POPULATION DENSITY AND PERCENT OF INFESTATION BY THE ERIOPHYID MITE ACERIA FICUS (COTTE) (ACARIFORMES: ERIOPHYIDAE) ON FIG AND ITS CONTROL BY PLANT EXTRACT

Abstract

This study was carried out to follow the development of Population density of Aceriaficus (Cotte) on Fig trees and evaluate the efficancy ofCitrulluscolocynthsis , Dianthus carphyllus and Lantana camara water extracts against Fig bud mites .Five Identical Fig trees (Brown turkey) were selected at AL-Etafia – Baghdad , Five leaves of each tree representing different parts of the tree were taken at intervals of two weeks for the period of 3/4- 2/10/2011. Apart of each leaf was Submitted to microscopic observation by stereomicroscope. Infected Fig leaves were sprayed by each of 3 concentration of each extract , in Petri plates at 2ml/plate The plates were incubated at 27 ± 1 ْc and the dead Mites were calculated after 48 hr. Result showed that Fig bud mites have 2 peaks , spring one started from beginning of April until the end of June with maximum means number 244.0 moving mite/10cm²/leaf. And autum one started from the beginning of July until middle of September with maximum number 489.7 moving mite/10cm²/leaf. Results of statistical analysis showed a significant differences in Population density and infection percentage between the different times of leaf Samples Collection. It has been found that the water extract ofCitrulluscolocynthsis fruits, and clove fruits , exhibited high activity against Fig bud mites with mortality percentage 100 and 85.5% respectively at 2gm/L compared to 23.2%with Dianthus carphylluswater extract, at the same concentrate . These result leads to conclude that Using of natural Compounds of plants origins effective against mites, safe to ecosystem and human health may be premising in the integrated pest management of this pest.