Ovipositional Behaviour of Diapause-Induced Females of the Citrus Res Mite, Panonychus citri (MCGREGOR)(Acarina : Tetranychidae)

Abstract

Ovipositional behaviour of diapause-induced females (winter females) of a diapausing strain of Panonychus citri (MCGREGOR) was studied in comparison with that of non-diapause-induced females (summer females). Winter females were very active during the first 2 to 3 days after adult emergence, showing a remarkable increase in walking time. This increase was well synchronized with egg maturation in ovary. Summer females did not show any such increase. Winter females spent more than twice as long the time to deposit an egg on pear twigs as the summer females on leaves. The former spent much longer time for locating a suitable oviposition site and for returning from the site to leaf. Winter females always returned to leaves after depositing only a single egg.