Temperature dependent survival and developmental biology of the spider mite,Tetranychus puschelii Meyer (Acari: Tetranychidae) on selected host crops
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24154/jhs.v21i1.3166Keywords:
Biology, survivability, temperature, Tetranychus puscheliiAbstract
The study on the survival of the spider mite, Tetranychus puschelii Meyer on selected seven host plants viz., papaya (Carica papaya L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), cucumber (Cucumis maderaspatanus L.), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), brinjal (Solanum melongena L.), jasmine (Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton) and dahlia at seven different constant temperatures (16±1º, 20±1º, 24±1º, 28±1º, 32±1º, 36±1º and 40ºC) and the developmental biology on two selected hosts at five different constant temperatures (20±1º, 24±1º, 28±1º, 32±1º and 36±1ºC), were carried out. On cucumber and papaya, the per cent egg hatching and larval survivability was 100%, whereas, the survivability was 99.18% & 96.96% in protonymph and 100% & 92.18% in the deutonymphal stages, respectively. Cucumber (99.18%) and papaya (84.09%) recorded more than 80% mite survival from egg to adult stages. So, these two hosts were further used to study the survival of the mites at five different constant temperatures. The optimal growth of T. puschelii on cucumber was at the temperature range of 20±1º to 32±1ºC, while, on papaya the optimal development of T. puschelii was between 24±1º to 32±1ºC. The results of the developmental biology on cucumber and papaya showed that the time taken by T. puschelii from egg to adult decreased as the temperature increased from 20ºC to 32ºC and development was found to be nil at 36ºC as it was extremely higher temperature compared to other temperature conditions.
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