By means of bioassays performed in arenas of 3 cm in diameter, manufactured with coffee leaves floating on water, the phases of the coffee ringspot mite Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes) were studies on the preference by several developmental stages of the predaceous mites Euseius alatus DeLeon and Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma. The experiment was conducted in laboratory at 25 ± 2ºC, 70 ± 10% RH and 14 h photophase. The preferred stage of coffee ringspot vector virus was the larva followed by nymph and egg. Adults were least preyed on. In general, the most aggressive phase of the predators was the adult female followed by the nymph; the larval phase was the least aggressive. The average predation of E. alatus and I. zuluagai for the different phases of B. phoenicis were, respectively: larva (79% and 90%) > egg (47% and 83%) > nymph (40% and 77%) > adult (1% and 18%). This result indicated that I. zuluagai is more aggressive than E. alatus in relation to its predation upon B. phoenicis.
Rhabdovirus; biological control; flat-mite; Brevipalpus phoenicis; Euseius alatus; Iphiseiodes zuluaga
