Effect of Temperature on Duration of Developmental  Stages of Red Spider Mite (Oligonychus Coffeae  Nietner), a Serious Pest of Tea

Salma Mazid; R.C. Rajkhowa; J.C.Kalita

Volume : II, Issue : IV, April - 2013

Effect of Temperature on Duration of Developmental Stages of Red Spider Mite (Oligonychus Coffeae Nietner), a Serious Pest of Tea

Salma Mazid, R. C. Rajkhowa, J. C. Kalita

Abstract :

The red spider mite, Oligonychus coffeae Nietner (Acarina: Tetranychidae) is a serious pest of tea (Camellia sinensis) in North–East India. The life history of O.coffeae was studied under laboratory conditions with the prevailing weather parameters from Feuary to July 2012. Pure culture of the mite was maintained by re� them in the laboratory by leaf culture method. The observation on life history included incubation period, duration of larva, protonymph, deutonymph, duration of life cycle, fecundity, pre–oviposition, oviposition and post oviposition periods. The duration of life cycle was found to be shortest in June followed by May and July. In Feuary life cycle was recorded to be completed in 14.47 days. Temperature was found to have a profound impact on the duration of developmental stages of the red spider mite. It was recorded that the developmental rate increased and the duration of developmental stages decreased with the increase in temperature.