Mite pests of vegetable crops under protected cultivation in Kerala

Abstract

Survey conducted to document the diversity of mite pests and their natural enemies associated with vegetables grown under polyhouse, recorded tetranychids - Tetranychus truncatus on cucumber and amaranthus, T. urticae, T. okinawanus and Eutetranychus orientalis on cucumber and T. macfarlanei on cowpea and French bean and tarsonemid, Polyphagotarsonemus latus on cowpea, chilly, tomato, capsicum, cucumber, bittergourd and amaranthus. Insect predators - Stethorus pauperculus, Oligota sp., Scolothrips sp. and an unidentified species of Cecidomyiidae and predatory mites - Neoseiulus longispinosus, Amblyseius paraaerialis, Tydeus gossabaensis, Agistemus garrulus, Cunaxa sp. and Cheyletus sp., as natural enemies.