Registro, distribuição geográfica e hospedeiros do ácaro-vermelho-daspalmeiras, Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924 (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) em Alagoas, e sua flutuação populacional em Sergipe

Abstract

The red palm mite Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924 (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) is an invasive species that has become a key coconut pest in several countries. This species was first detected in Brazil in 2009, in the State of Roraima, and later, in 2011, in Amazonas, remaining for some time restricted to the North region, but being recently detected also in the States of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio grande do Norte, São Paulo and Sergipe, and in the Federal District. The entire Brazilian Northeast coast present suitable conditions for the development of this pest. Such fact is concerning because these areas are abundant in hosts with economic importance. After its entry to the neotropical region, R. indica drastically increased its host range, which expanded from less than ten to more than 100 species. Red palm mite hosts in the Brazilian Northeast, as well as its impact on palms native to the region are still unknown. Thus, it is necessary to study the distribution of R. indica, its reproductive hosts, the potential of palms native to the Brazilian Northeast as hosts, and its population fluctuation on coconut palms. Thus, the present study aimed to record the occurrence and to know the distribution, of R. indica, and its exotic and native hosts in Alagoas, and its population fluctuation in Sergipe. The first record of R. indica in the State of Alagoas was published. It was verified that the red palm mite is present in all the 102 municipalities of the State of Alagoas, with major densities in the main coconut-producing areas, thus increasing its distribution in the Brazil. It were recorded 28 reproductive host species for R. indica in the State of Alagoas, some of them constituting new records for Brazil and/or for the Americas, besides new host associations. Among the 15 palms native to the Brazilian Northeast evaluated, only one has shown to be host of R. indica. It was not possible to establish a correlation between the population density of the red palm mite in the region and any of the environmental traits evaluated. All information generated in the present work can contribute to the establishment of the red palm mite management in the Northeast Region and in Brazil.