Demographic Evaluation of Red Mite, Tetranychus bioculatus (Wood-Mason) on Different Ornamental Hosts

The demographic characteristics of red mite, Tetranychus bioculatus were studied through life table construction based on life history data using leaves of three ornamental host plants viz., marigold (Tagetes sp.), rose (Rosa sp.) and cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) in the laboratory at temperature of 20.3±0.66oC and relative humidity of 75.25±3.30%. The life cycle duration of red mite from egg to adult was shortened when feeding on marigold leaves with no significant differences in duration of life stages consuming three different hosts. The fecundity ranged from 70.6 to 109.8 eggs per female and it significantly differed among the mites live on different host plants. The host plants influenced the life table parameters of T. bioculatus showing highest innate capacity of increase (rm) of 0.24 on marigold. The marigold and cosmos favors increase mite population by 2.2 and 1.5 times, respectively, which higher than those fed on rose in the generation times (GT) of 18.22 and 19.18 days. Key words: Red mite, ornamental host plants, life history, life table. doi:10.3329/jard.v6i1.1661 J Agric Rural Dev 6(1&2), 83-90, June 2008