Biology of false spider mite, Brevipalpus californicus banks on sweet orange, Citrus sinensis Osbeck cv. Jaffa Nehru R.K., Bhagat K.C. Division of Entomology, S.K.U.A.S.T.K., Shalimar, Srinagar, Kashmir, 191 121, India. Abstract The studies conducted revealed thai decrease in temperature from 30.5 to 15.3°C increased developmental durations of Brevipalpus californicus. Egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult measured 105.0 x 72.5, 145.0 x 100.0, 165.0 x 109.0, 198.8 x 121.3 and 2.68 x 125.7 μ, respectively. Incubation, larval, protonymphal, deutonymphal and adult duration ranged from 5.5 to 10.3, 4.5 to 13.2, 4.8 to 12.8, 5.1 to 12.8 and 14.8 to 54.5 days, respectively, during different generations. The pest occupied 20.6 to 49.1 days to complete its life cycle. Pre-oviposition, oviposition and post oviposition periods varied from 2.1 to 7.0, 6.9 to 27.2 and 3.4 to 20.7 days, respectively. Maximum eggs (30.5) were laid in generation VI compared to minimum (5.2) in generation III @ 0.7 ±0.1 to 1.4 ± 0.1 eggs/female/day. The mite completed seven generations, while, VIII generation was partial. Top Key words Biology, Brevipalpus californicus, Citrus sinensis. Top |