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10 July 2020 Post-Harvest Paraffinic Oil Dips to Disinfest Lychee Fruit of Lychee Erinose Mite
Alexandra M. Revynthi, Rita E. Duncan, Catharine Mannion, Paul E. Kendra, Daniel Carrillo
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Abstract

The lychee erinose mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Acari: Eriophyidae), is an important pest of lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.; Sapindaceae). Its recent interception in Lee County, Florida, USA, resulted in a quarantine whereby no lychee material, including fruit, can be transferred outside the county. Therefore, there is an urgent need for post-harvest treatments that can disinfest the fruit of the pest. Results of this study indicate that post-harvest dips in paraffinic oil solutions, 3 and 5%, for 60 s can achieve complete disinfestation of lychee fruit of A. litchii motile stages as well as other arthropods. In both ‘Mauritius' and ‘Brewster’ cultivars the treatments had a beneficial effect on fruit quality for the first 10 d after treatment. Post-harvest dips in paraffinic oil showed effective control of A. litchii without a noticeable reduction in fruit quality. Hence, this treatment might allow growers in Lee County to transport lychee fruit outside the quarantine zone.

Alexandra M. Revynthi, Rita E. Duncan, Catharine Mannion, Paul E. Kendra, and Daniel Carrillo "Post-Harvest Paraffinic Oil Dips to Disinfest Lychee Fruit of Lychee Erinose Mite," Florida Entomologist 103(2), 299-301, (10 July 2020). https://doi.org/10.1653/024.103.0224
Published: 10 July 2020
KEYWORDS
Acari
biosecurity
Eriophyidae
invasive pest
quarantine
treatments
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