Seasonal Occurrence, Abundance, and Within-Plant Distribution of the Citrus Rust Mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora Ashmead (Acari: Eriophyidae), on Different Citrus Species in Southern Türkiye

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Safa Enes Erten
Cengiz Kazak
Acarology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, Agricultural Faculty, Çukurova University, 01330 Adana, Türkiye
Abstract
This study investigated the seasonal occurrence and abundance of the Citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora Ashmead (Acari: Eriophyidae), on leaves and fruits, and its directional preferences on different citrus species in Adana, Türkiye from 2019 to 2021. The research was conducted in two orchard types: a commercial, sprayed orchard with lemon (Citrus limon cv. Interdonato), orange (C. sinensis cv. W. Navel), mandarin (C. reticulata cv. W. Murcott), and grapefruit (C. paradisi cv. Riored), and a minimally sprayed experimental orchard with lemon (cv. Meyer), orange (cv. W. Navel), and mandarin (cv. Okitsu). Among the citrus species examined in both orchard types, lemon exhibited the highest mean population density of P. oleivora. The mean total density of P. oleivora on lemon leaves was 0.757 and 1.899 all stages/cm² in the commercial and experimental orchards, respectively. In the commercial orchards, no mite population development was observed on the fruits. However, in the experimental orchards, the mean population density reached 4.680 all stages/cm² on lemon. In the experimental orchards, P. oleivora was first observed in May on lemon and reached its peak in August on the same host. In contrast, in the commercial orchards, the mite was first detected in September on lemon, and peaked in November. Directional preferences varied between orchard types. In the commercial orchards, no directional differences were detected except on lemon, where P. oleivora densities were higher in the west and north. In the experimental orchards, P. oleivora densities were highest in the west and north across all citrus species.
Keywords
Citrus species, ">Phyllocoptruta ">oleivora, Population development
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 July 2026