DEVELOPMENT OF Tetranychus urticae KOCH (ACARI: TETRANYCHIDAE) IN DIFFERENT STRAWBERRY CULTIVARS

ABSTRACT Two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is considered the main pest in strawberry crop. The control of this species is hampered by the low efficiency of products currently used, occurrence of populations resistant to acaricides and high reproductive potential of this pest. This leads to the use of pesticides and increased agrochemical residues in fruits. The use of resistant cultivars is considered the ideal control method because they maintain mite populations below levels of economic damage, minimize the environmental impact of pesticides at no extra cost to the farmer, and serve as an auxiliary tool in integrated pest management. In this sense, this study evaluated the resistance of strawberry cultivars to T. urticae by studying the development of its biological aspects. Comparative biology experiments and non-preference tests for feeding and oviposition for spider mite were carried out in 16 strawberry cultivars under laboratory conditions. Based on results, it was found that Camarosa, Florida Festival, IAC Campinas and Sabrosa strawberry cultivars indicated the possibility of antibiosis type resistance to spider mite, influencing the preference to food, development and oviposition, indicating the existence of differentiated reaction in population development among cultivars