Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-94d59 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T20:18:20.028Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Exploration of the acarine fauna on coconut palm in Brazil with emphasis on Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae) and its natural enemies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2007

L.M. Lawson-Balagbo*
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Biological Control Centre for Africa, 08 BP 0932, Cotonou, Benin University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Department of Applied Plant Sciences and Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Protection, Vienna, Austria
M.G.C. Gondim Jr
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Departamento de Agronomia, CEP. 52171-900, Recife-PE/Brazil
G.J. de Moraes
Affiliation:
Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Departmento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola, 13.418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
R. Hanna
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Biological Control Centre for Africa, 08 BP 0932, Cotonou, Benin
P. Schausberger
Affiliation:
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Department of Applied Plant Sciences and Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Protection, Vienna, Austria
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +43/1/47654-3359 E-mail: late_emile.lawson-balagbo@boku.ac.at

Abstract

Coconut is an important crop in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the mites that infest coconut palms, Aceria guerreronis Keifer is economically the most important. We conducted surveys throughout the coconut growing areas of Brazil. Samples were taken from attached coconuts, leaflets, fallen coconuts and inflorescences of coconut palms in 112 localities aiming to determine the occurrence and the distribution of phytophagous mites, particularly A. guerreronis, and associated natural enemies. Aceria guerreronis was the most abundant phytophagous mite followed by Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum Lofego & Gondim Jr. and Steneotarsonemus furcatus De Leon (Tarsonemidae). Infestation by A. guerreronis was recorded in 87% of the visited localities. About 81% of all predatory mites belonged to the family Phytoseiidae, mainly represented by Neoseiulus paspalivorus De Leon, Neoseiulus baraki Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius largoensis Muma; 12% were Ascidae, mainly Proctolaelaps bickleyi Bram, Proctolaelaps sp nov and Lasioseius subterraneus Chant. Neoseiulus paspalivorus and N. baraki were the most abundant predators on attached coconuts. Ascidae were predominant on fallen coconuts, while A. largoensis was predominant on leaflets; no mites were found on branches of inflorescences. Leaflets harboured higher mite diversity than the attached coconuts. Mite diversity was the highest in the state Pará and on palms surrounded by seasonal forests and Amazonian rain-forests. Neoseiulus paspalivorus, N. baraki and P. bickleyi were identified as the most promising predators of A. guerreronis. Analyses of the influence of climatic factors revealed that dry ambient conditions favour the establishment of A. guerreronis. Neoseiulus paspalivorus and N. baraki have differing climatic requirements; the former being more abundant in warm and dry areas, the latter prevailing in moderately tempered and humid areas. We discuss the significance of our findings for natural and biological control of A. guerreronis.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ansaloni, T. & Perring, T.M. (2002) Biology of Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae) on queen palm Syagrus romanzoffiana (Areaceae). International Congress of Acarology 30, 6370.Google Scholar
Arruda Filho, G.P. (2002) Ácaros em Arecaceae da mata Atlântica do estado de São Paulo, com êmfase na família Stigmaeidae (Acari: Raphignatoidea). Master study, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil, 89 pp.Google Scholar
Bühl, A. & Zöfel, P. (2004) SPSS Version 12. Einführung in die moderne Datenanalyse unter Windows. Pearson Studium, Germany, 744 pp.Google Scholar
Cabrera, R.I.C. (2002) Biological control of the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae) with the fungus H. thompsonii and its possible integration with other control methods. pp. 89100in Fernando, L.C.P., Moraes, G.J. & Wickramananda, I.R (Eds) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Coconut Mite (Aceria guerreronis). Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka. 68 January 2000, Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Demite, P.R. & Feres, R.J.F. (2005) Influência de vegetação vizinha na distribuição de ácaros em seringal (Hevea brasiliensis Muell.Arg., Euphorbiaceae) em São José do Rio Preto, SP. Neotropical Entomology 34, 829836.Google Scholar
