Diversity and population dynamics of Ascidae, Blattisociidae and Melicharidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) in tropical flowers in Brazil

Abstract

Cultivation of tropical flowers has expanded considerably in Brazil, justifying efforts to determine the arthropods associated with it. Heliconia species are some of the most important tropical flowers in Brazil. Mites of the families Ascidae, Blattisociidae and Melicharidae are commonly found on those plants. They disperse from flower to flower on hummingbirds. The objective of this study was to identify the diversity of mites of this group in tropical flowers, with emphasis on Heliconia species, in Brazil and to determine the fluctuation of the population of these mites in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo state. Specimens from Amazonas, Bahia, Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and São Paulo States were examined. Mites of the genera Asca and Iphidozercon (Ascidae), Cheiroseius and Lasioseius (Blattisociidae), and Proctolaelaps and Tropicoseius (Melicharidae) were collected in flowers of four plant families, with Lasioseius being the most diverse genus. Overall, most specimens found belonged to Tropicoseius, especially Tropicoseius venezuelensis Baker & Yunker; this was the dominant species on five of 13 Heliconia species/hybrids considered in this study. Samples of panicles of Heliconia rostrata Ruiz & Pavón were collected every 2 weeks, in Piracicaba. Six species of those mite families were found, among which Tropicoseius heliconiae Baker & Yunker and T. venezuelensis were the most numerous. The highest population levels of mites of those three families occurred at the beginning and at the end of the year, coinciding with the highest levels of rainfall, relative humidity and temperature, when plant flowers were most numerous and vigorous. Along each panicle, the highest mite densities were found in inflorescences of the three distal eighths of the panicles, where nectar and pollen were probably most abundant.

Description of a new species of Lasioseius Berlese (Acari: Mesostigmata: Blattisociidae) from Brazil and redescription of Lasioseius meridionalis Chant

“…nov., L. foliatisetus, L. gabrielae, L. jorgeamadoi, L. latinoamericanus, L. piracicabensis, and L. scutalis. The following 11 species were described from elsewhere and reported from Brazil in different studies, as shown in parentheses: L. barbensiensis (Britto et al 2015;Castro et al 2021), L. corticeus (Karg 1980), L. floridensis (Britto et al 2011(Britto et al , 2015Sourassou et al 2015), L. helvetius (Karg 1980;Mineiro et al 2009); L. humberti (Britto et al 2015); L. matthyssei (Britto et al 2015), L. meridionalis (present publication), L. nomus (Britto et al 2015), L. philippinus (Britto et al 2015), L. quinisetosus (Mineiro et al 2009) and L. subterraneus (Lawson-Balagbo et al 2007). Argolo et al (2018) presented a key for the separation of the Lasioseius species reported from Brazil.…”

“…The following 11 species were described from elsewhere and reported from Brazil in different studies, as shown in parentheses: L . barbensiensis (Britto et al . 2015; Castro et al .…”

“…2021), L. corticeus (Karg 1980), L. floridensis (Britto et al . 2011, 2015; Sourassou et al . 2015), L. helvetius (Karg 1980; Mineiro et al .…”

“…2015), L. helvetius (Karg 1980; Mineiro et al . 2009); L. humberti (Britto et al . 2015); L. matthyssei (Britto et al .…”

Global vision of heliconias research as cut flower: a review

“…Studies in the topic of pests and diseases were related to the incidence and severity in cultivation of heliconia caused by pathogens such as F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense, Pseudocercospora fijiensis; nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne, Helicotylenchus erythrinae, H. crenacauda, H. dihystera, Meloidogyne incognita, Pratylenchus zeae and Rotylenchulus reniformis, defoliators such as Cornops frenatum frenatum and mites, particularly specimens of Tropicoseius venezuelensis Baker & Yunker (Castro et al, 2008;Lemos et al, 2010;Sardinha et al, 2012;Sobrinho et al, 2012;Britto et al, 2015;Vázquez-Euán et al, 2019). Despite the affectations some authors recommend that the use of synthetic insecticides should be done only in extreme cases (Lemos et al, 2010).…”