The genera Daidalotarsonemus De Leon and Excelsotarsonemus Ochoa & Naskrecki are mainly characterized, in the females, by the presence of sculpturing on the dorsal shields and by highly modified ...dorsal setae, greatly enlarged, laminar or sail-shaped. Moreover, both genera are characterized by abundant cerotegument all over the body and on the modified setae (d, e, f) with the presence of fungi, lichens, and bacteria accumulating. The peculiar morphology of the dorsal setae in these two genera has suggested they might have other functions beside the sensory one. Ultrastructural observations using scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques revealed that, albeit extravagantly modified, these dorsal setae should act as mechanoreceptors in agreement with most of the previous observations in mites. The morphological modifications of the setae d, e, and f (pronounced cup shape of setae e and enlarged shaft with concave longitudinal strips of setae d and f) suggest they play, in addition to the tactile function, a storage role and dispersive role for fungal spores collected by the mite while moving in the humid environment. Moreover, the modified setae d, e, and f inserted on elevated sockets are probably movable by the action of dorso-ventral muscles; thus, mites might use their sail-shape to become airborne. In addition, the body dorso-ventral muscles observed inserting close to the elevated seta e sockets suggest the mite might also lift these cup-like setae to spread the fungal particles on the body or over adjacent vegetation as well. Biological and feeding studies are necessary to better understand the role such fungi might play in the mite life cycle.
•Posterior dorsal setae are highly modified in Daidalotarsonemus and Excelsotarsonemus females.•These setae don't have a hair shaft, are greatly enlarged or laminar.•According to their ultrastructure they are typical mechanoreceptive sensilla.•Their modified shaft seems to serve to store and carry fungal spores.•Mites seem able to rise the setae thanks to the contraction of dorso-ventral muscles attaching close to the seta sockets.
A new species of tarsonemid mite, Steneotarsonemus indianensis sp. nov., is described from common reed grass Phragmites australis (Poaceae). This new species is the first species described under the ...genus Steneotarsonemus from Eastern India and the sixth species of the subgenus Steneotarsonemoides worldwide. Keys to the world species of Steneotarsonemoides are provided.
http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3EDB65B8-40EE-4C70-9E7D-BA45D25289B5
Species of the genus Ultratenuipalpus bear a broad subquadrate propodosoma with many large, flattened, lanceolate to ovate dorsal setae. They also bear some plesiomorphic character states, such as ...the presence of three pairs of ventral ps setae. Here, we describe Ultratenuipalpus parameekeri Castro, Ochoa & Feres sp. nov. based on adult females, males, and immatures, collected on ferns from Brazil. We also re-describe Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon), the type species of the genus, based on types and newly collected material from Mexico, and include additional novel data (e.g., dorsal and ventral ornamentation, leg chaetotaxy, and setal measurements) in a standardized form. We include highly detailed images obtained using LT-SEM, accompanied by DNA barcodes, for both species. The ontogenetic additions of leg chaetotaxy are presented and discussed.
Abstract The aim of the present study was to conduct a survey of mites of the family Phytoseiidae associated with plants of the natural vegetation and cultivated forests in sites of three biomes ...(Amazon Forest, Cerrado and Pantanal) in the Mato Grosso State. Twenty-one species of 11 genera, of the three phytoseiid subfamilies were registered. Amblyseius Berlese was the most diverse genus, with five species. Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma was the most common species, collected from 12 plant species in five collection sites. Eleven phytoseiid species were reported for the first time in the Mato Grosso State.
Phytonemus pallidus was found in organic strawberry crops in 2 municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais. The sparse information about this pest in the country indicated that P. pallidus had been ...observed previously only on grapes in southern Brazil. The presence of this pest in the country is relatively new, although in the USA and in some European countries it is already well known due to the economic losses it causes. The report of the occurrence of this herbivore, as well as the affected crops, is essential for the official institutions to take appropriate measures to prevent dispersion to other states. Future studies should be directed to the search for effective alternatives for the management of this pest, because currently there are no insecticides registered for control in Brazil. An alternative that could be considered is biological control.
Two new species of tarsonemid mites, Daidalotarsonemus annonae sp. nov. and Fungitarsonemus setillus sp. nov. found on Annonaceae leaves collected in northeastern Brazil are described and ...illustrated. Females of D. annonae are similar to those of D. serissae, but differ by having setae c2 setiform, and seta 1a distant from apodeme 1. F. setillus is similar to F. pereregrinus, but females can be distinguished by having the prodorsal shield fused to tergite C, dorsal setae h and d short, and setae c1 longer than c2.
The meristematic region of
Cocos nucifera
fruits can be colonized by various species of mites, including
Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum
,
Steneotarsonemus furcatus
, and
Aceria guerreronis
. The ...consequence of this colonization is the development of necrotic lesions on the fruit, and sometimes its abortion. Losses are commonly attributed to
A. guerreronis
alone, owing to the similarities in the injuries caused and its predominance in coconut plantations. However,
S. concavuscutum
may be the predominant pest species in some crops. Despite the possible impact of
S. concavuscutum
, little is known about its bioecological aspects, such as the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on its population dynamics. Our objective was to document macroclimatic abiotic factors (temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation) and biotic factors (interspecific competition and predation) interfere in the population dynamics of
S. concavuscutum
. We evaluated the diversity and abundance of mites in the perianth of coconut fruit naturally infested by
S. concavuscutum
for 1 year. The species found in the fruits of bunch 6 of the plant, which is the fruit age at which the mites commonly reach the highest abundance, were counted every 2 weeks. We found mites from nine families and
S. concavuscutum
was the predominant species, representing about 92% of the individuals collected. Predators represented approximately 2% of the total collection, with
Neoseiulus baraki
as the predominant species.
Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum
population density ranged from 60 to 397 mites/fruit. The highest population densities of
S. concavuscutum
were observed in the hottest and driest periods of the year. The population densities of
S. concavuscutum
were negatively associated with the presence of
N. baraki
, suggesting that this predator may have a role in the biological control of this pest.
We describe a new species of the genus Rhynchohydracarus, R. armiger n. sp., from central Brazil, including complete information for female and male, accompanied by DNA barcode sequences. It is the ...first record of water mites for the running waters of the Cerrado biome. We present a proposal for the homologies of dorsalia, ventralia, and glandularia in Rhynchohydracaridae and also provide an identification key for the known species of the genus.
This study aimed to determine the biological parameters of Neoseiulus tunus (De Leon, 1967) feeding on Aculops lycopersici (Massee, 1937). We conducted experiments to assess the predation rate of the ...former and its biological cycle when consuming A. lycopersici exclusively. Moreover, we assessed the preference of N. tunus for A. lycopersici concerning the pollen of Typha domingensis Pers. (Typhaceae) and Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1835, using free-choice tests. The obtained data indicates A. lycopersici is an appropriate prey to N. tunus, as it allows it to complete its development, reproduce and increase its population. We also noticed that this phytoseiid prefers A. lycopersici to the two other food sources. Though more robust studies will be needed, these preliminary results allow some inferences, such as N. tunus being a potential natural enemy of A. lycopersici.
Three new species of Xenotarsonemus Beer (Acari, Tarsonemidae), X. demitei n. sp., X. kaingang n. sp. and X. luziae n. sp., are described based on specimens collected from plants in native vegetation ...in the northwestern region of the São Paulo State, Brazil.
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