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The objective of the present paper was to determine the stomatal index and stomatal density as possible resistance mechanisms involved in the interaction R.indica-Musa spp in the genotypes 'FHIA 18', 'FHIA 01', 'Cueto INIFAT', 'Pisang Ceilán', 'Dátil, 'Burro CEMSA', and 'Hawaiano '. The highest stomatal density was found in the 'Pisang Ceilán' genotype with 160.95 stomata.mm-2. However, the highest stomatal index was reached by the 'Hawaiano' genotype (12, 74). In both cases, the differences with the other genotypes were significant. The results achieved in the study do not explain the differential response of the previously evaluated plantain and banana genotypes to natural infestations with R. indica. Based on the economic impact of R. indica in the country, the evaluation of the resistance of plantain and banana cultivars should be continued to develop sustainable strategies for the management of red mite populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae are important in agroecosystems, given their significant role in the regulation of pest mites and small insects. The present work aimed at to determining the diversity of phytoseid predatory mites in Jaruco municipality. For this purpose, an inventory of predatory mites was carried out in selected agroecosystems of the municipality, the mites present were quantified and their taxonomic identification was performed. With the information obtained, species richness, relative abundance, and frequency, as well as derived ecological indices, were calculated. As a result of the inventory, five families of predatory mites were detected. The family Phytoseiidae represented 69.23 % of the detected species and 93.40 % of the inventoried individuals. The 13 species of predatory mites detected were considered new reports for the locality. The species A. largoensis was abundant and frequent, while the remaining species were infrequent and not abundant, except I. quadripilis that was abundant and Tetranychus sp. that was frequent. The ecological indices calculated demonstrated that the locality presented a high diversity. This was demonstrated by the 21 species of mites found, as well as by the values of the Margalef (MDg= 3.76) and Shannon-Wiever (H'= 2.40) indices. Among the predatory mite species found, A. largoensis, A. aerialis, I. quadripilis, N. longispinosus T. subtropical, and E. hibisci stood out with the greatest potential as biological control agents for phytophagous mites. This knowledge will make possible to establish the most favorable agroecosystem management practices for the conservation of these important natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raoiella indica is recognized as a severe coconut pest in different regions of the world because of the damage it causes. Its presence in the largest production pole of the crop in Cuba has motivated the interest in studying the population dynamics of this mite in coconut plantations in the municipality of Baracoa, Guantánamo. For three years, 30 leaflets were sampled at ten-year intervals. Under a stereoscope, eggs, immature stages, adults of R. indica, and predators were counted in three regions of the foliole (base, middle and apex). This allowed graphing the population movements of mite and its natural enemies with the climatic variables and an analysis of principal components was applied. In the first year, the greatest population was reached in the summer months due to the low rainfall and the rise in temperature. In the second year, the lowest average density was observed with only 3.79 mites.foliole-1, caused by the volume of rain accumulated in that period (462 mm). The third year, a period with scarce rainfall and high temperatures, showed the highest average level of mites per leaflet with 123.5. Eleven species of predatory mites were identified and Amblyseius largoensis Muma was the most frequent and abundant. In the analysis of principal components, with a cophenetic correlation value of 0.976, the rainfall and maximum relative humidity were shown to have the highest correlation with the pest in a negative way, while temperature favored the increase of populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to identify the mite fauna on plants of chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa (Miller) IM Johnst.) growing in the municipalities of Diez de Octubre and La Habana del Este, Cuba. Thirty leaves collected from the plants with symptoms from February to April 2015 were examined under a Stemi DV4 stereomicroscope; the individual adult specimens were cleared, mounted on microscope slides, observed under an