Morphological study of the tow-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch 1836 & Carmine spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval 1867) (Acari: Tetranychidae) Populations from various Plant hosts in Lattakia Province


Abstract in English

The accuracy of the taxon T. cinnabarinus (Boisduval 1867) as a distinct species, or as a synonym of Tetranychus urticae Koch 1836, is still standing as a controversial issue of taxonomy and as a point of discussion. T. cinnabarinus and T. urticae have been regarded in the first stage of this study as one species, and it was characterized depending on the distinctive characteristics of both genders. In the second stage, the two species were distinguished according to many morphological characters that have been recommended by authors cited T.cinnabarinus as a valid species. The efficiency of some measures adopted to distinguish both T. cinnabarinus and T. urticae were also tested. Measurements didn't match local samples that showed obvious differences, T. cinnabarinus & T. urticae are not likely to be considered as two different species according to recent researches. Both T. cinnabarinus and T. urticae were detected on various wild and cultivated host plants. One hundred samples of plants presented symptoms of tetranychid attacks were collected from different localities in Lattakia province. Both T. urticae and T. cinnabarinus were found on 29, 9 samples, respectively.

References used

BAKER, E. W., TUTTLE, D. M. A guide to the spider mites(Tetranychidae) of the United States. Indira Publishing House ,West Bloomfield, USA.1994, 347
BOlland, H. R., GUTERREZ, J., FLECHTMANN, C. H. W. World catalogue of the spider mite family (Acari: Tetranychidae), with references to taxonomy, synonymy, host plants and distribution. Brill Academic Publishers ,Leyden, The Netherlands,1998, 392
BOUDREAUX, H.B. Revision of the two spotted spider mite (Acarina, Tetranychidae) complex, Tetranychus telarius (Linnaeus). Ann Entomol. Soc. Am, Vol. 49,1956, 43-49

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