Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

1. Citrus mite

1. Citrus mite - Panonychus citri Mc Gregor. (Tetranychidae: Acarina)

Damage

• Both nymphs and adult suck the sap from leaves, tender fruits and green bark.
• In case of severe infestation there is complete defoliation of plants.
• The infested fruits turn yellow and remain undeveloped.
Bionomics

• It lays about 50 eggs each arranged singly along large veins on the lower surface of leaves.
• The eggs are round, minute and orange in colour which are embedded in the leaf tissues.
• The egg period is 7 days.
• The freshly hatched out nymphs desap the leaves for 304 days. It is full grown in 4-5 days, moult and transform into adult mite.
• The total life cycle is completed in 17-20 days.