Systematic & Applied Acarology ISSN 1362-1971 An international journal of the Systematic and Applied Acarology Society, published since 1996 [Aims] [Editors] [Content] [Subscriptions] [Contact details] [Society Homepage]

Systematic & Applied Acarology (2003) 8, 49-54

Preference of adults of Allothrombium pulvinum Ewing (Acari: Trombidiidae) for eggs of Planococcus citri (Risso) and Pulvinaria aurantii Cockerell on citrus leaves in the laboratory

ALIREZA SABOORI¹, MOJTABA HOSSEINI² & BIJAN HATAMI²

1 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Tehran University, Karaj, Iran; E-mail: saboori@ ut.ac.ir

2 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, P.O. Box 84154 Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

The adults of Allothrombium pulvinum Ewing (Acari: Trombidiidae) have a wide range of prey. Herein we review the prey range of these adults and report eggs of Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and Pulvinaria aurantii Cockerell (Hemiptera: Coccidae) as new prey for adults of this mite in Northen Iran. We examined the preference of A. pulvinum for eggs of P. citri and P. aurantii in no-choice and two-choice tests. The experiments were conducted on sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) leaf discs over a 24h period at 26±1°C, 755% RH and a 12L:12D photoperiod. The predatory mite preferred P. citri eggs over P. aurantii eggs (P<0.05), and the mean number of eggs consumed by adults of A. pulvinum in the two-choice test was higher than that in the no-choice test. The potential of A. pulvinum as a biocontrol agent against these two important citrus pests from that region is discussed.

Key words: Acari, Trombidiidae, Allothrombium pulvinum, preference, preys, Planococcus citri, Pulvinaria aurantii, Iran.

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