Estébanes, M.L. (1976) Ácaros despredadores de Eriophyes guerreronis (Keifer) en la zona Tecpán de Galeana. Folia Entomologica Mexicana 39–40, 4142.Google Scholar
FAO (2005) FAO Agricultural Statistics. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, http://www.fao.org.Google Scholar
Fernando, L.C.P., Wickramananda, I.R. & Aratchige, N.S. (2002) Status of coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis in Sri Lanka. pp. 18in Fernando, L.C.P., Moraes, G.J. & Wickramananda, I.R. (Eds) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Coconut Mite (Aceria guerreronis). Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka. 68 January 2000, Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Flechtmann, C.H.W. (1989) Cocos weddelliana H. Wendl. (Palmae: Arecaceae), a new host plant for Eriophyes guerreronis (Keifer, 1965) (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Brazil. International Journal of Acarology 15, 241.Google Scholar
Foale, M. (2003) The coconut odyssey: the bounteous possibilities of the tree of life. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 101, 132 pp.Google Scholar
Gondim, M.G.C. Jr, & Moraes, G.J. (2001) Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) associated with palm trees (Arecaceae) in Brazil. Systematic and Applied Acarology 6, 6594.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gondim, M.G.C. Jr, Flechtmann, C.H.W. & Moraes, G.J. (2000) Mites (Arthropoda: Acari) associates of palms (Arecaceae) in Brazil V. Descriptions of four new species in the Eriophyoidea. Systematic and Applied Acarology 5, 99110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffith, R. (1984) The problem of the coconut mite, Eriophyes guerreronis, in the coconut groves of Trinidad and Tobago. pp. 128132in Webb, R., Knausenberger, W. & Yntema, L. (Eds) Proceedings of the 20th Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Food Crops Society. East Caribbean Center, College of the Virgin Islands and Caribbean Food Crops Society, October 1984, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, USA.Google Scholar
Haq, M.A. (2001) Life cycle and behaviour of the coconut mite Neocypholaelaps stridulans (Evans) (Acari: Ameroseiidae) in India. pp. 361365in Halliday, R.B., Walter, D.E., Proctor, H.C., Norton, R.A. & Colloff, M.J. (Eds) Proceedings of the 10 thInternational Congress of Acarology. Australia, 2001, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, 657 pp.Google Scholar
Howard, F.W., Abreu-Rodriguez, E. & Denmark, H.A. (1990) Geographical and seasonal distribution of the coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), in Puerto Rico and Florida, USA. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico 74, 237251.Google Scholar
Jeffries, M.J. & Lawton, J.H. (1984) Enemy free space and the structure of ecological communities. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 23, 269286.Google Scholar
Keifer, H.H. (1965) Eriophyid studies B-14. Sacramento, California Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology, pp. 68.Google Scholar
Lebrun, P., Grivet, L. & Baudoin, L. (1998) Dissémination et domestication du cocotier à la lumière des marqueurs RFLP. Plantations Recherche Développement 5, 233245.Google Scholar
Mariau, D. (1969) Aceria guerreronis Keifer: récent ravageur de la cocoteraie Dahoméenne. Oléagineux 24, 269272.Google Scholar
Mariau, D. (1977) Aceria (Eriophyes) guerreronis: un important ravageur des cocoteraies africaines et américaines. Oléagineux 32, 101111.Google Scholar
Moore, D. (2000) Non-chemical control of Aceria guerreronis on coconuts. Biocontrol News and Information 21, 8387.Google Scholar
Moore, D. & Howard, F.W. (1996) Coconuts. pp 561570in Lindquist, E.E., Sabelis, M.W. & Bruin, J. (Eds) Eriophyoid Mites: Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. Amsterdam, Elsevier.Google Scholar
Moore, D., Alexander, L. & Hall, R.A. (1989) The coconut mite, Eriophyes guerreronis Keifer in St. Lucia: yield losses and attempts to control it with acaricide, polybutene and Hirsutella fungus. Tropical Pest Management 35, 8389.Google Scholar
Moraes, G.J. & Zacarias, M.S. (2002) Use of predatory mites for the control of eriophyid mites. pp. 7888in Fernando, L.C.P., Moraes, G.J. & Wickramananda, I.R. (Eds) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Coconut Mite (Aceria guerreronis). Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka. 68 January 2000. Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Moraes, G.J., McMurtry, J.A, Denmark, H.A. & Campos, C.B. (2004) A revised catalogue of the family Phytoseiidae. Zootaxa 434, 1494.Google Scholar
