Abstract
Simple SummaryThe red spider mite, Tetranychus merganser is one of the most economically important pests in papaya and prickle pear cactus cultivars, causing major damage to fruit and defoliation. In recent years, T. merganser has increased the number of its host plants. The mechanisms of resistance of a plant to herbivorous arthropod include antixenosis and antibiosis. Antixenosis refers to the plant mechanism to affect feeding and oviposition of arthropods; antibiosis refers to the plant capacity to affect the biology of the arthropod. The aim of this research is to assess antibiosis and antixenosis as resistance mechanisms in seven host plants (Thevetia ahouai, Carica papaya, Phaseolus vulgaris, Moringa oleifera, Pittosporum tobira, Helietta parvifolia, Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) to red spider mites. Oviposition and damage by feeding of T. merganser were greater on C. papaya than on the other host plants. The population growth of the spider mite was lower in P. tobira and T. ahouai than in the other host plants. Results based on the analysis of demographic parameters, food intake, survival and oviposition of T. merganser females suggest that P. tobira and T. ahouai were the most resistant to red spider mites, whereas C. papaya was the most susceptible of the seven host plants. The resistant plants can be studied as alternatives in the management of red spider mites. Red spider mites, Tetranychus merganser Boudreaux (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an agricultural pest that causes economic losses in papaya and nopal crops in Mexico. The aim of this research was to assess antibiosis and antixenosis as resistance mechanisms in seven host plants (Thevetia ahouai, Carica papaya, Phaseolus vulgaris, Moringa oleifera, Pittosporum tobira, Helietta parvifolia, Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) to red spider mites. Antixenosis was evaluated by non-preference for oviposition and feeding, antibiosis by infinitesimal rate of increase, finite rate of increase and doubling time, and the percentage of spider mites mortality. Oviposition and damage by feeding of T. merganser were significantly greater on C. papaya than on the other host plants. The growth rate of the spider mite was significantly lower in P. tobira and T. ahouai than in the other host plants. The percentage of hatched eggs of T. merganser was significantly higher in P. vulgaris than in the other plant species. Based on the demographic parameters, survival, food intake, and oviposition, these results indicated that compared with C. papaya, P. tobira and T. ahouai were more resistant. These results may be due to the fact that they were plants species of different families. The resistant plants can be studied as alternatives in the management of T. merganser.
Highlights
Tetranychidae family include more than 1300 species of phytophagous mites, of which one hundred can be considered pests, ten of them being of great importance [1]
The number of eggs laid on C. papaya was significantly higher while on P. tobira and T. ahouai were significantly lower (Tukey’s test, p < 0.05) (Table 2), this suggests P. tobira and T. ahouai were most resistant to T. merganser
We found a positive correlation between feeding damage and host plant species of red spider mites (Figure 1B), and among feeding damage and average of eggs laid per each T. merganser female (Figure 1C)
Summary
Tetranychidae family include more than 1300 species of phytophagous mites, of which one hundred can be considered pests, ten of them being of great importance [1]. The red spider mite, Tetranychus merganser Boudreaux (Acari: Tetranychidae), causes severe damage by its feeding in different species of plants of the family Aquifoliaceae, Apocynaceae, Cactaceae, Caricaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Moringaceae, Oleaceae, Pittosporaceae, Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae Rutaceae and Solanaceae [1,3,4,5,6,7,8]. The red spider mite is distributed in the United States, China, Mexico, and Thailand [1]. It is considered a potential pest for Mexican agriculture [3,8], e.g., causing losses of 586 ± 234 dollars per hectare in prickly pear cactus, (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) Miller (Cactaceae) crops [3]. The population growth parameters of T. merganser, such as daily egg production, survival, food intake, and rate of development, may vary in response to changes in temperature, host plant species, and nutrition quality of plants [9,10,11]
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