Fertilization Tests of a Red Spider Mite Found on Raspberry in Virginia with the European Red Mite and with the Citrus Red Mite

Abstract

When unfertilized females of Panonychus sp., a red spider mite found on raspberry in Virginia, were confined with males of the European red mite, P. ulmi (Koch), 68 out of 70 produced only male offspring; whereas 62 out of 66 females confined with males of the raspberry red mite produced offspring of both sexes. Of 146 such females confined with males of the citrus red mite, P. citri (McGregor), only male offspring were produced by 140, including 5 that were seen mating for 4 to 10 minutes with males of P. citri; while 75 out of 82 females produced offspring of both sexes after exposure to males of the raspberry red mite. These results indicate that the raspberry red mite is not the European red mite or the citrus red mite.