Mites (Acari) of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg., Euphorbiaceae) in Piracicaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil.

This study determined the main mite species on rubber trees (clone RRIM-600) in Piracicaba, southeast of São Paulo State, from June 2002 to May 2003 and evaluated the possible relation between them. It was conducted in a plantation of 5 ha on 11 year old trees, 15 m high, surrounded with crops as pearl millet, cotton, bean or corn. Samples were taken monthly and consisted of five leaflets, five petioles (only from October 2002 on) and five terminal sections of twigs (10 cm) from 15 rubber trees.

Effect of air humidity on the egg viability of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae, Stigmaeidae) common on rubber trees in Brazil.

Rubber pest mites, Calacarus heveae and Tenuipalpus heveae, reach economic damage levels at the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season in Brazil. Therefore, low humidity adaptation might be an important characteristic for predatory mites to successfully control pest organisms. This study determined the effect of the relative humidity (RH) levels of 30-100% on the hatching of larvae of Amblyseius acalyphus, Euseius citrifolius, Iphiseiodes zuluagai, Metaseiulus camelliae, Agistemus floridanus and Zetzellia malvinae at 25 +/- 0.