Biotype B of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), causes considerable losses to growers worldwide. Phytoseiid mites have been successfully used for the control of this pest in several countries. The Brazilian phytoseiid fauna is very diverse and potentially useful for this purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate five Brazilian populations of phytoseiids as candidates for the control of the whitefly, a serious pest of different crops worldwide. Evaluated species were Amblydromalus limonicus (Garman & McGregor), Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant), Amblyseius largoensis (Muma), Amblyseius tamatavensis (Blommers), and Neoseiulus tunus (De Leon), which are found naturally in Brazil and elsewhere. The work was conducted at 28±1°C, 75±10% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 12:12 (L:D) h. All evaluated phytoseiids preyed on eggs of B. tabaci, with the highest levels of predation recorded for Am. herbicolus and N. tunus, and highest level of oviposition recorded for Am. tamatavensis. The results show the Brazilian populations of those three species to be promising as control agents of B. tabaci. Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Troupeau) (Acari: Acaridae) was found to be a suitable prey for the mass production of those predators. Complementary studies are considered justified, given the positive results of this study.

The present study aims to analyze oviposition rates in order to better understand the food habits of Amblyseius aerialis and A. chiapensis and to determine possible patterns of food consumption between the species of Amblyseius studied.

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A survey of plants in 24 areas of the Cerrado biome in the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais (Brazil) revealed a total of 34 species of phytoseiid mites belonging to 16 genera and three subfamilies of the Phytoseiidae. A new species, Neoseiulus goiano n. sp., is described and illustrated. Morphological information is provided for the species collected in this study.

Neoseiulus tunus (De Leon) is one of the most frequent species of this genus in the Neotropical Region, reported on several plants and localities. In this study, the morphological characterization of various Brazilian populations of this species is presented. Females and males are illustrated. Neoseiulus neotunus (Denmark and Muma) is here considered a junior synonymn of N. tunus. Thelytokous parthenogenesis is reported for the first time for this species, based on two populations.