Acarologia (2000) 41, 423-427

Karine J.B. Pontier, Gilberto J. De Morass and Sorge Kreiter (2000)
Biology of Tenuipalpus heveae (Acari, Tenuipalpidae) on rubber tree leaves
Acarologia 41 (4), 423-427
Abstract: The tenuipalpid mite Tenuipalpus heveae Baker has caused considerable damage to leaves of rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis (Muell. Arg.), in parts of central and southern Brazil. The development and the reproduction of T. heveae were studied under laboratory condition at 28° C in the light phase (12 h), 25° C in the dark phase and 70 ± 10% RH., on excised leaves of rubber tree clone PB 260. The egg stage was almost as long as the mobile immature stages combined, and the total duration of the pre-imaginal phase was ca. 30 days. This duration is comparable to the observations led on for other tenuipalpid species. The peak oviposition rate was ca. 1.4 eggs per female per day, and the average fecundity was 34 eggs per female. Females corresponded to ca. 85 ± 0.4% of the population. The intrinsic rate of increase was 0.08 egg/female/day and the mean generation time, 44.5 days. The low value of r_m and the high population levels observed in parts of the area of distribution of T. heveae indicate the absence of effective natural enemies of that species.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Serge Kreiter

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tenuipalpus heveae	Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)	Brazil (south)