Title: Population Studies of Arthropods Present on Melia Azedarach, with Special
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1 Title: Population studies of arthropods present on Melia azedarach, with special 2 reference to Eutetranychus orientalis (Acari: Tetranychidae) and its natural enemies. 3 Authors: González-Zamora J.E., López C., Avilla C. 4 5 Corresponding author: J. E. González-Zamora 6 [email protected] 7 8 Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10493-011-9476-y 9 10 1 11 Abstract 12 Eutetranychus orientalis has become an important pest of the ornamental tree Melia 13 azedarach in the city of Seville. These trees suffer a total defoliation at the end of summer. 14 Studies were conducted in 2008 (in two zones, A and B) and 2009 (in one zone, A) to 15 determine the arthropod populations present on the trees, with particular interest in the 16 possible natural enemies of E. orientalis. Eutetranychus orientalis accounted for 98.3% of the 17 arthropods found in the leaflets. Two species of phytoseiids were found, Euseius scutalis and 18 Euseius stipulatus, but they only represented 0.2% of the population. The most abundant 19 insect was the predator thrips Scolothrips longicornis, which accounted for 0.9% of the 20 population. The population of E. orientalis reached two peaks in 2008, 325 individuals per 21 leaflet in August, and 100 individuals per leaflet in November. The S. longicornis population 22 closely followed the E. orientalis population, showing a clear predator-prey response in both 23 years. The phytoseiid population did not show such a response to the E. orientalis population. 24 Eutetranychus orientalis was more abundant in the exterior plots of zone A (p=0.019). No 25 differences were found between the different orientations (p>0.251) in zone A, although the 26 rows in this zone showed statistically significant differences between populations (p=0.04). 27 In general, the phytoseiid and S. longicornis populations did not show differences between 28 the plots in zone A. The E. orientalis population was very aggregative (b=1.62) and the S. 29 longicornis population was less aggregative (b=1.37), whereas the phytoseiid population 30 showed a random distribution (b=1.03). 31 32 Keywords: Melia azedarach, Eutetranychus orientalis, Euseius scutalis, Scolothrips 33 longicornis, population dynamics, aggregation parameters. 34 2 35 Introduction 36 37 Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein), known as the oriental red mite and the citrus brown mite, is 38 considered as an important pest of citrus in many countries of Africa, Asia, and certain 39 regions of Oceania, but it has also been recorded in a wide range of other plants (Migeon and 40 Dorkeld 2009; EPPO 2010). The first mention of E. orientalis in Spain occurred in Málaga 41 (south of Spain) in 2001 on citrus, and since then it has spread throughout most of southern 42 Spain, attacking mainly citrus but also other crops such as mango and avocado and other trees 43 as well (García et al. 2003). Eutetranychus orientalis was first detected in the city of Seville 44 (southern Spain) in the summer of 2003, and since then it has become a serious problem in 45 the ornamental tree Melia azedarach L., causing a premature fall of leaves in the middle of 46 summer. Melia azadarach is planted in many parts of Spain to provide shade and to 47 embellish parks, gardens, streets and avenues, as is the case in Seville. The loss of its leaves 48 in summer produces a negative visual impact, together with a lack of shade, which is 49 important in a city like Seville with high levels of insolation and temperatures during this 50 season. 51 The Eutetranychus orientalis mite also attacks the Seville orange Citrus aurantium L., 52 but the damage caused here is not so important. It has spread throughout citrus groves of the 53 region, together with the very similar species Eutetranychus banksi (McGregor), resulting in 54 degrees of damage of variable importance (García et al. 2003). 55 The chinaberry or paraiso tree, M. azedarach, is native to India, south-east Asia and 56 Australia and it has many different uses, although it is mainly used for timber due its good 57 quality. Melia azedarach is of interest for other reasons. Components related to azadirachtin 58 have been extracted from its seeds and investigated for pest control purposes (Charleston et 59 al. 2006; Hammad and McAuslane 2006; Nathan et al. 2006; El-sawi 2008). 3 60 Although the distribution of M. azedarach extends throughout many parts of the 61 world, there are scarce studies of the arthropod fauna present on this plant, which mainly 62 concerns acari (Song et al. 2006; Song et al. 2008; Migeon and Dorkeld 2009). The presence 63 of pathogens has also been recorded on this tree (Arneodo et al. 2007). 