Axioscope microscope with a 40x lense, and identified using the corresponding dichotomous keys. The phytophagous mites Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), Eutetranychus banksi (McGregor), and an unidentified species of the Eriophyidae family were found, as well as the predator Neoseiulus longispinosus (Evans). These mites are reported on chaya for the first time in Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population fluctuation of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama and its parasitoid Tamarixia radiata Waterston was determined in urban areas of the municipality of Playa, Havana City, Cuba. The study was carried out from February 15, 2007, to April 15, 2009. The populations of both insects on plants of Murraya paniculata L. (Jack) and Citrus spp. growing in private and public gardens were evaluated every ten days. In order to understand the interactions between the target pest and its parasitoid, logistic regressions,working with a nonlinear model, were used, and the generalized relationship between the samplings were used to determine the density in which a control treatment was necessary. The population of both insects on M. paniculata plants was higher in 2009; in the case of the natural enemy, the population doubled that observed in 2007. The lowest percentages of parasitoidism were found in the citrus plants. The maximum increase rate (K) of D. citri was 147, which exceeded the rate found during the samplings, with a mean population (ì) of 110.9 individuals and a net instantaneous growth rd = 0.06 ; for the parasitoid (K) was 98.25 individuals, a value higher than that observed for the samples, with a population mean (ì) of 53.4 individuals. With these results, it was estimated that, when a total of 49 individuals was present per each five sampled buds, it would be necessary the application of some measure to avoid the quick increment of D. citri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the diversity of phytophagous and predators mites in agroecosystems of the farms "El Caimito" and "Dos Rosas", Cotorro municipality, Havana, Cuba, periodic samplings were carried out from February 2018 to March 2019. In all the samplings, 100 simple leaves per plant were selected, which were reviewed under a stereoscopic microscope (Carl ZeissTM, StemiTM DV4 model). The collected adult mites were clarified and mounted on slides. For their identification, they were observed with a Carl ZeissTM microscope, model AxioSkope.A1 and the corresponding taxonomic keys were used. The relative abundance and frequency of each species were calculated, the species accumulation curve was made and the ecological indices were determined by type of ecosystem. As a result of the inventory, eleven families of mites were detected. The phytophagous mites were represented by three families (Tarsonemidae, Tetranychidae and Tenuipalpidae) and six morphospecies, five families of predatory mites (Bdellidae, Cunaxidae, Stigmaeidae, Eupodidae and Phytoseiidae) with 17 morphospecies and four families of mites with varied eating habits (Acaridae, Tarsonemidae, Tydeidae, and Oppidae). The no disturbed ecosystem, represented by plant species in natural habitats, was the most diverse. Agroecosystem management practices were shown to influence the relative abundance and frequency of species, impacting the diversity of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the diversity of mites in the farm "Las Piedras", Guanabacoa municipality, Havana Province, Cuba, periodic sampling was carried out between June 2018 and April 2019. In each sampling, 100 simple leaves per plant species were selected, which were examined under a stereoscopic microscope (Carl ZeissTM, StemiTM DV4 model), and the adult mites were clarified and mounted on slides. The corresponding taxonomic keys were used for their identification. The relative abundance and frequency of each species were calculated, the species accumulation curve was made by the Clench equation and the ecological indices by types of ecosystem were calculated. As a result of the inventory, nine families of mites were detected; two of them were phytophagous mites (Tarsonemidae and Tetranychidae), four of predatory mites (Bdellidae, Cunaxidae, Stigmaeidae and Phytoseiidae) and three of mites with varied feeding habits (Acaridae, Tydeidae and Oppidae). The parameters and values estimated by the Clench species accumulation model indicated that the inventory results were reliable. A differential behavior was observed in the relative abundance and frequency of the phytoseid mite species as a function of the management of the ecosystems. The species I. quadripilis were very