Dj. Odowd, MITE ASSOCIATION WITH THE LEAF DOMATIA OF COFFEE (COFFEA-ARABICA) IN NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, Bulletin of entomological research, 84(3), 1994, pp. 361-366
The primary coffee of commerce, Coffea arabica, has well-developed pit
domatia in the primary vein axils on the undersurfaces of the leaves.
In plantations near Mareeba and Daintree in far north Queensland, Aus
tralia, these morphogenetic structures are commonly occupied by mites.
Mites used domatia on over 80% of all leaves examined, and 41% of all
domatia had been occupied by mites (15-28% on young leaves and 54-59%
on older leaves at Mareeba, and 58% overall at Daintree). At Mareeba,
domatia use by mites did not differ among plants or shoots within pla
nts but did vary significantly with leaf position within shoots, a ref
lection of leaf age. Domatia were important sites for mite reproductio
n and development; 93% of the eggs and all moulting mites on leaves we
re in domatia. Seven mite taxa were identified on leaves at Mareeba an
d nine were present at Daintree. With the exception of Fungitarsonemus
sp. and Brevipalpus obovatus Donnadieu at Mareeba, all were concentra
ted in leaf domatia. Almost all mites in domatia were from groups in w
hich arboreal representatives are primarily predatory (e.g., Stigmaeid
ae, Phytoseiidae, and Bdellidae), fungivorous (e.g., Winterschmidtiida
e, Oribatida and Acaridae), or both (Tydeidae and Tarsonemidae). The d
ata suggest that domatia influence the distribution and abundance of p
redatory and fungivorous mites that have the potential to affect funga
l pathogens and some arthropod pests on coffee leaves.