Life table of the red spider mite tetranychus bastosi (Acari: Tetranychidae) on different host plants

Abstract

Tetranychus bastosi Tuttle, Baker & Sales was described from Ceará state, northeastern Brazil. It has so far been reported from 25 plant species, among which cassava (Manihot esculenta Crants), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and papaya (Carica papaya L). Although there is no information about its impact on crop yield, high population levels have been observed on some crops, leading to suppose that damage might occur in some occasions. In this study, fertility life table parameters were calculated for T. bastosi on cassava, common bean and papaya at 25 ± 2 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and photoperiod of 12/12 h. The best performance of T. bastosi occurred on C. papaya and P. vulgaris, on which the intrinsic rate of population increase reached 0.184 and 0.183 female/female/day, respectively. These results agree with the most common occurrence of this mite on papaya and on common bean than on cassava.