Navia, D. & Flechtmann, C.H.W. (2002) Mites (Arthropoda: Acari) associates of palms (Arecaceae) in Brazil: VI. New genera and new species of Eriophyidae and Phytoptidae (Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea). International Journal of Acarology 28, 121146.Google Scholar
Navia, D., Moraes, G.J., Roderick, G. & Navavajas, M. (2005) The invasive coconut mite Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae): origin and invasion sources inferred from mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear (ITS) sequences. Bulletin of Entomological Research 95, 505516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perring, T.M. (2002) Eriophyiod mites: Special considerations in applied ecological research. pp. 7177in Fernando, L.C.P., Moraes, G.J. & Wickramananda, I.R. (Eds) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Coconut Mite (Aceria guerreronis). Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka. 68 January 2000. Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Persley, G.J. (1992) Replanting the Tree of Life: Towards an International Agenda for Coconut Palm Research. 156 pp. Wallingford, CAB International.Google Scholar
Pielou, E.C. (1966) The measurement of diversity in different types of biological collections. Journal of Theoretical Biology 13, 131144.Google Scholar
Ramaraju, K. & Rabindra, R.J. (2002) Palmyra, Borassus flabellifer L. (Palmae) a host of the coconut eriophyid mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer. Pest Management in Horticulture Ecosystems 7, 149151.Google Scholar
Ramaraju, K., Natarajan, K., Sundara Babu, P.C., Palanisamy, S. & Rabindra, R.J. (2002) Studies on coconut eriophyid mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer in Tamil Nadu, India. pp. 1331in Fernando, L.C.P., Moraes, G.J. & Wickramananda, I.R. (Eds) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Coconut Mite (Aceria guerreronis). Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka. 68 January 2000. Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Rodríguez, N. (1990) Neoseiulus paspalivorus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) presente en el cultivo del cocotero. Ciencia y Técnica en la Agricultura 13, 3539.Google Scholar
Santana, D.L.Q. & Flechtmann, C.H.W. (1998) Mite (Arthropoda, Acari) associates of palms (Arecaceae) in Brazil I. Present status and new records. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 15, 959963.Google Scholar
Seaman, E.K., Goluboff, E., Barchama, N. & Fisch, H. (1996) Accuracy of semen counting chambers as determined by the use of latex beads. American Society for Reproductive Medicine 66, 662665.Google Scholar
Seguni, Z. (2002) Incidence, distribution and economic importance of the coconut eriophyid mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer in Tanzanian coconut based cropping systems. pp. 5457in Fernando, L.C.P., Moraes, G.J. & Wickramananda, I.R (Eds) Proceedings of the International Workshop on Coconut Mite (Aceria guerreronis). Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka. 68 January 2000. Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka.Google Scholar
Shannon, C.E. & Weaver, W. (1949) The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 117 pp.Google Scholar
Siriwardena, P.H.A.P., Fernando, L.C.P. & Peiris, T.S.G. (2005) A new method to estimate a population size of coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis, on a coconut. Experimental and Applied Acarology 37, 123129.Google ScholarPubMed
Sreerama Kumar, P. & Singh, S.P (2000) Hirsutella thompsonii: the best biological control option for the management of the coconut mite in India. Indian Coconut Journal Cochin 31, 1117.Google Scholar
Sreerama Kumar, P., Singh, S.P. & Gopal, T.S. (2001) Natural incidence of Hirsutella thompsonii Fisher on the coconut eriophyid mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer in certain districts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. Journal of Biological Control 15, 151156.Google Scholar
Tixier, M.-S., Kreiter, S., Cheval, B., Guichou, S., Auger, P. & Bonafos, R. (2006) Immigration of phytoseiid mites from surrounding uncultivated areas into a newly planted vineyard. Experimental and Applied Acarology 39, 227242.Google Scholar
Tuovinen, T. (1994) Influence of surrounding trees and bushes on the phytoseiid mite fauna on apple orchard trees in Finland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 50, 3947.Google Scholar
Van der Geest, L.P.S., Moraes, G.J., Navia, D. & Tanzini, M.R. (2002) New records of pathogenic fungi in mites (Arachnida: Acari) from Brazil. Neotropical Entomology 31, 493495.Google Scholar
Vietmeyer, N.D. (1986) Lesser-known plants of potential use in agriculture and forestry. Science 232, 13791384.Google Scholar
Zuluaga, C.I. & Sánchez, P.A. (1971) La roña o escoriación de los frutos del cocotero (Cocos nucifera L.) en Colombia. Oléagineux 26, 767770.Google Scholar