Abstract: 【Aim】 The objective of this research is to evaluate the selectivity and fitness of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae to different varieties of eggplant. 【Methods】 Using nine cultivars and one wild species of eggplant, the host selectivity was tested by selection experiment in field, while the effect of different varieties on colonization, population dynamics, developmental duration and fecundity of T. urticaewas investigated in laboratory. 【Results】 The results showed that T. urticae had the lowest selectivity to the wild species Solanum sisymbriifolium. All stages of T. urticae except for the egg stage could not survive on the wild species S. sisymbriifolium. Amongst the varieties of S. melongena, T. urticaeshowed the highest selectivity to Jingqie 6 and Riyouchangzhizhuangqingchangqie with a number of 195 and 183 individuals/plant, respectively, but showed the lowest selectivity to Bulita and Changzhusiqie. At 28 d after inoculation with 20 pairs of male and female adults of T. urticae, the number of mites on Zilongwang 4 (1 009 individuals/plant) was the highest, followed by Jingqie 6 (981 individuals/plant) and Grafted Jingqie 6 (909 individuals/plant). T. urticae had the shortest developmental duration on Jingqie 6 (9.31 d), but had the longest developmental duration on Changfeng 2 (11.08 d). Fecundity of female adults in the first 5 egg-laying days was higher on Jingqie 6, Jingqieheiba and Grafted Jingqie 6 (35.92, 33.20 and 31.34 eggs laid per female, respectively) with no significant difference among these three cultivars, while was lower on Zilongwang 4, Qiezhen 1, Bulita and Changfeng 2 (18.56, 19.24, 23.36 and 22.26 eggs laid per female, respectively) with no significant difference among these four cultivars. 【Conclusion】 Selectivity and fitness of the T. urticae  are high to the purple round type eggplant Jingqie 6, moderate to the purple long type eggplant Bulita, and low to the wild type eggplant Suanjieqie.

Key words: Tetranychus urticae, Solanum melongena, variety, selectivity, fitness, developmental duration, fecundity