Biology of a Red Spider Mite, Panonychus sp., on Raspberry in Virginia

Abstract

The raspberry red mite (Panonychus sp.) was observed in Virginia in 1944. Morphologically it resembles both the European red mite (P. ulmi (Koch)) and the citrus red mite (P. citri (McGregar)) in some respects but differs from both biologically. Raspberry is the favored food plant. Other food plants are blackberry, dewberry, soybean, lima-bean, snap-bean, Kudzu-vine, and common mallow. The mites winter as eggs deposited on the canes. Winter eggs hatched in March, and 11 generations were reared each season. The incubation period ranged from 3 to 58 days. The time from hatching to adult ranged from 4 to 17 days for males and 4 to 45 days for females. The relationship between development and temperature is shown in charts. The average number of eggs deposited per female by broods ranged from 19.2 to 65.5. The largest number deposited by a single female was 150. The maximum length of life recorded for an adult female was 87 days and that for an adult male was 52 days. The average lengths of life by broods were 11.4 to 43 days for females and 5 to 29 days for males.