Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Gerbera jamesonii Bolus and Hook (Asteraceae).

Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus and Hook,) is an ornamental Asteraceae of great commercial value, and pests can affect adversely its cultivation. More than 20 species of arthropods cause economic damage on gerbera, among them the two spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 (Acari: Tetranychidae), considered a key pest for this and other ornamental plants. In this work, some life-cycle aspects of T. urticae on gerbera, considered important for the knowledge of its population dynamics and for pest management programs, were studied. Mites were reared on 3-cm diameter arenas of gerbera leaf discs maintained on distilled water in Petri dishes, under laboratory conditions of 25 masculineC, 70 +/- 10% RU and 14-hour photophase, with only one egg left per arena, in a total of 262 arenas. Egg viability was 96.5% and 97.1% for unmated and mated females, respectively. Unmated females originated larvae which lived for 3.2 days and the stages of protonymph and deutonymph, 1.9 and 1.6 days, respectively; those from mated females lived 3.5 days and for protonymphs and deutonymphs, 2.0 and 1.6 days, respectively. Except for the duration of one generation (T), with similar values, 18.6 and 19.7 days, respectively for unmated and mated females, the net reproductive rate of increase (R masculine), the innate capacity to increase in number (r m) and the finite rate of growth (lambda) were different for mated and unmated females, respectively 11.5 and 24.6 for R0; 0.12 and 0.17 for r m and 1.13 and 1.19 for lambda.

Influência da infestação de oligonychus ilicis (mcgregor, 1917) (acari: tetranychidae) sobre a taxa de fotossíntese potencial de folhas de cafeeiro

ABSTRACT Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor, 1917), is one of the main phytophagous mites of the coffee plant ( Coffea spp.), although it is not reported among the primary pests. They live on the upper surface of the leaves, puncturing the epidermis and mesophyll cells to absorb and feed on the extravasated cellular content. In consequence, the leaves lose their natural shine and become tan. The objective of this work was to quantify the photosynthetic rate of coffee-plant leaves presenting different infestation levels of O. ilicis. The study was carried out in potted three-year-old coffee plants ( Coffea arabica L., Catuaí cultivar), kept in a greenhouse. Infestations were accomplished at five different levels (0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 adult mite females/leaf), with mites coming from a stock rearing, on leaves of the third pair starting from the apex and totally expanded, located in branches from the middle third of the plant, with five repetitions. The potential photosynthesis was measured through the photosynthetic oxygen produced, using an oxygen monitor with a Clark type electrode coupled to a CB1 electric flow control box. The evaluations were made 7 and 21 days after the infestation with the mites, and the data obtained were submitted to regression analysis. There was a negative correlation between levels of infestation and potential photosynthesis, whereas at levels 15, 30, 60 and 120 mites/leaf, the photosynthetic rates were reduced in relation to the control treatment, in 37.2, 38.7; 46.0 and 50.1% respectively.

RESUMO Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor, 1917) é um dos principais ácaros fitófagos do cafeeiro ( Coffea spp.), embora não esteja relacionado entre as pragas primárias. Esses ácaros vivem na superfície superior das folhas e, para se alimentar, perfuram as células da epiderme e do mesófilo e absorvem o conteúdo celular extravasado. Em consequência, as folhas perdem o brilho natural e tornam-se bronzeadas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi quantificar a taxa de fotossíntese de folhas de cafeeiro apresentando diferentes níveis de infestação de O. ilicis. O estudo foi realizado em plantas de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L., cultivar Catuaí) envasadas e com três anos de idade, mantidas em casa de vegetação. Foram realizadas infestações em cinco diferentes níveis (0, 15, 30, 60 e 120 fêmeas adultas do ácaro/folha), com ácaros provenientes da criação de manutenção, em folhas do terceiro par, a partir do ápice e totalmente expandidas, localizadas em ramos do terço médio da planta, com cinco repetições. A medição da fotossíntese potencial foi realizada por meio do oxigênio fotossintético produzido, utilizando-se de um monitor de oxigênio com eletrodo tipo Clark acoplado a uma caixa de controle de fluxo elétrico CB1. As avaliações foram realizadas 7 e 21 dias após a infestação com os ácaros, e os dados obtidos foram submetidos a uma análise de regressão. Houve correlação negativa entre os diferentes níveis de infestação e a fotossíntese potencial, sendo que, nos níveis 15, 30, 60 e 120 ácaros/folha, as taxas de fotossíntese foram reduzidas, em relação ao tratamento-testemunha, em 37,2; 38,7; 46,0 e 50,1%, respectivamente.