Phytoseiid mites from tropical fruit trees in Bahia State, Brazil (Acari, Phytoseiidae)

Abstract

The cultivation of tropical fruit trees has grown considerably in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Some of these have been severely attacked by phytophagous mites, which are usually controlled by the use of chemical pesticides. However, there is today a growing interest for the adoption of less aggressive measures of pest control, as for example the use of predatory mites. Most of the plant-inhabiting predatory mites belong to the family Phytoseiidae. The objective of this paper is to report the phytoseiid species found in an intensive survey conducted on cultivated tropical fruit trees in fifteen localities of the southern coast of Bahia. Measurements of relevant morphological characters are provided for each species, to complement the understanding of the morphological variation of these species. Twenty-nine species of sixteen genera were identified. A key was elaborated to assist in the separation of these species. Fifteen species are reported for the first time in the state, raising to sixty-six the number of species of this family now known from Bahia. Seventy-two percent of the species collected belong to Amblyseiinae, followed by Typhlodrominae (21%) and Phytoseiinae (7%). The most diverse genus was Amblyseius. Amblyseius operculatus De Leon was the most frequent and abundant species. Studies should be conducted to evaluate the possible role of the most common predators as control agents of the phytophagous mites co-occurring with them.

A description of the male of Cocoseius elsalvador Denmark and Andrews (Acari: Phytoseiidae: Typhlodrominae)

“…Movable cheliceral digit with one tooth, instead of none in the female (Denmark and Andrews 1981;Chant and McMurtry 1994). Although chaetotaxy of genua II and III differ from what was described for the holotype female (Denmark and Andrews 1981), by the absence of a ventral seta on genu II and the presence of a ventral seta on genu III, the chaetotaxy of the male (genu II 2-2/0, 2/0-1, genu III 1-2/1, 2/0-1) is the same of five females we checked from the mite collection of UESC (vouchers from Souza et al 2015) and of C. palmarum (Gondim Jr. et al 2000).…”

“…Subfamily Typhlodrominae Wainstein Remarks -Male dorsal shield reticulation, pores and setae similar to female, except that r3 and R1 are inserted on the shield, and that setae are generally shorter in the male (Denmark and Andrews 1981;Chant and McMurtry 1994;Gondim Jr. and Moraes 2001;Souza et al 2015). Peritreme extends to the level of z3, as reported for females by McMurtry (1994) andMoraes (2001), reported by Denmark and Andrews (1981) as extending beyond s4 in female holotype.…”

“…& J. H. Schultes (Arecaceae) in Florida, USA (Denmark and Andrews 1981). Besides those countries, it has also been reported from Brazil, in the states of Amazonas, Bahia, Pará, Pernambuco and Roraima, commonly associated with the mite pests Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Eriophyidae) or Raoiella indica Hirst (Tenuipalpidae) on C. nucifera (Argolo et al 2017;Cruz et al 2015;Gondim Jr. and Moraes 2001;Gondim Jr. et al 2012;Lawson-Balagbo et al 2008;Souza et al 2015;Vasconcelos et al 2006). Although supplementary descriptions of C. elsalvador females have been published McMurtry 1994, 2007;Denmark et al 1999, Denmark andEvans 2011;Gondim Jr. and Moraes 2001;Souza et al 2015), males remain undescribed.…”

Mites associated with açaí palm trees (Euterpe oleracea: Arecaceae) in native and cultivated areas of the state of Pará (Eastern Amazon, Brazil)

“…2, Amblyseius sp.3 and I. zuluagai were the most abundant species. The latter species has also been reported in Bahia in Cocos nucifera L., E. oleracea and E. guineensis (Arecaceae) (Souza et al, 2015).…”