Abstract

YZQUIERDO-ALVAREZ, Marilyn Estefania et al. Space-time fluctuation of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) in Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) in the citrus zone of Huimanguillo, Tabasco. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2021, vol.37, e3712374.  Epub Feb 05, 2021. ISSN 2448-8445.  https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2021.3712374.

In Mexico, about 600 thousand hectares are cultivated with citrus fruits, of which, Persian lime represents 19%, with a value close to 3.8 billion pesos. Veracruz, Tabasco, and Oaxaca are the three main producers nationwide; however, this production remains at risk due to the economic losses generated by the Huanglongbing disease and its vector, the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama, 1907). In Tabasco, the pathogen and vector were detected since 2012 and 2005, respectively. Thus, after five years management through the Regional Control Areas (ARCOs), it is imperative to know the population fluctuation of D. citri, so the objective of the present study was to know the space-time fluctuation of Diaphorina citri in the ARCOs of the citrus zone of Huimanguillo, Tabasco, and to determine the periods of greatest population density and risk of HLB spreading. The fortnight adult-capture database from 2,820 yellow sticky traps in 141 D. citri monitoring sites from March to December 2019 was analyzed, carried out in the campaign against regulated pests of citrus fruits. With the database, geostatistical maps of the average D. citri per trap were generated and the dispersion pattern of the adults was determined by calculating three aggregation indices, as well as their relationship with the environmental variables of temperature and monthly precipitation. Diaphorina citri was observed to be present throughout the study period varying in density on a monthly basis, the highest population densities occurred in the period from June to October, with a trend of greater abundance towards the northwest part of the citrus zone, presenting a distribution pattern in aggregates and 20 to 30% of the evaluated sites exceed the regional intervention threshold of one adult D. citri per trap.

Keywords : population dynamics; Asian citrus psyllid; HLB; Regional control areas.