64 The objectives of this study were to determine the arthropod fauna present on M. 65 azedarach in the area of study (the city of Seville), the evolution of populations of the most 66 important arthropods present in the tree (with a special interest in their possible natural 67 enemies), their distribution, and other ecological parameters that could be of interest for 68 developing an integrated pest management plan. 69 70 Material and methods 71 This study was carried out in two areas of the city of Seville (Spain) (37º 23’ 19.22’’ N and 72 5º 59’ 40.02’’ W). The first area was a regular plantation of 12,680 m2 with around 200 trees 73 of M. azedarach planted in rows and columns, located in the Miraflores Park (37º 24’ 21.09’’ 74 N and 5º 57’ 50.59’’ W). This area was called the A zone. The second area was about 2700 75 m2 with around 20 dispersed M. azedarach trees. This area was called the B zone, and it was 76 adjacent to the A zone. Sampling started in May 2008 and finished in September 2009, with 77 24 and 19 sampling dates in the A zone (during 2008 and 2009) and the B zone (only 2008), 78 respectively. 79 The A zone in the Miraflores Park was divided up by using a grid with four rows 80 (from A to D) and four columns (from 1 to 4). This produced 16 plots, in which two to three 81 leaves per plot were cut from different trees on each sampling date (with the help of pruning 82 pole to reach the higher branches), amounting to 34 leaves per sampling date. Ten leaves 83 were cut in the B zone from different trees on each sampling date using the same procedure, 84 and all leaves were taken to the laboratory. Since the leaves of M. azedarach are two to three 4 85 times compound leaves and can reach lengths of around 50 cm or more, a basal leaflet was 86 selected from each leaf and closely observed under a stereomicroscope at × 7-45. All 87 arthropods present were recorded and those of particular interest were collected and placed 88 into an alcoholic solution of 70% to determine the species afterwards. 89 Comparisons between zones A and B were made with the Student’s t-test, using the 90 mean population values of the sampling dates. Comparisons between interior vs. exterior 91 plots in the zone A were made with the Student’s t-test, using the mean population values of 92 the plots. Comparisons of mean population values of the plots in zone A were made between 93 orientations (north-south vs. east-west) using a factorial analysis of variance with 94 interactions. Comparisons of mean population values of the plots in zone A were also made 95 between rows and columns using a factorial analysis of variance. If the treatments were 96 significant at p < 0.05, then the differences between the means were determined using 97 Tukey’s HDS test at a 95% confidence level. All data used in each analysis were Ln 98 transformed. All analyses were performed using the Statgraphics package (Statistical 99 Graphics Corporation 2000). 100 Taylor’s power law (s2=amb) (Taylor 1961) was used to study the aggregation of the 101 most significant arthropods found on M. azedarach leaflets. Natural logarithms were applied 102 to the Taylor’s power law to calculate the regression parameters a and b. 103 104 Results 105 Species distribution 106 Acari represented the main group of arthropods observed on the M. azedarach leaves, which 107 accounted for 98.7% of the individuals observed (Table 1). The most important species of 108 acari was E. orientalis, which made up 98.3% of the individuals observed. Stage distribution 5 109 was clearly biased towards eggs, followed by immature stages and females, with males the 110 least abundant. 111 Another phytophagous species present in the leaves was T. urticae, with a very low 112 importance (0.2% of the total population) but with a similar population distribution to E. 113 orientalis. Acari of the families Tenuipalpidae (the species identified was Brevipalpus 114 phoenicis (Geijskes)) and Tideidae were also found, but again with very low numbers, 115 representing less than 0.1% of the total arthropods observed. Phytoseiids were present on the 116 leaves although at low numbers, representing only 0.2% of the arthropod population. Two 117 species of phytoseiids were identified, Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot) and Euseius 118 stipulatus (Athias-Henriot), and their population distribution was very different to the 119 phytophagous species, with a greater presence of mobile instars than eggs. 120 Insects were the other group of arthropods observed on M. azedarach leaves (Table 121 1), but they only represented 1.3% of the total population of arthropods. The thrips 122 Scolothrips longicornis Priesner was the most abundant (0.9% of the total population), 123 followed by the scale insect Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) (0.2% of the total population).