Species Of Phytoseiid Mites Research Articles

Influence of Four Ground Cover Vegetation Types Used in North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas Tree Plantations on Abundance and Species Composition of Phytoseiid Mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

A study was conducted to determine the utility of ground cover vegetation in managing the natural enemies of spruce spider mite (Oligonychus ununguis Jacobi) in Fraser fir production areas in 2 locations in North Carolina (Laurel Springs, Waynesville). Predatory phytoseiid mites were sampled by collecting vegetation from 4 ground cover species in experimental Fraser fir plots: white Dutch clover (Trifolium repens L.), mammoth red clover (Trifolium pretense L.), birdfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), and fescue (Festuca spp.). The most abundant phytoseiid mite species were Typhlodromips sessor(DeLeon), Arrenoseius morgani(Chant), Proprioseiopsis solens (DeLeon), and Typhlodromalus peregrinus (Muma). There were no statistical differences in the effects of ground cover vegetation on phytoseiid mite abundance or diversity.

Invasion success in communities with reciprocal intraguild predation depends on the stage structure of the resident population

The probability of individuals being targeted as prey often decreases as they grow in size. Such size‐dependent predation risk is very common in systems with intraguild predation (IGP), i.e. when predatory species interact through predation and competition. Theory on IGP predicts that community composition depends on productivity. When recently testing this prediction using a terrestrial experimental system consisting of two phytoseiid mite species,Iphiseius degeneransas the IG‐predator andNeoseiulus cucumerisas the IG‐prey, and pollen (Typha latifolia) as the shared resource, we could not find the predicted community shift. Instead, we observed that IG‐prey excluded IG‐predators when the initial IG‐prey/IG‐predator ratio was high, whereas the opposite held when the initial ratio was low, which is also not predicted by theory. We therefore hypothesized that the existence of vulnerable and invulnerable stages in the two populations could be an important driver of the community composition. To test this, we first demonstrate that IG‐prey adults indeed attacked IG‐predator juveniles in the presence of the shared resource. Second, we show that the invasion capacity of IG‐predators at high productivity levels indeed depended on the structure of resident IG‐prey populations. Third, we further confirmed our hypothesis by mimicking successive invasion events of IG‐predators into an established population of IG‐prey at high productivity levels, which consistently failed. Our results show that the interplay between stage structure of populations and reciprocal intraguild predation is decisive at determining the species composition of communities with intraguild predation.

Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) within citrus orchards in Florida: species distribution, relative and seasonal abundance within trees, associated vines and ground cover plants

Seven citrus orchards on reduced- to no-pesticide spray programs were sampled for predacious mites in the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) in central and south central Florida. Inner and outer canopy leaves, open flowers, fruit, twigs, and trunk scrapings were sampled monthly between September 1994 and January 1996. Vines and ground cover plants were sampled monthly between September 1994 and January 1996 in five of these orchards. The two remaining orchards were on full herbicide programs and ground cover plants were absent. Thirty-three species of phytoseiid mites were identified from 35,405 specimens collected within citrus tree canopies within the seven citrus orchards, and 8,779 specimens from vines and ground cover plants within five of the seven orchards. The six most abundant phytoseiid species found within citrus tree canopies were: Euseius mesembrinus (Dean) (20,948), Typhlodromalus peregrinus (Muma) (8,628), Iphiseiodes quadripilis (Banks) (2,632), Typhlodromips dentilis (De Leon) (592), Typhlodromina subtropica Muma and Denmark (519), and Galendromus helveolus (Chant) (315). The six most abundant species found on vines or ground cover plants were: T.peregrinus (6,608), E. mesembrinus (788), T. dentilis (451), I. quadripilis (203), T.subtropica (90), and Proprioseiopsis asetus (Chant) (48). The remaining phytoseiids included: Amblyseius aerialis (Muma), A. herbicolus (Chant), A. largoensis (Chant), A. multidentatus (Chant), A. sp. near multidentatus, A. obtusus (Koch), Chelaseius vicinus (Muma), Euseius hibisci Chant, Galendromus gratus (Chant), Metaseiulus mcgregori (Chant), Neoseiulus mumai (Denmark), N. vagus (Denmark), Phytoscutus sexpilis (Muma), Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks), Proprioseiopsis detritus (Muma), P. dorsatus (Muma), P. macrosetae (Banks), P. rotundus (Muma), P. solens (DeLeon), Typhlodromips deleoni (Muma), T. dillus (De Leon), T. dimidiatus (De Leon), T. mastus Denmark and Muma, T.simplicissimus (De Leon), and T. sp. near tunus, and Typhlodromus transvaalensis (Nesbitt). Eighty-two ground cover plants or vines were sampled within the five orchards and one or more phytoseiids were collected from 71 of these plants. Five ground cover plants with the highest numbers of phytoseiids included: Bidens alba (L.) DC (1,420 mites within 13 species), Solanum americanum L. (1,355 mites within 8 species), Amaranthus spinosus L. (1,137 mites within 11 species), Gnaphalium pensylvanicum Willd. (844 mites within 8 species) and Richardia brasiliensis (Meg.) Gomez (354 mites within 8 species).

