Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) of the subfamily Amblyseiinae from Brazil.

Phytoseiidae is composed of essentially predatory mites most commonly found on the aerial plant parts. Presently, it is considered to contain about 2,650 valid species, divided into nearly 102 genera of three subfamilies: Amblyseiinae, Phytoseiinae and Typhlodrominae. Approximately 250 of those have been reported from Brazil.

Compatibility of synthetic and biological pesticides with a biocontrol agent Phytoseiulus longipes (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Phytoseiulus longipes is a predatory mite of Tetranychus evansi, which is an invasive pest in Africa and elsewhere. The introduction of this predator in Africa has considerable potential, but little is known about the compatibility of P. longipes with commonly used pesticides.

Catalogue of the free-living and arthropod-associated Laelapidae Canestrini (Acari: Mesostigmata), with revised generic concepts and a key to genera.

The cosmopolitan mite family Laelapidae includes both free-living predatory species and species associated with arthropods, mammals or birds. This work presents a list of free-living and arthropod-associated species of laelapids, with corresponding taxonomic information and references. It includes 1088 species (in addition to three subspecies) assigned to 73 genera, 61 new combinations and two new synonymies at the generic level.

Semi-field evaluation of the predation of Macrocheles embersoni and Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Macrochelidae) on the house fly and the stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae).

Background: The house fly, Musca domestica L., and the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are important and harmful organisms.

Performance of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) on three hop cultivars (Humulus lupulus).

Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a major pest species in numerous crops including hop (Humulus lupulus L.). Substantial T.

Mites of the genus Gaeolaelaps (Acari: Laelapidae) from southern Brazil, with description of two new species.

Gaeolaelaps Evans Till is a laelapid genus composed of free living mites, some of which have been produced commercially for use as biological control agents of pest organisms. They are edaphic and poorly known in Brazil, from where a single species has so far been reported (Gaeolaelaps aculeifer (Canestrini)). The objective of this paper is to report the occurrence of three other species from this country, two of which are new to science (G.

Reinstatement of Metatarsonemus Attiah (Acari: Tarsonemidae), with description of a new species, redefinition of the genus and a key to the world species.

A new species, Metatarsonemus caissara Lofego Cavalcante sp. nov., is described based on females and males collected on Eugenia umbelliflora O.

Emendations and updates to "Annotated catalogue of Stigmaeidae (Acari: Prostigmata), with a pictorial key to genera".

An update on "Annotated catalogue of Stigmaeidae (Acari: Prostigmata), with a pictorial key to genera" published in October 2016 is presented. The type species of the genus Ledermuelleriopsis Willmann, 1951 is changed from Ledermuelleriopsis triscutata to Ledermuelleriopsis plumosa Willmann, 1951. Newly published species and new information on old species are provided.

Mulching with coffee husk and pulp in strawberry affects edaphic predatory mite and spider mite densities.

Mulching of soil beds of strawberry fields is usually done with polyethylene film in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This material is relatively expensive and difficult to discard after use. In some countries, mulching is done with the use of organic material that could have an advantage over the use of plastic for its easier degradation after use, and for favoring edaphic beneficial organisms.

Rearing system for the predatory phytoseiid Euseius concordis (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Several species of predatory mites, especially those of the family Phytoseiidae, are potentially useful for the control of pest mites and insects. Among the phytoseiids, Euseius concordis (Chant), a species commonly found in South America, has been studied for possible use as biological control agent of pest mites. Given that Euseius species are known to feed on plant leaves and on pollen, the objective of this study was to determine plant species and pollen sources suitable to establish a pilot method of production of that species, based on a set of comparisons in the laboratory.

Influence of fruit age of the Brazilian Green Dwarf coconut on the relationship between Aceria guerreronis population density and percentage of fruit damage.

The coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), is one of the main coconut pests in the American, African and parts of the Asian continents, reaching densities of several thousand mites per fruit. Diagrammatic scales have been developed to standardize the estimation of the population densities of A. guerreronis according to the estimated percentage of damage, but these have not taken into account the possible effect of fruit age, although previous studies have already reported the variation in mite numbers with fruit age.

Annotated catalogue of Stigmaeidae (Acari: Prostigmata), with a pictorial key to genera.

