In the study of the biology of Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) on lemon var. Siciliano (Citrus limon Burm) round plastic pots (250 ml) containing sterilized sand were used as support for two 2cm-diameter new fruits. The assay was carried out at 27.5 ± 0.5°C, relative humidity of 67.6 ± 1.3% and constant photophase.The duration of immature phases was 3.7 ± 0.1 days for females and 3.6 ± 0.1 days for males, with 100% survival. After a pre-oviposition period of 1.0 ± 0.2 days, the females deposited 5.6 ± 0.5 eggs per day during 10.5 ± 0.9 days, i.e., 58.9 ± 6.7 eggs per female. The longevity was 13.4 ± 1.0 days for females and 12.0 ± 2.4 days for males. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was 0.359, finite rate of increase (l) 1.43 individual per female per day, mean generation time (T) 10.34 days and net reproductive rate (Ro) 41.0.
Broad mite; biological development; life table of fertility; net reproductive rate
