Seasonal Abundance of the Coconut White Mite and its Predators
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Date
1993
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Abstract
Oligonychus iseliemae (Hirst) (Acarina: Tetranychidae) infests seedlings and grown up coconut palms and inhabits the adaxial surface of the leaflets. They live in colonies and feeding by the immature stages and adults results in draining of the sap and consequent drying of the affected leaves. Severe damage was usually observed in coconut nurseries and just planted seedlings in the field. O. iselemae occurred in the field almost throughout the year. Mean population varied from 94 to 803 from January to June and from 4 to 93 during July to December. Among the meteorological factors, high temperature, low relative humidity and long hours of bright sunshine favoured the increase in mite population and rainfall effected a decline. The mite, insect and spider predators coexisted with O. iselemae colony and brought about substantial reduction of the prey population. The dominant mite predators observed were Amblyseius para-aerialis, A. eucatypticus, Cunaxa setirosois and Agistemus sp.
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In : Advances in Coconut Research and Development 1993 (Eds.)MK Nair, HH Khan; P Gopalasundaram ; EVV Bhaskara Rao, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. New Delhi, 759 p(International symposium on Coconut Research and Development (ISOCRAD*II), 26-29 November 1991, CPCRI, Kasaragod) p-517-522