Stigmaeidae is one of the most studied mite families in Acarology, with the number of described species increasing by 44 percent in the last twenty years. To summarize the taxonomic and biological research in this family we compiled a catalogue with annotated information to nomenclature, synonymies, type localities, type depositories, host/habitat, feeding habits (if applicable) and distribution of 577 species in 34 genera (up to 31 July 2016). We also provide an overview of the main revisions and reviews.

Factitious food for mass production of predaceous phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) commonly found in Brazil.

Phytoseiid mites are commonly used as biological control agents of mite and small insect pests. To facilitate the production of phytoseiids, alternative food sources have been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of different food sources for the rearing of the phytoseiids Amblyseius tamatavensis Blommers, Euseius concordis (Chant) and Neoseiulus anonymus (Chant and Baker).

A new species of Thyreophagus (Acari: Acaridae) from Brazil, with notes on species associated with stored food and human habitats and a key to species of this genus.

A new species Thyreophagus cracentiseta n. sp. is described morphologically based on adult females, adult homeomorphic and heteromorphic males collected from chicken feed in Brazil.

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

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.

Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Araucaria Forest of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with new records and descriptions of four new species.

This paper reports on the Phytoseiidae from an Araucaria forest in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, describing four new species, namely Transeius kroeffis n. sp., Typhlodromalus araucariae n.

Potential of Five Brazilian Populations of Phytoseiidae (Acari) for the Biological Control of Bemisia tabaci (Insecta: Hemiptera).

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.

Potential of two populations of Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for the control of Bemisia tabaci biotype B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in Brazil.

Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae are commercialized in European and North American countries for the control of whiteflies (Insecta: Aleyrodidae). Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is one of the predators used for that purpose. This predator is not found in Brazil and in many other countries, but its introduction could promote biological control of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B (silverleaf whitefly) in those countries.

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

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.

Life cycle of Cosmolaelaps jaboticabalensis (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) on Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and two factitious food sources.

The aim of this work was to study the life cycle of Cosmolaelaps jaboticabalensis Moreira, Klompen and Moraes preying on Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a serious cosmopolitan pest of different crops, as well as on Protorhabditis sp. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Astigmatina: Acaridae), prospective factitious foods for the mass rearing of the predator. Experiments were conducted in a chamber at 25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10 % RH and in the dark.

Redefinition of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) and description of five new species from Brazil.

Cosmolaelaps Berlese, 1903 was originally described as a subgenus of Laelaps Koch. More recently, this group has been treated at the generic level or as a subgenus of Hypoaspis Canestrini, 1885. One of the objectives of the present paper is to provide a detailed characterisation of Cosmolaelaps, here considered at the generic level, a group that was poorly characterised in its original description as well as in subsequent publications.

A method to estimate the population level of Aceria litchii (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) and a study of the population dynamics of this species and its predators on litchi trees in southern Brazil.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonnerat) is native to Southeast Asia, where most of the world cultivation of this crop is done. Its commercial cultivation in Brazil is recent and concentrated in the state of São Paulo. This crop has been severely damaged in Asia and Brazil by the litchi erineum mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer) (Eriophyidae).

Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from natural ecosystems in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

This work describes the results of a study of the phytoseiid mites collected from plants in two natural ecosystems in the State of São Paulo, Brazil-Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. In this study, 40 phytoseiid species are reported. Measurements of different structures are given for species for which measurements for the respective São Paulo populations were not previously provided.

A review of the status of the coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), a major tropical mite pest.

The coconut mite (CM), Aceria guerreronis Keifer, has spread to most coconut production areas worldwide and it has been considered one of the most notorious and important pests of coconut fruits in many countries. Although CM has been reported to damage coconuts for over 40 years in the Americas and Africa it continues to cause considerable losses in countries of these continents, and in the last 15 years it has also reached countries from southeast Asia-India and Sri Lanka. Several other countries of southeast Asia are also major coconut producers and the impact by the mite in currently affected areas suggests that the dispersion of CM to these major producers could lead to very heavy losses.

Review of the invasion of Tetranychus evansi: biology, colonization pathways, potential expansion and prospects for biological control.

In the last two decades the subtropical red tomato spider mite, Tetranychus evansi, has expanded its geographical distribution and emerged as a major invasive agricultural pest. The mite is considered to be native to South America. Since its first report from north-eastern Brazil in 1952, it has been reported from different continents.