Oligonychus afrasiaticus and phytoseiid predators' seasonal occurrence on date palm Phoenix dactylifera (Deglet Noor cultivar) in Tunisian oases

Contact: [email protected] old world date mite Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) (Prostigmata Tetranychidae) is an important spider mite pest of the date palms Phoenix dactylifera L. in most of North Africa and the Middle East. This study was conducted between 2004 and 2006 in an orchard of date palm trees located in southwest Tunisia. The objective of this study was the inventory of mites that revolve around the date palm, to quantify abundance of O. afrasiaticus in trees over different types of ground cover and to document its dispersal. The starting of O. afrasiaticus infestation on fruits varied between years, ranging from the first to the third week of July. Mite populations on pinnae remained low from May through December, not exceeding two mites per pinnae, whereas on fruit they reached peak populations of approximately 14 motile forms of mite per fruit in 2006. Indigenous phytoseiid were not found on fruits between mid-Julys till the end of August, when pest populations peaked. Plants such as Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Solanum melongena L., and Cucumis melo L. contained densities of O. afrasiaticus during early spring, and may have formed the source for later date palm infestation. Fruit bunch infestation was not prevented or even alleviated by glue barriers so infestation of date palm by O. afrasiaticus may occur via aerial dispersal of motile forms. In ground cover phytoseiid and tetranychid mites were scarce, two of tetranychid species are new to science were founded

Biology and life-table of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) athenas (Acari: Phytoseiidae) fed with the Old World Date Mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus (Acari: Tetranychidae)

International audienceThe old world date mite Oligonychus afrasiaticus is an important spider mite pest of the date palms Phoenix dactylifera L. mostly in North Africa and the Middle East. A population of the predaceous mite Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) athenas has been recently found in Tunisia in association with a decrease of O. afrasiaticus densities. The objective of this paper was to assess the development and reproduction abilities of T. ( A.) athenas on O. afrasiaticus under laboratory conditions at two temperatures: 27 and 32 °C. The results obtained show that females of T. (A.) athenas develop in 5 days at 27 °C and 4.1 days at 32 °C. The mean fecundity of T. (A.) athenas was 32.1 and 23.2 eggs per female at 27 and 32 °C, respectively. Life table parameters were stimated: the net reproductive rate (Ro) 27.9 and 17.9 eggs/female, the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) 0.322 and 0,344 female/female/day and the mean generation time (T) 10.3 and 8.4 days at 27 and 32 °C, respectively. At both temperatures tested, T. (A.) athenas intrinsic rate of increase was greater than that of O. afrasiaticus (rm = 0.213 at 32 °C,against rm = 0.166 day1 at 27 °C). Typhlodromus (A.) athenas would be able to develop at a wide range of temperatures feeding on O. afrasiaticus and seems to be able to potentially control it

Five new species of Tetranychidae (Acarina, Prostigmata) from south Tunisian oasis areas

Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] audienceIn this paper we present the description of five new species of tetranychid mites collected in south Tunisian oasis areas. These are: Bryobia alveolata sp. nov., Aplonobia crispipilis sp. nov., Petrobia (Petrobia) carthagensis sp. nov., Petrobia (Petrobia) pseudotetranychina sp. nov. and Tetranychus (Tetranychus) atriplexi sp. nov. The notion of dorsal tubercles used to separate the sub-genera Tetranychina from Petrobia sensu stricto and Mesotetranychus among the genus Petrobia is also discussed

FIGURES 42 – 48 in Five new species of Tetranychidae (Acarina, Prostigmata) from south Tunisian oasis areas

FIGURES 42 – 48. Petrobia (P.) pseudotetranychina sp. nov., male. 42, tarsus and tibia I; 43, tarsus and tibia II; 44, prodorsal striation pattern; 45, anastomosis peritreme; 46, palptarsus; 47, empodia I – IV; 48, aedeagus