Influence of Temperature on the Vector of Rose Rosette Disease, Phyllocoptes fructiphilus

The eriophyid mite, Phyllocoptes fructiphilus (Acari: Eriophyidae), is a Because Rose rosette disease is widely reported from the continental U.S., it is unclear how early in the growing season P. fructiphilus could increase in abundance and whether they could spread to warmer regions of the world, such as Mexico and Central American countries. Thus, the major objective of the study was to determine the effect of temperature on abundance of P. fructiphilus. An experiment was done in environmental control chambers where potted rose plants were maintained at 15.6, 21.1, 26.7, and 32.2 degrees C after infesting with similar to 40 P. fructiphilus by attaching two 15-cmlong, field-collected rose terminals to the branches of potted plants. Numbers of P. fructiphilus were recorded at 7 and 28 days. The number of P. fructiphilus individuals was not significantly different among the temperatures at 7 days after initiation of the study. At 28 days, the number of P. fructiphilus individuals was significantly greater (P < 0.05) at 32.2 degrees C than at 15.6 or 21.1 degrees C. Implications of the results for management of P. fructiphilus were discussed.