First occurrence of Tetranychidae mites in Desert Rose in Paraiba, Brazil

Abstract

The desert rose, Adenium obesum, an apocynacea native to regions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is widely cultivated throughout the world for its ornamental and medicinal values. In Brazil there is a growing interest in the ornamental attributes of A. obesum, which leads to the interest of the scientific community in solving problems that may accompany the cultivation of this plant. Some studies on the forms of management, nutrition and irrigation have been carried out, however, studies that aim to understand diseases and pests that affect the desert rose are still scarce. This study aimed to report the first occurrence of mites of the family Tetranychidae causing damage to desert rose cultivated in a greenhouse in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Sixty specimens of desert rose were monitored between December 2019 and July 2020 in a greenhouse in the biosciences department of the Federal University of Paraíba. All plants had injuries and damage caused by the mite. The main damages were necrosis, deformation of the edges, closing of the leaves along the central vein and yellowing with total dryness and falling of the leaves. Formation of webs over leaves and flowers. It was concluded that the mites of the family Tetranychidae cause damage to desert roses that can damage their commercial value.