Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T03:09:39.640Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal occurrence and abundance of redlegged earth mite Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Penthaleidae) in annual pastures of southwestern Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

T. J. Ridsdill-Smith  and
A. J. Annells
T. J. Ridsdill-Smith
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Entomology, Private Bag, Wembley, WA 6014, Australia
A. J. Annells
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Entomology, Private Bag, Wembley, WA 6014, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Seasonal occurrence and abundance of redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker), was measured by weekly sampling in grazed annual pastures near Keysbrook (1990–1992) and Narrogin (1991–1992) in southwestern Australia. Mites were active for 27 weeks from the late autumn (May) to mid-spring (October), completing three generations at approximately 8 week intervals. The summer is spent as diapause eggs in the cadavers of adult female mites. In 1991 and 1992, active H. destructor was on average twice as abundant at Keysbrook (mean 11,300 mites/m2), as at Narrogin (mean 6400 mites/m2). Three times more eggs were laid at Keysbrook than Narrogin (mean 8500 and 2900 eggs/m2 respectively). Rainfall at Keysbrook was twice that at Narrogin, and temperatures were higher. We suggest that the rate of oviposition was less at Narrogin, probably because of resource limitation. The mature adult sex ratio was female biased, but was lower at Keysbrook (0.669) than at Narrogin (0.813). Neozygites acaridis, a fungal disease, was detected in less than 4% of the population, mainly in adult mites in late spring. Rainfall and temperatures were lower in the spring of 1992 than 1991 at both sites. Pasture was grazed considerably shorter in the spring of 1992, and numbers of H. destructor were lower, but numbers of eggs laid in the two years were similar. We suggest that active mite mortality was greater in spring of 1992, probably due to lower relative humidity. There were fewer adult mites in spring, and fewer diapausing eggs in summer at both sites in 1992 (36,600 diapause eggs/m2) than in 1991 (148,000 diapause eggs/m2). It is proposed that controlling mites in spring should lead to lower numbers of diapause eggs in summer and of mites emerging in autumn.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 87 , Issue 4 , August 1997 , pp. 413 - 423
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Annells, A.J. & Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. (1991) The effect of moisture on aestivating eggs of Halotydeus destructor (Tucker) (Acari: Penthaleidae). pp. 7–9in Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. (Ed.) Proceedings of National workshop on redlegged earth mite, lucerne flea and blue oat mite.Western Australia,Department of Agriculture.Google Scholar
Annells, A.J. & Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. (1994) Host plant species and carbohydrate supplements affecting rate of multiplication of redlegged earth mite. Experimental and Applied Acarology 18, 521–530.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bolger, T.P., Turner, N.C. & Leach, B.J. (1993) Water use and productivity of annual legume-based pasture systems in the south-west of Western Australia. pp. 274–275. Proceedings XVII International Grassland Congress.Google Scholar
Brandenburg, R.L. & Kennedy, G.G. (1982) Relationship of Neozygites floridana (Entomopthorales: Entomophthoraceae) to two spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) populations in field corn. Journal of Economic Entomology 75, 691–694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brennan, R.F. & Grimm, M. (1992) Effect of aphids and mites on herbage and seed production of subterranean clover (cv. Daliak) in response to superphosphate and potash. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, 39–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaull, K.R. & Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. (1996) The foraging behaviour of redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Acarina: Penthaleidae), in an annual subterranean clover pasture. Bulletin of Entomological Research 86, 247–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grimm, M., Michael, P., Hyder, M. & Doyle, P. (1994) Effects of pasture pest damage and grazing management on efficiency of animal production. Plant Protection Quarterly 10, 62–64.Google Scholar
James, D.G. & O'Malley, K.J. (1992) Oversummering of eggs of Halotydeus destructor Tucker (Acari: Penthaleidae): diapause termination and mortality. Australian Entomological Magazine 18, 35–41.Google Scholar
Klubertanz, T.H., Pedigo, L.P. & Carlson, R.E. (1991) Impact of fungal epizootics on the biology and management of the two spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) in soybean. Environmental Entomology 20, 731–735.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, G., Duncan, J. & Moritz, K. (1995) Managing redlegged earth mites in canola with less insecticide. pp. 77–82in Potter, T.D. (Ed.) Proceedings of the 10th Australian Research Assembly on Brassicas.South Australian Research and Development Institute.Google Scholar
