Author(s): K. KARMAKAR AND G. SAHA

Abstract: Mikania micrantha, a widespread per~nnial creeper weed found to grow everywhere in the fencing of cultivated field, tea garden, poorly managed trees of homestead plantation and on forest plants also acts as a source of infestation of a destructive mite pest, Brevipalpus phoenicis G. infesting many economically important crops liketea, citrUs, guava, papaya, pointed gourd etc. Population dynamics of this mite has been studied for two years on this weed which revealed that the mite remained active through out the year on the weed. Mite population started increasing in Februazy/March and attained maximum (14.42 mites/leaf) during moderately dryer and cooler period in the month of October as in other host plants. The mite population persisted till November and thereafter declined sharply with a very low population (0.27mites/leat) during January. Significant positive correlations were observed between mite population and minimum temperature and minimum relative humidity, whereas, relation with other weather parameters were non-significant.

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