Rodrigo Damasco Daud

Diversidade de ácaros (Acari, Arachnida) em seringueiras (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg., Euphorbiaceae) na região noroeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

The mites of three rubber tree cultures (Cedral, Pindorama and Taquaritinga) in order to determine the abundance of populations, the richness, the diversity and the degree of similarity among the communities was studied. Twenty one species were found, five of which were common to the three cultures. The richness and the abundance were greatest at the beginning of the dry season. The composition of communities differed probably as consequence of the kind of neighboring vegetation to each area, and because of the acaricid pulverization on the culture of Taquaritinga, reductng the richness of mite species in that area. The influence of neighboring vegetation can be shown by the occurrence of Iphiseiodes zuluagui Denmark & Muma, 1972, a common species to citrus trees, on neighboring rubber trees in Taquaritinga, and Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, 1945, a common species on rubber trees, on a coffee culture neighbor to the rubber trees of Pindorama. This data suggests that mites move among neighbor cultures, and can be an importam factor towards pest management and control. The diversity was small on the three cultures, as a result of the occurrence of one dominam species on each area, Calacarus heveae Feres, 1992 or T. heveae, which are considered pests of the rubber tree. The small diversity and the occurrence of dominant species are patterns expected in monocultures, systems with small environmental heterogeneity.

Diversidade e flutuação populacional de ácaros (Acari) em Mabea fistulifera Mart. (Euphorbiaceae) de dois fragmentos de mata estacional semidecídua em São José do Rio Preto, SP

Amostrou-se mensalmente, durante 2001, acaros de Mabea fistulifera Mart. em dois fragmentos de mata, um urbano e outro rural. Em cada local e coleta, foram coletadas 20 folhas de cada um de tres exemplares de M. fistulifera. As folhas foram examinadas sob estereomicroscopio e todos os acaros encontrados, montados em lâminas e identificados e contados sob microscopio com contraste de fase. A diversidade e a uniformidade de especies foram analisadas atraves dos indices de Shannon-Wiener e Pielou, respectivamente. O indice de similaridade de Morisita-Horn foi utilizado para determinar o grau de semelhanca entre as areas. A diversidade maxima teorica e a constância tambem foram determinadas. O indice de correlacao de Pearson foi utilizado para verificar possiveis relacoes entre a abundância de acaros com a pluviosidade. No fragmento urbano foram coletados 6326 acaros pertencentes a 31 especies, e no rural, 2330 acaros de 25 especies. Nos dois fragmentos, a diversidade excedeu 50% da diversidade maxima teorica, entretanto, no rural verificou-se maior diversidade. Registrou-se tambem, grande abundância de fitofagos, que foi maior no urbano, provavelmente como resultado do estresse das plantas favorecendo o desenvolvimento dos fitofagos. Alguns predadores apresentaram grande abundância durante a floracao de M. fistulifera, provavelmente por utilizarem o polen como alimento. A maior abundância de Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma, na estacao seca, pode estar correlacionada com a maior disponibilidade de polen, e nao com a menor pluviosidade do periodo.

Dinâmica populacional de ácaros fitófagos (Acari, Eriophyidae, Tenuipalpidae) em seis clones de seringueira no sul do Estado de Mato Grosso

Population dynamics of phytophagous mites (Acari, Eriophyidae, Tenuipalpidae) on six rubber trees clones in southern Mato Grosso State. The population dynamics of Calacarus heveae Feres, 1992, Phyllocoptruta seringueirae Feres, 1998 (Eriophyidae) and Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, 1945 (Tenuipalpidae) was studied on six rubber tree clones (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) in south of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, in order to verify the seasonality and the possible differences on the infestation levels of these mites. The samplings were made from March 2004 to March 2005, with an average interval of fourteen days between each sampling. In each sampling, 100 leaflets were taken from each clone crop, and the total number of mites found in both leaf surfaces was registered. The infestation levels of mites differed among the clones. The clone RRIM 600 showed the highest number of T. heveae, while PB 235 and PB 260 had the highest abundance of P. seringueirae and C. heveae, respectively. On the other hand, this latter clone had the smallest infestation of T. heveae and P. seringueirae, while in PB 235 the lowest population of C. heveae. The critical period of mite infestation was observed in the first semester, although, there was variation in the duration of phytophagous occurrence and the infestation peak on six rubber trees clones studied.