Two new species of Typhlodromips (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Brazil

ABSTRACT Two new species of phytoseiid mites, Typhlodromips furcus and Typhlodromips japi, are described from the São Paulo State of Brazil. Both species belong to the Typhlodromips lugubris species group and are illustrated.

Phytoseiid mites of the Madeira Islands (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

ABSTRACT Four species of phytoseiid mites, Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot), Neoseiulella canariensis Ferragut and Pena-Estevez, Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) phialatus Athias-Henriot, and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) rhenanoides Athias-Henriot, are recorded for the first time from the Madeira Islands. A new species, Neoseiulus madeirensis n. sp. is described and illustrated.

The potential of four mite species (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as predators of sucking pests on protected cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) crop

Protected crop experiments were conducted to study the suitability and efficacy of Phytoseiid mite species as predators of western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), carmine spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) and greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum(Westwood) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under greenhouse conditions. In this study, predatory mites Neoseiulus pseudolongispinosus Euseius castaneae Euseius utilis and Euseius finlandicus (Oudemans) (Phytosiidae) were investigated for their potential as biological control agents in treated along with untreated check. The current findings to judge the biocontrol potential of predators showed that laboratory bred adults and nymph instars of all predators efficiently preyed upon sucking arthropods and pests populations were drastically reduced in treated plants than in untreated control where their intensities were numerous. Among all predators, N. pseudolongispinosus was the most proficient and steadfast predator in controlling thrips and whitefly populations, contrary to E. finlandicus that proved better in reducing spider mite density in treated crop. The current findings indicated the potential of Phytoseiid predators for their augmentative releases to give best control of sucking pests in protected cucumber plants. Keywords: Biological control, predaceous mite, greenhouse, cucumber, phytoseiidae.

The succession of phytophagous and phytoseiid species in a newly planted apple orchard without insecticide applications

Population dynamics of phytophagous and phytoseiid mites in a newly planted apple orchard were investigated for the consecutive 5 years just after the stop of insecticide applications, to verify the effect of the phytoseiids on the dominance and density of phytophagous mite species. Phytoseiid mites were typically most abundant in autumn from 2005 to 2008, except in 2009 when there were two marked peaks. Although 10 phytoseiid mite species were collected over the five-year study period, species abundance and composition changed gradually over time. The phytophagous mites were most abundant in the autumn of 2005, but the timing of peak occurrence and density changed as the study progressed. Changes in the abundance and species composition of the phytoseiid mite communities, Tetranychus urticae abundance was not suppressed by the phytoseiid mites. Although Panonychus ulmi was suppressed to insecticide application, P. ulmi may affect T. urticae abundance under a no-insecticide regime. Finally, T. urticae disappeared and P. ulmi and Aculus schlechtendali decreased in abundance. Although not marked, Typhlodromus vulgaris played a key role in affecting the stability of mite communities in apple orchards when no insecticides were applied.

Description of an Unrecorded Phytoseiid Mite, Neoseiulus harrowi (Collyer), from Japanese Spinach Greenhouses

A 2008-2010 survey of mite fauna in spinach greenhouses found 24 females of a phytoseiid mite species of the genus Neoseiulus in soil and spinach sprouts. This species was identified as N. harrowi (Collyer), described originally in New Zealand and Australia and new to Japan. This species is the fourth member of the N. barkeri species group among Japanese phytoseiid fauna, and was given the Japanese name ‘hourensou-kaburidani’. The species was observed associating with a spinach-damaging mite, Tyrophagus similis Volgin, in the greenhouse. The present paper describes the habitat of N. harrowi and presents a simple method of distinguishing it from the three other domestic species of the N. barkeri group (N. barkeri Hughes, N. makuwa (Ehara), N. womersleyi (Schicha)).

Description of a new phytoseiid mite species (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt with a special reference to its biology

Description of a new phytoseiid mite species (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt with a special reference to its biology