abundant and very frequent in the undisturbed ecosystem, while E. hibisci and Agistemus sp., were very abundant and frequent in the little disturbed ecosystem. The little disturbed ecosystem, represented by the fruit species, was the most diverse. Among the detected species, I. quadripilis and E. hisbisci stood out for presenting the greatest possibilities of use as biological control agents of harmful organisms in the farm "Las Piedras". This knowledge will make possible to establish the most favorable agroecosystem management practices for the conservation of these important natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to identify the mite species infesting Morus alba L. (mulberry), systematic samplings were carried out on mulberry plants belonging to the "Los Mangos" farm of the Science, Technology and Innovation Entity "Sierra Maestra", Playa municipality, La Habana, Cuba, from January to June 2018. In the samplings, 30 plants were selected at random, from which three leaves were extracted and examined under a Stemi DV4 stereo microscope. The adult mites were rinsed and mounted on slides. For their identification, they were observed under an Axioskop A1 microscope, and the corresponding dichotomous keys were used. As a result of the inventory, it was reported the presence of the phytophagous mite Tetranychus sp. (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the predators Neoseiulus longispinosus, Euseius hibisci and Amblyseius curiosus (Acari: Phytoseiidae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development duration, sex ratio, reproduction, survival, and the principal life parameters of Raoiella indica Hirst on Cocos nucifera were determined. The study was carried out under laboratory conditions at 30.8 ± 1.5 °C and 56.7 ± 8.2% RH. The average duration of each lifehistory stage was: egg 4.64±1.03 days; larva 5.12±1.01 days; protonymph 3.34±1.03 days; and deutonymph 4.27±1.3 days. The total period from egg deposition to adulthood averaged 17.38±2.65 days. Preoviposition and oviposition periods averaged 2.93±0.86 and 12.77±6.34 days, respectively, and average oviposition was 10.64±3.46 eggs per female. Female mean longevity was 19.09±8.32 days. Sex ratio was 67% of females. The average number of eggs laid per females per day increased from the beginning of oviposition to the 14 days. The main parameters associated with a fertility life table were as follows: net reproductive rate (R0 =14.03), intrinsic rate of increase (rm =0.41), finite rate of increase (λ=1.51), mean generation time (t=12.36), and the doubling time (TD=1.69).The life table parameters obtained confirmed that R. indica had a high reproductive potential on coconut palm, characteristic of exotic invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raoiella indica ha tenido una rápida distribución geográfica y ha incrementado el rango de plantas hospederas en el hemisferio Oeste. El ácaro rojo del cocotero se describió por primera vez en la provincia Guantánamo, oriente de Cuba, la mayor región de producción de cocotero (Cocos nucifera L.) en el país; por esta razón es muy importante determinar el rango de plantas hospederas de R. indica para tomar opciones factibles para el manejo de esta plaga. Las plantas se inspeccionaron observando la parte inferior de cinco frondas o diez hojas por plantas con una lupa manual (16x). Se colectaron plantas con, al menos, un individuo de R. indica y se tomaron muestras para observarlas en el laboratorio; se consideraron como plantas hospederas reproductivas aquellas que tenían todas las fases de la plaga. En los estudios se identificaron 22 especies de plantas reproductivas de R. indica. El reporte compone 12 géneros de la familia Arecaceae, tres de la famila Musaceae, dos géneros de la Cycadaceae y Heliconaceae, uno de la Cannaceae, Marantaceae y Zingiberaceae, respectivamente. Se identificaron siete nuevas plantas hospederas reproductivas de R. indica, la familia Cannaceae y Marantaceae se reportan como nuevas hospederas de este ácaro. Se encontraron 13 enemigos naturales asociados. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Los cítricos están entre los cultivos de mayor importancia económica a nivel mundial. Como muchos otros, están plagados de numerosas enfermedades causadas por diferentes agentes etiológicos. De todas las enfermedades de los cítricos descritas hasta ahora, Huanglongbing se considera como la más destructiva y letal; la bacteria candidatus Liberibacter spp. es quien la causa y la transmite Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae). El método más usado para el control del vector es la aplicación de productos químicos, lo cual ha traído como consecuencia el desequilibrio ecológico, la resistencia de insectos a plaguicidas, la aparición de plagas secundarias y la disminución de los enemigos naturales. Ante esta problemática, actualmente se busca establecer un control biológico sobre esta plaga mediante el uso de depredadores o parasitoides; alternativa que ha producido resultados promisorios mediante el uso de Tamarixia radiata (Waterston), parasitoide específico del vector, con efectividades entre 30-97%. En el presente trabajo se establecieron las potencialidades de T. radiata como control biológico de D. citri mediante el estudio de las características biológicas y poblacionales, tanto de la plaga como del parasitoide. Se destaca el corto ciclo de desarrollo del parasitoide, su alta capacidad de crecimiento poblacional con respecto al hospedante, su respuesta funcional de tipo, su alta eficiencia de búsqueda y los altos porcentajes de parasitoidismo. Se desarrolló además, por primera vez, un modelo matemático que incluye la dinámica del cultivo y describe las interacciones de D. citri con su enemigo natural, que puede predecir el incremento y la disminución de las poblaciones como base para decidir momentos de liberación. Estos resultados, unidos a la capacidad de actuar a bajas densidades y su especificidad, constituyeron los principales elementos para la elección de T. radiata como un Agente de Control Biológico promisorio para la regulación de las poblaciones de D. citri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of mass rearing the predatory mite Neoseiulus longispinosus, the rearing of this mite was evaluated using the tray method with the Phaseulus vulgaris L. variety Fósforo-40 as host plant and Tetranychus tumidus Banks as prey under laboratory conditions. Bean seeds were planted and infested with the prey mite 15 days after germination. After seven days, the mass rearing experiment was initiated. The infested bean leaflets were placed on the trays and 20 females of N. longispinosus were released. The population increase per replica was determined after 15 days and the percentages of the predator population present in the different strata of the rearing unit were determined applying a multiple comparison analysis of proportions. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm), the finite rate of increase (λ), the net reproductive rate (Ro) were 0,26, 1,30 and 49,84, respectively. The preference for the stratum for each stage of the predator was identified. It was shown that N. longispinosus could be reproduced on trays with a minimum of handling and the proper values of the demographic parameters. These results showed that the tray method with T. tumidus as prey might be an option for the reproduction of N. longispinosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El control biológico ocupa un lugar preferencial en la regulación de las plagas en cultivos de importancia económica porque constituye una de las principales tácticas empleadas dentro del manejo integrado. Desde el año 2000, el Laboratorio de Entomología-Acarología de la dirección de Sanidad Vegetal del CENSA, trabaja especialmente en el desarrollo de nuevos artrópodos benéficos como agentes de control biológico, sobre la base de estudios ecológicos bajo nuestras condiciones, que permitan sustentar su selección; entre ellos se encuentran los parasitoides Diaeretiella rapae, Tamarixia radiata y los depredadores Amblyseius largoensis, Cryptolaemus mountrouzieri, Nesidioscoris tenuis y Engytatus varians contra plagas presentes en los sistemas de producción de hortalizas y cítricos, o plagas de interés cuarentenario. Se expone el desarrollo de un sistema de cría a campo abierto del parasitoide Diaeretiella rapae como caso de estudio, cuya implementación permitió alcanzar un nivel de parasitoidismo por encima del 90%. Este sistema mostró ser una opción económicamente viable, efectiva y sostenible al no permitir que las poblaciones del áfido Lipaphis erysimi se elevaran, principalmente, cuando el sistema se implantó al inicio de la infestación. El parasitoidismo mantuvo regulado las poblaciones de L. erysimi y los rendimientos alcanzados fueron superiores a 2,5 kg/m², establecido para la variedad de col KKcross. Este sistema puede ser empleado por los productores de la agricultura urbana y suburbana, donde las crucíferas tienen una importante contribución en la producción de hortalizas, así como en programas de manejo, ya que constituye una contribución a la diversificación en el uso de agentes de control biológico, a través de la introducción de nuevos artrópodos benéficos para regular áfidos plagas en el país. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]