O valor de Mabea fistulifera Mart. (Euphorbiaceae), planta nativa do Brasil, como reservatório para o predador Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma (Acari, Phytoseiidae)

In this paper, pollen of Mabea fistulifera Mart. was evaluated as food for Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma, 1970. The mites were kept in a rearing chamber at 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 10% UR e 12 h of photophase. Pollen of Typha angustifolia L. and Ricinus communis L. were used for comparison, because of their known suitability to this predator. The suitability of those three types of pollen was evaluated when they were stored for different periods at 10oC: newly collected to 11 days old (Pollen I); from 15 to 26 days old (Pollen II) and from 30 to 41 days old (Pollen III). The suitability of each kind of food was determined based on the oviposition rate at 11 consecutive days. Each experimental plot consisted of five females in an arena made of lemon leaf; treatments were replicated 10 times. Oviposition rate for treatments were compared using ANOVA, and Bonferronis test. Pearsons correlation index was used to compare oviposition rates at different periods of store of pollen. There were significant differences (F = 4.78; df = 89, p < 0.0001) between some treatments: mites fed pollen III of M. fistulifera had higher oviposition than those fed Pollen I and R. communis Pollen III. Mites fed Pollen II of T. angustifolia had higher oviposition rates than those fed pollen III of R. communis. Only females fed pollen of R. communis had negative correlation between oviposition rates and the periods of storage of pollen. The results showed that M. fistulifera pollen is used by E. citrifolius as food and comparable with pollen from T. angustifolia, futhermore, showed great durability when storage at 10oC.

Ácaros (Arachnida, Acari) de plantas ornamentais na região noroeste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil: inventário e descrição dos sintomas causados pelos fitófagos

Phytophagous mites living on ornamental plants growing in parks, streets and residential gardens from Ilha Solteira, State of Sao Paulo, were studied. Leaves of 20 plant species were sampled and some specimens of the different morphospecies found were mounted in microscopy slides with Hoyers medium for posterior identification under phase contrast microscope. Twenty three species belonging to 15 genera of eight families were recorded. From these, 13 species are phytophagous, nine are predator and one is of unknown feeding habits. The family Tetranychidae presented the highest richness, with nine species registered, being one of these recorded for the first time after the original description and another one being registered for the first time in Brazil. Lorryia formosa Cooremann, 1958 (Tydeidae) occurred on the highest number of hosts. The host plants that harbored the highest number of mite species were Lagerstroemia indica L., Mussaenda alicia Hort. and Tabebuia sp., with six species recorded on each.

Padrões ecológicos da comunidade de ácaros em euforbiáceas de um fragmento de mata estacional semidecidual, no Estado de São Paulo

Feres, R.J.F., Buosi, R., Daud, R.D. & Demite, P.R. Ecological patterns of the mite community on euphorbiaceous plants from a Semidecidual forest remnant in the State of Sao Paulo. Biota Neotrop. May/Aug 2007 vol. 7, no. 2. http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v7n2/pt/abstract?article+bn04907022007. ISSN 1676-0603. The diversity and seasonality of mite community on three indigenous euphorbiaceous plants from a Semidecidual forest remnant were studied by means of monthly samplings performed from May 2003 to April 2004. Diversity, dominance and equitability indexes were applied in order to verify community ecological patterns, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to relate mite abundance with the rainfall. About 11,515 mites belonging to 111 species of 73 genera in 25 families were recorded. Among these species, 44% of them were generalists, while 21 and 35% are phytophagous and predatory, respectively. The phytophagous mites were the most abundant, performing 45.7% of mites collected, followed by the predatory and generalist species, which represented 40.5 and 13.7% of material sampled, respectively. The Phytoseiidae family showed the highest species richness (23), followed by Tarsonemidae (18) and Tydeidae (16). The three euphorbiaceous plants studied showed great species diversity, as the results of indexes were higher than 50% of theoretical maximum diversity. The species-abundance patterns determined for mite community was equally represented by geometric and log series models. Out of three plant species studied, only Acalypha diversifolia showed potential usage in Integrated Pest Management programs.

