Diapause induction and termination in eggs of the fruit tree red spider mite Panonychus ulmi in northern Greece

In apple orchards in northern Greece, females of Panonychus ulmi Koch were found to lay diapause eggs from late August to the beginning of October. The course of diapause termination in the field was determined by transferring diapause eggs during winter and early spring from apple orchards with the varieties 'Starkinson' and 'Firiki' to short days (LD 8:16) (1992-1996), and long days (LD 16:8) (1994-1995), both at 20 degrees C. Percentages of diapause termination were very low to zero from October to the beginning of January, then progressively increased throughout January and February. Diapause termination in 50% of the eggs occurred in the first half of February in lowland mite populations irrespective of the year and location from which the eggs originated, and about one month earlier in a population originating from an altitude of 300 m. For each sampling date throughout the winter, the mean number of days required for 50% egg hatch at 20 degrees C (T-50%) was similar under either a long (LD 16:8) or a short (LD 8:16) photoperiod. Diapause eggs collected in October 1995 from two orchards and maintained at 0, 5, 10 and 15 degrees C for various periods were subsequently transferred to 20 degrees C and LD 8:16, where TP50% was determined. It was shown that temperature, duration of maintenance at the different temperatures and the orchard from which the eggs originated had a significant effect on T(5)0% and therefore on diapause development. Additionally, in our strains diapause intensity was much weaker than in strains from more northern latitudes and was terminated even without any cold exposure. The variation in diapause intensity in different strains of P. ulmi may have an adaptive significance for this widespread species.