Acarologia (2003) 43, 255-260

Claudia V. Cédola and Norma E. Sánchez (2003)
Effect of tomato pubescence on development, survival and fecundity of Tetranychus urticae Koch and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) [Acari: Tetranychidae: Phytoseiidae]
Acarologia 43 (3), 255-260
Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether differences in tomato hairiness affect the developmental time, survival and fecundity of Tetranychus urticae Koch and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor). Laboratory experiments were performed on two tomato hybrids with different density of glandular hairs. There were no significant differences in developmental time of immature stages and total preadult time of T. urticae and N. californicus, between hybrids. Survival of both immatures and adults T. urticae was not affected by tomato hairiness, but fecundity, although low in both hybrids, was significantly lower in the most pubescent hybrid. Neoseiulus californicus did not show any difference among hybrids in none of the life history traits studied. However, there was a trend towards reduced cohort survival when hairiness increased. Tomato plant seems to be a very poor resource for the performance of T. urticae and N. californicus compared to other horticultural crops. An antibiosis process due to glandular hairs could be, at least in part, the cause of this detrimental effect. Implications of these observations in the control of T. urticae on tomato are discussed.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Argentina
Neoseiulus californicus (predator)	Tetranychus urticae	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Argentina