Abstract

REIS, Paulo R.  and  ALVES, Everaldo B.. Biology of the predaceous mite Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae). An. Soc. Entomol. Bras. [online]. 1997, vol.26, n.2, pp. 359-363. ISSN 0301-8059.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0301-80591997000200018.

Euseius alatus DeLeon is a predaceous mite found on citrus plants (Citrus spp.) in Brazil, with a life cycle similar to the species of the same genus. Incubation period, larval, protonymphal and deutonymphal stages lasted ca. 24 h each, when mites were fed castor bean (Ricinus communis ) pollen and kept at 25 ± 2 °C, 70 ± 10% RH and 14 h photophase. Oviposition period lasted 26.5 days, and the oviposition rate was 1.4 eggs/day. The intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) was 0.217; population increased 1.2 times a day and double its population every 3.2 days. The population of E. alatus increase 21.4 times (R_o) in the period of one generation (T = 14.1 days).

Keywords : Acari; life table; biological control; citrus; Citrus sinensis.