Milner, R.J. (1985) Neozygites acaridis (Petch) comb. nov.: an entomophthoran pathogen of the mite, Macrocheles peregrinus, in Australia. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 85, 641–647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, K.R. (1938) A population study of the red-legged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor) in Western Australia, with notes on associated mites and Collembola. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Australia, Pamphlet Number 84, 1–23.Google Scholar
Norris, K.R. (1944) Experimental determination of the influence of the red-legged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor) on a subterranean clover pasture in Western Australia. Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Australia, Bulletin Number 183, 1–36.Google Scholar
Panetta, F.M., Ridsdill-Smith, T.J., Barbetti, M.J. & Jones, R.A.C. (1993) The ecology of weeds, invertebrate pests and diseases of Australian sheep pastures. pp. 87–114. in Delfosse, E.S. (Ed.) Pests of pastures. CSIRO, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Plumb, T. (editor) (1980) Atlas of Australian resources. Vol. 1. Soils and land use. Division of National Mapping, Canberra.Google Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. & Annells, A.J. (1993) Sampling oversummering diapause eggs of redlegged earth mite. pp. 73–77in Prestidge, R.A. (Ed.) Proceedings of the 6th Australasian Conference on Grassland Invertebrate Ecology.AgResearch,Hamilton, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Ridsdill-Smith, T.J. & Gaull, K.R. (1995) An improved method for rearing Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Penthaleidae) in the laboratory. Experimental and Applied Acarology 19, 337–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seidel, J. (1995) Timing essential for optimum RLEM control. pp. 354–355in Casey, M. (Ed.) Pasture plus. Kondinin Group, Western Australia.Google Scholar
Skovgard, H., Tomkiewicz, J., Nachman, G. & Munster-Swendsen, M. (1993) The dynamics of the cassava green mite Mononychellus tanajoa in a seasonally dry area in Kenya. Experimental and Applied Acarology 17, 59–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, M.E. (1937) Experiments on the effects of temperature and humidity on the survival of Halotydeus destructor (Tucker), Acarina fam. Penthaleidae. Australian Journal of Experimental Biological and Medical Science 15, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swan, D.C. (1934) The red-legged earth mite Halotydeus destructor (Tucker) in South Australia: with remarks upon Penthaleus major (Dugès). Journal of Agriculture, South Australia 38, 353–367.Google Scholar
Trivers, R.L. & Willard, D.E. (1973) Natural selection of parental ability to vary ratio of offspring. Science 179, 90–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wallace, M.M.H. (1956) A rapid method of sampling small free-living pasture insects and mites. Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 22, 283–284.Google Scholar
Wallace, M.M.H. (1970a) Diapause in the aestivating egg of Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Eupodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 18, 295–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, M.M.H. (1970b) The influence of temperature on post-diapause development and survival in the aestivating eggs of Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Eupodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 18, 315–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, M.M.H. & Mahon, J.A. (1963) The effect of insecticide treatment on the yield and botanical composition of sown pastures in Western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 3, 39–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, M.M.H. & Mahon, J.A. (1971) The distribution of Halotydeus destructor and Penthaleus major (Acari: Eupodidae) in Australia in relation to climate and land use. Australian Journal of Zoology 19, 65–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wermelinger, B., Oertli, J.J. & Baumgartner, J. (1991) Environmental factors affecting the life-tables of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae). III. Host plant nutrition. Experimental and Applied Acarology 12, 259–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, L.J. (1994) Plant-quality effect on life-history parameters of the twospotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) on cotton. Journal of Economic Entomology 87, 1665–1673.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wrensch, D.L. & Young, S.S.Y. (1978) Effects of density and host quality on rate of development, survivorship, and sex ratio in the carmine spider mite. Environmental Entomology 7, 499–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar