Different behavior and physiology of two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on different

Breeding and use of resistant tomato varieties agaist  two-spotted spider mite, which is one of its critical pests in farms and greenhouses, require adequate knowledge of the effective factors of the crop in reducing the fitness of the pest as well as realizing the plant’s ability to mitigate the herbivore injury. Therefore, the host recognition and host acceptance of the mite and the host suitability of the plant and its responses to mite injury were assessed in laboratory by evaluating the behavioral and physiological responses of the mite and by measuring the physical and chemical characteristics of ten tomato varieties. Results showed that the mite colonization by using a free-choice test and the oviposition rate and  the population growth of the mite by using a no-choice test were significantly different on tomato varieties, indicating some degrees of antixenosis and antibiosis resistance mechanisms especially in Super-Luna and Super-Urbana varieties which also had higher densities of type IV and VI glandular trichomes. Phenol concentration were increased significantly after being injured by the mites in Cal-JN3, and Super-Urbana varieties and it showed significant negative correlations with mite densities. Varieties Cal-JN3, Super-Luna, Super-Urbana and Comodoro were placed in the resistant group, Super-Chief, Mobil-Royal, Queen-2274, and Primo-Early inside the intermediate group and Chef-Falat and Firenze in the sensitive group.