Hosts of Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) Native to the Brazilian Amazon

Cristina A Gómez-Moya,Manoel G C Gondim Jr,Elisângela G F Morais,Talita P S Lima,Gilberto J De Moraes

doi:10.5539/jas.v9n4p86

Abstract

The expansion of red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in Brazil could impact negatively the native plant species, especially of the family Arecaceae. To determine which species could be at risk, we investigated the development and reproductive potential of R. indica on 19 plant species including 13 native species to the Brazilian Amazon (12 Arecaceae and one Heliconiaceae), and six exotic species, four Arecaceae, a Musaceae and a Zingiberaceae. Values of the instantaneous rate of increase (ri) were initially estimated at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after infestation of each species. Higher values of ri (> 0.05) were determined on the Arecaceae Adonidia merrillii, Astrocaryum jauari, Cocos nucifera, Bactris simplicifrons, Mauritia flexuosa, Phoenix dactylifera and Socratea exorrhiza, and on the Heliconiaceae Heliconia psittacorum Sassy; these were classified as “potential primary hosts”. Lower, but still positive values of ri (0-0.05) were determined on the Arecaceae Bactris maraja, Oenocarpus bacaba, Oenocarpus bataua and on the Musaceae Musa × paradisiaca (Prata variety); these were classified as “potential secondary hosts”. Negative values of ri were determined for the remaining plants, i.e., the Arecaceae Astrocaryum aculeatum, Attalea maripa, Bactris gasipaes, Elaeis guineensis, Euterpe oleracea, Euterpe precatoria, and the Zingiberaceae Alpinia rosea; these were considered “non-hosts”. Species with ri < 0.05 were considered not to be threatened by the RPM. Biological parameters of RPM were evaluated on the plant species with positive ri (except B. maraja) and two native species with negative ri (E. oleracea and E. precatoria). Mean developmental time ranged from 14.7 days on C. nucifera to 21.4 days on Musa × paradisiaca, showing a significant influence of the plant substrate. Immature viability, oviposition rate, net reproductive rate (R0) and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were affected by the plant species.

Highlights

The red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), was described from specimens collected in India on Cocos nucifera L. (Hirst, 1924)
The objectives of this study were to determine whether selected plants of families Arecaceae, Heliconiaceae, Musaceae and Zingiberaceae commonly found in the Brazilian Amazon could serve as hosts for R. indica, including some species previously reported as hosts (H. psittacorum and the Arecaceae A. maripa, B. gasipaes, E. oleracea, E. precatoria and M. flexuosa), to confirm previous results indicating those plants as potential hosts, given the very common occurrence of these plants in northern Amazon
Values higher than 0.05 were observed on A. jauari, A. merrillii, B. simplicifrons, C. nucifera, M. flexuosa, P. dactylifera, S. exorrhiza and H. psittacorum; almost invariably, these values reduced along the experiment

Summary

Introduction

The red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), was described from specimens collected in India on Cocos nucifera L. (Hirst, 1924). This species had only been reported from the Eastern Hemisphere (Dowling, Ochoa, Beard, Welrn, & Ueckermann, 2012) before its detection in the Caribbean area by Flechtmann and Etienne (2004). In the Eastern Hemisphere, R. indica has been reported on plants of only four genera of Arecaceae: C. nucifera, Phoenix dactylifera L., Dictyosperma album (Borg.), Areca sp. In the Western Hemisphere it greatly expanded its host range, being known from 95 plant species belonging to 58 genera of eight families: Arecaceae, Cannaceae, Cycadaceae, Heliconiaceae, Musaceae, Pandanaceae, Strelitziaceae and Zingiberaceae (Carrillo et al, 2012; Vásquez & Moraes, 2012). The following species native to the Brazilian Amazonia have been reported as hosts: the Heliconiaceae Heliconia bihai (L.) and Heliconia psittacorum Sassy, and the Arecaceae Attalea maripa (Aubl.) Mart., Bactris gasipaes Kunth, Euterpe oleracea Mart., Euterpe precatoria Mart. and Mauritia flexuosa L. (Gondim et al, 2012)

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