Diversity and dynamics of mites in citrus agroecosystem in the state of São Paulo

• Grant number: 25/02859-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Mário Eidi Sato
• Grantee: Guilherme Riquelme Barreto
• Host Institution: Instituto Biológico (IB). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Citrus cultivation is of great socioeconomic importance, being responsible for generating employment and income for a large number of people involved in the chain, in addition to generating foreign exchange in excess of US$1.5 billion per year for Brazil, due to the export of concentrated and frozen orange juice. Orange orchards can host a range of mite species, some of which are considered key pests for citrus farming. Brevipalpus yothersi Baker (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) is the main vector of the citrus leprosis virus (CiLV-C), which causes significant losses to production due to fruit loss and reduced plant life. The project aims to study the diversity of mites present in the citrus agroecosystem; analyze the distribution of mites in different orchard substrates: citrus plants (leaves and fruits), spontaneous plants and soil; expand knowledge about the interactions between phytophagous mites, predators and host plants of different species (including spontaneous ones) present in the agroecosystem. The study will also serve to expand knowledge about the influence of spontaneous plants and the soil on the diversity and abundance of phytophagous and predatory mites present on citrus plants. Predation tests will also be carried out on phytophagous mites and insects, under laboratory conditions, using some species of predatory mites found in citrus orchards, to evaluate the potential use of these predators as biological pest control agents in Brazil. The results obtained in the research can serve as a basis for the establishment of new strategies for managing arthropod pests and associated diseases in citrus groves in the state of São Paulo.