First record of the occurrence and description of damage caused by Tetranychus mexicanus in guarana plants

Abstract

Guarana (Paullinia cupana Kunth, Sapindaceae) is a cultivated plant typical of the Amazonian biota. Among the pests that attack the crop, mite has not been recorded. Thus, recording the first occurrence of Tetranychus mexicanus (McGregor, 1950) (Acari: Tetranychidae) in guarana trees and characterize the damage is paramount. The specimens were collected from plants of BRS-Maués variety kept in a greenhouse in Manaus, Amazonas. The mites, in the field (in vivo) and in the laboratory (mounted on a microscope slide), and the damage were characterized and recorded on images. The recorded characterizations were compared with those in the literature for T. mexicanus. Mites were infesting more than 90% of the plants and causing severe damage. Thus, guarana is included in the list of host plants of T. mexicanus, which may cause damage to plants kept in a protected environment.

Keywords

• integrated pest management
• pest mite
• tropical agriculture