Phytoseiid mites on conifers

The abundance and species diversity of phytoseiids were studied in the evergreen collection of the Corvinus University of Budapest at Soroksár from March to August 2010. 329 phytoseiid mite specimens were collected from 15 cultivars of coniferous trees belonging to the following 4 genera: Juniperus, Abies, Picea and Pinus. 6 phytoseiid mite species have been identified: Amblyseius andersoni (Koch, 1957), Amblyseius tenuis Westerboer 1963, Anthoseius bakeri (Garman, 1948), Anthoseius involutus Livshitz et Kuznetzov 1972, Typhlodromus baccetti Lombardinii 1960 and Typhlodromus cotoneastri Wainstein 1963. The dominant phytoseiid species were Amblyseius andersoni and Anthoseius involutus.Amblyseius tenuis and Typhlodromus baccettii are new to the Hungarian fauna. Typhlodromus baccettii was found on Juniperus scopulorum 'Silver Star' and 'Moonglow' while Amblyseius tenuis was collected from Picea glauca 'Alberta Globe'.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN SOME PREDATORY MITE SPECIES OF PHYTOSEIID MITES TO DETERMINE ITS ABILITY TO SURVIVE WITH OR WITHOUT WATER

The three different life styles phytoseiid predatory mite species, Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks), Amblyseius californicus (McGregor) and A. cucumeris (Oudemans) were observedto investigate their ability to survive without food, young females were caged individually in the absence of prey, either with or without water. In general, the female survival time with water was four to six and half times as long as the survival times without water regardless of the species. In the survival experiment without water, P. macropilis and A. cucumeris both lived shorter than A. californicus. In the survival experiment with water, A. californicus lived nearly 2 times longer than P. macropilis or A. cucumeris. Amblyseius californicus females showed a strong capacity to survive without food, which could be an important factor contributing to the persistence of A. californicus in comparison to other phytoseiids.

A new genus and species of phytoseiid mites (Aacari: Mesostigmata) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest

The phytoseiid mite Ragusaseius ferraguti n. gen., n. sp. is described from the primary Atlantic Forest Mata Atlantica in Brazil, based on specimens collected on Cyphomandra calycina Sendth (Solanaceae). This mite is unique in the following combination of characters: setae J3 and J4 present; dorsal setae medium to long, except for J5, and serrated; ventrianal shield anteriorly eroded, containing only JV2 and occasionally ZV2 in addition to circumanal setae.

Influence of leaf trichomes on predatory mite density and distribution in plant assemblages and implications for biological control

Non-glandular trichomes on leaves or stems are strongly positively correlated with the abundance of many predatory phytoseiid mite species. Some perennial fruit crops have few or no trichomes and overcoming this limitation of leaf habitat for natural enemy mites could improve biological control of pest mites in agricultural crops. This study evaluated whether juxtaposing plants with and without trichomes will promote more abundant natural enemies throughout an ensemble of plants. We first asked whether the pattern of increased phytoseiid retention with higher trichome densities on a single leaf “scales up” to larger plantings. For three patch sizes (1, 4 or 16 plants) of two grape varieties inoculated with phytoseiids, no strong effect of patch size on Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten abundance was observed in the trichome-rich Baco plantings or in the trichome-free Dechaunac plantings. No predator populations established in Dechaunac plantings of any size. Second, we asked whether the addition of a plant with leaf trichomes within a row (“array”) of plants lacking leaf trichomes can increase phytoseiid density throughout arrays. In both a greenhouse and a field experiment, predatory mites moved onto and established on a neighboring plant only if that plant had trichomes; phytoseiids rapidly dispersed from trichome-free plants even when the plant was the one inoculated with predators. The overall number of phytoseiids decreased over time in ensembles that included both trichome-rich and trichome-free plants in the greenhouse and the field experiments, clearly indicating that for biological control programs to be successful, all plants must express trichomes.

Scarceness of phytoseiid species co-occurrence (Acari: Phytoseiidae) on leafletsof Juglans regia

In order to obtain information on the phytoseiid mite taxocoenoses, population density and frequency of occurrence on leaflets of Juglans regia, abandoned and uncultivated trees were sampled from July to August 2007. Eight phytoseiid mite species (Euseius finlandicus, Neoseiulella aceri, Neoseiulella tiliarum, Typhlodromus pyri, Typhlodromus cotoneastri, Phytoseius turiacus, Amblyseius andersoni, Paraseiulus triporus) were identified. Total phytoseiid population density averaged 1.4 mites per leaflet. The most abundant was Euseius finlandicus, and Neoseiulella aceri was the second most common species. The predominant presence of only one phytoseiid species per walnut leaflet was noted, but the co-occurrence of two species (mostly E. finlandicus with N. aceri) was also observed. The simultaneous occurrence of three phytoseiid species on a single leaflet was seldom detected and the cohabitation of more than three species per leaflet was not observed.

