Assessment of chlorophyll loss induced by Brevipalpus phoenicis Geijskes (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) infesting the medicinal shrub, Ocimum gratissimum Linn.

Brevipalpus phoenicishas been recognized as a serious pest of fruit crops and agricultural plants of varied economic utility, enjoying worldwide distribution. The present study elucidates the damage potential of this species on a common medicinal shrub of South India, namelyOcimum gratissimum, a so-far unrecorded host toB. phoenicis. The feeding activity of the mite on the leaves ofO. gratissimuminduced drastic reduction in the levels of chlorophyllaandb. Statistical analysis of the data on quantitative loss of chlorophyll due to the feeding activity ofB. phoenicis(usingt-test) was proved highly significant at 0.05 level, thereby establishing the pest status of the species onO. gratissimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]