Distribución geográfica de Eotetranychus lewisi (Acari: Tetranychidae) y plantas hospederas alternativas en la provincia de Tungurahua

Abstract

Eotetranychus lewisi is considered a pest in economically important crops such as peach, poinsettia, papaya, strawberry, citrus, and apple in different regions of the world and was recently reported in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador. In this research, the geographic distribution of E. lewisi and alternative host plants in the Province of Tungurahua was determined. For this, leaf samples were taken from peach, poinsettia, citrus, strawberry, apple, claudia and pear plants, as well as alternative host plants found together with crops showing characteristic feeding symptoms for E. lewisi in the Ambato, Cevallos, Quero, Mocha, Patate, Tisaleo and Pelileo counties (Tungurahua province). Samples were taken to the laboratory of Entomology of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, UTA. The results showed higher mite density in poinsettia plants in Patate and Cevallos counties, with averages of 3.31 and 3.94 mites/cm2, respectively, while in strawberry plants the lowest density was obtained in Tisaleo and Ambato counties, with averages of 0.19 and 0.31 mites cm2. Likewise, a higher density was found in Taraxacum officinale with 12 mites/plant in Pelileo, while in the Conium maculatum species only 2 mites/plant were found in Cevallos. A map of the geographical distribution of E. lewisi in the province of Tungurahua is provided.