Seasonal suitability of three rubber tree clones to Calacarus heveae (Acari, Eriophyidae)

The suitability of rubber tree clones to Calacarus heveae was inferred from the life cycle, reproduction and survivorship of this mite. The assays were performed under controlled conditions with leaflets detached from 6-year-old plants. The development of 20 C. heveae individuals on each of the clones GT 1, PB 235 and RRIM 600 was analysed. This experiment was performed four times during periods when C. heveae was abundant in the field: (P1) November–December 2005, (P2) January–February, (P3) March–April and (P4) May–June 2006. Accordingly, the leaflets used in each assay represented the physiological condition of the host plant during each period. This approach allowed us to evaluate the seasonal suitability of rubber tree clones to C. heveae. We observed seasonal differences in the suitability of rubber tree clones to mite attack. The mites reared on the PB235 had a shorter development period, the highest egg production and highest survivorship. This evidence showed that the PB 235 was the most suitable of those tested. We also observed that the leaflets used in the assays during periods P2 and P3 were the most favourable for the development of C. heveae. This finding emphasises the seasonal suitability of rubber tree leaflets. On the other hand, GT 1 showed higher resistance against C. heveae than did RRIM 600 and PB 235, primarily during the period from November to February. This result indicated that use of the GT 1 clone to control the mite might represent an alternative for growers.

Biological cycle of Tenuipalpus heveae Baker (Acari, Tenuipalpidae) on leaflets of three rubber tree clones

Life cycle of Tenuipalpus heveae Baker (Acari, Tenuipalpidae) on leaflets from three rubber tree clones. The biological cycle of Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, 1945 (Tenuipalpidae), a potential rubber tree pest mite, was studied by the observation of individuals reared on leaflets of the clones GT 1, PB 235 and RRIM 600, in controlled environmental conditions. Three daily observations were done of 60 eggs on leaflets from each clone in order to verify the development of immature stages and the female oviposition. The fertility life table was constructed based in the collected data. Mites reared on PB 235 had faster rate of development, requiring less time in days, to double its population in number (TD), and had the highest values for egg production, female longevity, net reproductive rate (Ro), intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) and finite rate of increase (λ). Lower reproductive values and the longest time necessary to reach adult stage were recorded for the mites on GT 1. In all studied clones, the deutonymphal phase had the highest viability, while the larval phase had the lowest, highlighted by the survivorship curve that indicated high mortality during this life stage. The clone PB 235 allowed the most suitable conditions for the development of T. heveae, followed by RRIM 600, while GT 1 was the less suitable substratum to rear this mite species.

Two new species of Bdellidae (Acari : Prostigmata) from Brazil

Abstract Two new species, Bdella ueckermanni n. sp. and Spinibdella denheyeri n. sp. (Acari: Bdellidae), are described from plants in southeastern Brazil.

Ácaros (Arachnida: Acari) associados a Bauhinia variegata L. (Leguminosae) no noroeste do Estado de São Paulo

The occurrence of mites on Bauhinia variegata L., a species introduced in Brazil as ornamental, was studied. Two plants of this species were sampled monthly from May 2000 to April 2001. A total of 8,482 mites, belonging to 25 species in 11 families were collected. The abundance of phytophagous mites was higher, being Lorryia formosa Cooreman the dominant species. The dominance of L. formosa might be caused by stress conditions of sampled plants and low number of predaceous mites on those plants.