RESISTANCE OF CUCURBITA AND LAGENARIA TO THE CARMINE SPIDER MITE, TETRANYCHUS CINNABARINUS (ACARI: TETRANYCHIDAE)

Antibiosis and resistance of six Cucurbita and two Lagenaria accessions to the carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisduval, were evaluated in the laboratory. Significant differences among accessions were observed three days after the inoculation of detached leaf discs. The Lagenaria accessions, Slawi and Sus, proved to be the most resistant to mites, reducing the average total mite eggs by 87% and 95% respectively as compared to the susceptible C. pepo cultivar Orangetti. The Cucurbita cultivars Tace, Brava, Tetsukabuto, Phoenix, and TZ-148 had reduced total mite eggs by 4%, 9%, 13%, 26% and 40%, respectively, as compared with ‘Orangetti’. The Sus accession of Lagenaria was resistant to T. cinnabarinus from the four-leaf stage until fruit set in laboratory and field tests.