Influence of photoperiod, temperature and host plant on the production of diapause eggs inPetrobia (Tetranychina) harti (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract

Petrobia harti (Ewing) diapauses in the egg stage. Adult females lay either diapause or nondiapause eggs. On the University of Thessaloniki campus (41°N), the mite was found to develop on leaves ofOxalis corniculata L. throughout the year, while no mites were found on leaves ofOxalis articulata Savigny growing in the same area. In the laboratory the mite could be maintained equally well on detached leaves of both plant species, kept on wet cotton-wool.

Forty to 90% females laying diapause eggs (dlf) were produced when the mites developed under LD 12∶12 and 19±1 °C, or LD 16∶8 and 19±1 °C or 25±1 °C on leaves ofO. articulata detached from plants grown in the open in various seasons. Under the same conditions, a very low to zero percentage ofdlf was produced onO. corniculata. By rearing certain feeding stages on one of these twoOxalis hosts, and the other feeding stages on the other host, various percentages ofdlf were obtained. These percentages were the net effect of the antagonistic action of the twoOxalis species.

By rearing the mites at LD 8.5∶15.5, LD 12∶12 or LD 16∶8 and a temperature of 19±1 °C onO. articulata leaves renewed every 3 days, or every 16–18 days, or not at all, it could be shown that diapause induction or aversion is caused by the direct effect of photoperiod on the mites, and not by an effect through the host leaves.

When wholeO. articulata plants were grown under LD 16∶8 and 19±1 °C in the laboratory, or developed in the open during April and May, flowers were produced, while under LD 12∶12 no flowering occurred. In the laboratory under diapause-inducing conditions, higher percentages ofdlf were produced on leaves detached from flowering plants than on leaves detached from plants not flowering.

OnO. articulata leaves at 20 °C, photoperiods with photophases equal to or longer than 12 h induced from 70 to 80%dlf, while photoperiods with photophases equal to or shorter than 10.9 h induced very low to zero percentages. By transferring different chrysalis stages from a diapause-inducing (LD 12∶12) to a diapause-averting (LD 8.5∶15.5) photoperiod, and vice versa, it was found that the nymphochrysalis through deutonymph stages were sensitive to photoperiod, the deutochrysalis and deutonymph being the most sensitive.

Under an L∶D 12∶12 photoperiod, a temperature of 20 °C induced diapause, whereas 25 °C, 30 °C, or a day∶night thermoperiod of 25 °C∶18 °C suppressed it.