. The biological data of B. phoenicis have already been obtained in several hosts, such as papaya by Haramoto (1969); Indian tea by Oomen (1982) and Kennedy et al (1996); Oroxylum indicum Vent. and Clerodendron siphonanthus R. Br.…”

Dinâmica da resistência de Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) ao acaricida dicofol.

“…Porém, o reduzido número de ácaros que se dispersam seriam suficientes para formar focos significativos de infestação de B. phoenicis nos pomares a longo prazo, como relata trabalhos de bioecologia e de simulação realizados por Kennedy et al (1996) Rodrigues (2002) urticae apresentavam reversão mais rápida da resistência aos acaricidas organoestânicos do que pomares que não possuíam plantas nativas ao seu redor (Dunley & Croft, 1992 (Dunley & Croft, 1992).…”