Geometric Morphometric Analysis and Molecular Identification of Coconut Mite, Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) Collected from Thailand.

One of the most impactful pests in several coconut production regions across the world is the coconut mite, Keifer. Scholars can obtain some necessary biogeographic information about coconut mites from studies that explore the geographic patterns of morphological variations and molecular properties among coconut mite populations from various locales. To investigate the geographical origin, ancestral host associations, and colonization history of the mite in Thailand, we obtained DNA sequence data from two mitochondrial (16s and COI) and one nuclear region (ITS) from coconut mite samples originating from 25 populations; additionally, we analyzed the morphological variations in the prodorsal shield and the coxigenital and ventral regions of the mite idiosoma.