Ecological Study on the Tea Red Spider Mite (Part 5)

Abstract

Studies were made on the field ecology of the tea red spider mite (Tetranyehus kanzawai Kisama), during the winter of 1958-59 at the tea gardens in Shizuoka district.1. The warm tea garden was suitable for the hibernation of the mites, and they hibernated on the leaves of both young and mature tea plants, but not on the defoliated leaves.2. The mite population in winter, was higher on the foliage of lower or inner sides of tea bush than other places. The mites usually lived on the under side of the leaves, and many were found on the near partof the mid rib. The leaves on which they lived curved downwards and the depressions were seen at the center of the foliages.3.They spent winter in adult female form. The color of the adult female became dark red to cinnaber toward winter, and this cinnaber females did not lay eggs.4.It was seemed that the mite commenced hibernation from the middle or end of October to the beginning of November, and began to work from the end of January to the beginning or middle of February.