Maintenance of predatory phytoseiid mites for preventive control of strawberry tarsonemid mite Phytonemus pallidus in strawberry plant propagation

Effective means for the control of the strawberry tarsonemid mite, Phytonemus pallidus, are needed for organic strawberry plant production. To study the effect of predatory mites as a preventive control tool of P. pallidus, four species of predatory mites were released on mite-free strawberry plants in a greenhouse experiment. Phytoseiid mites were fed by scattering cattail pollen on leaves until the artificial infestation of the strawberry tarsonemid mite took place 6 weeks later. Population dynamics of predatory and phytophagous mites and thrips were monitored every second week by sampling leaves, runners and whole plants. The predatory mite species Anthoseius rhenanus, Euseius finlandicus and Neoseiulus cucumeris successfully reproduced and remained on plants when fed with pollen, whereas Neoseiulus barkeri failed to reproduce before the introduction of P. pallidus. After the artificial infestation of P. pallidus and the termination of pollen feeding, A. rhenanus, N. cucumeris and N. barkeri were able to control the build-up of tarsonemid mite populations for a period of 3 months. A. rhenanus and N. cucumeris were found to be the most promising preventive predators against P. pallidus. At the end of the study N. cucumeris and N. barkeri replaced E. finlandicus and A. rhenanus, and were able to form mixed populations when prey mites were richly available. However, the phytoseiid mite species used in this study could not prevent the development of the natural infestation of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, after the initial study was terminated.

Comparison of Genetic Diversity among Three Phytoseiid Mite Species in Japan by Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Analysis

Comparison of Genetic Diversity among Three Phytoseiid Mite Species in Japan by Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Analysis

A New Species of Predaceous Mites of the Genus Amblyseiella (Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae) from Ukraine

A New Species of Predaceous Mites of the Genus Amblyseiella (Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae) from Ukraine A new species of phytoseiid mites Amblyseiella antonii Kolodochka et Omeri, sp. n. (Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae) found on Juniperus sabina L. in Kyiv (Ukraine) is described. This is the first record of a representative of the genus Amblyseiella Muma from Ukraine. Description, drawings, measurements and diagnosis of the species are given.

Distribution of the predacious phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in the different geographical zones of Kenya: species diversity and abundance of mites

The number of phytoseiid mite species varied greatly according to the geographical zones in Keyna. In the upper highlands (2400–4400m) 22 species were recorded, 44 in the lower highlands (1800–2400m), 57 in the midlands (800–1800m) and 25 in the lowlands (0–800m). The predacious mites Euseius kenyae (Swirski & Ragusa) and E. albizzae (Swirski & Ragusa) were common in Zones I, II and III and not reported in Zone IV. In contrast, E. minutisetus Moraes & McMurtry was common in zone IV and not recorded in the other three zones. The maximum number of Neoseiulus species were collected from upper highlands (Zone I), indicating some adaptation to adverse conditions. Similar adaptation were reported for largoensis species group as they were common in the mangrove localities (Zone IV) and rare in others. Some species had no distinct patterns of distribution and were almost sampled form every zone (e.g. Transeius Chant & McMurtry, Typhlodromus Scheuten and Typhlodromips De Leon).

Countrywide distribution of fauna associated with the cassava green mite (Mononychellus tanajoa) in Cameroon

A survey of the distribution and abundance of cassava green mite and associated indigenous natural enemies found in the cassava agroecosystem in Cameroon was conducted during the 1991 dry season (January-February). The survey area included nine of the ten provinces of the country and covered 4.2 km. The list of pests, weeds and local phytoseiids found on cassava and associated crops/weeds in 46 fields is presented. Twenty four species of phytoseiid mites were recorded, with Typhlodromalus saltus mostly found on cassava while Typhlodromips shi was more prevalent on weeds and fruit trees. The densities of M. tanajoa in the regions are also determined. This pest was found everywhere, with the highest densities in the Highland savannah (230 actives/leaf) and transitional zone (143 actives/leaf). These densities remained high despite the presence of local phytoseiids. The lowest densities were recorded in the forest zone (5 actives/leaf). No mites (either phytophagous or predaceous) were found in the Northern region. There is need to introduce exotic phytoseiids to control the M. tanajoa populations in Cameroon. A classical biological control program, combined with other compatible control methods such as cultural practices and host plant resistance, is recommended to combat this exotic pest in Cameroon.

Pode Euseius alatus DeLeon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) predar Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) em coqueiro?

Mites of the genus Euseius are generally considered specialist as pollen feeders. Euseius alatus DeLeon is one of the six species of phytoseiid mites most commonly found on coconut plants in northeast Brazil associated with Aceria guerreronis Keifer. Although the morphology of E. alatus does not favor the exploitation of the meristematic area of the fruit inhabited by A. guerreronis, the predator may have some role in the control of this eriophyid during the dispersion process. The objective of this work was to evaluate the development and reproduction of E. alatus on the following diets: A. guerreronis, Ricinus communis pollen (Euphorbiaceae), and Tetranychus urticae Koch (Tetranychidae) + R. communis pollen + honey solution 10%. Euseius alatus developed slightly faster and had slightly higher oviposition rate when feeding on the diet composed of T. urticae + pollen + honey. However, life table parameters were very similar on all diets, suggesting that E. alatus may contribute in reducing the population of A. guerreronis in the field.