Study of the population fluctuations and feeding effects of Tetranychus urticae(Acari: Tetranychidae) on three cultivars of Capsicum annuum (Solanaceae)

H.H. EL-Kasser, El-Sayeda; Barghout, Dr Marwa; A.A. El-Ferjany, Rasha

doi:10.22073/pja.v12i4.81407

Study of the population fluctuations and feeding effects of Tetranychus urticae(Acari: Tetranychidae) on three cultivars of Capsicum annuum (Solanaceae)

Authors

El-Sayeda H.H. EL-Kasser ¹

Dr Marwa Barghout ²

Rasha A.A. El-Ferjany ¹

¹ Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

² Pests and Plant Protection Department, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El-Boghouth St., P.O.12622 Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

10.22073/pja.v12i4.81407

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to investigate the population fluctuation of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) on three Capsicum annuum L. (Solanaceae) cultivars (red delta star, yellow delta star and chili omega 62). Experimental trials were carried out under high plastic-net house conditions during two seasons, 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. The feeding effects of T. urticae on some biochemical compounds of C. annuum were estimated. Densities of egg and mobile stages on the three test cultivars increased gradually from initial count in March 15^th and reached peak at last week of November of two seasons, except densities of eggs on red delta reached peak at last week of October. In both growing seasons, the highest population densities of T. urticae were observed on red delta star, while the lowest densities were on chili omega 62. Correlation coefficient of T. urticae densities levels with total carotenoids, carbohydrates and proteins of tested C. annuum cultivars showed positive relationship and a reverse one with total lipids, chlorophyll, phenolic, flavonoids and alkaloids compounds.

Keywords

Herbivore-Plant interactions

pepper

pest population dynamics

pest feeding behavior

phytochemical analysis