Karyotypes and sex determination of ten species of phytoseiid mites (acarina: Mesostigmata)

The chromosomal picture was studied on early cleayage divisiona of 10 phytoseiid mites, using the aceto-orcein smear technique. Eggs of 9 species have either a haploid (4) or a diploid (8) number of chromosomes:Amblyseius rubini Swirski & Amitai,A. swirskii Athias,A. hibisci Chant,A. ohilenensis (Dosse),A. largoensis (Muma),Typhlodromus athiasae Porath and SwirskiT. rhenanus (Oud.) sensu latiore,Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias, andI phiseius degeneraus (Berlese).Typhlodromus oceidentalis Nesbitt has 3 and 6 chromosomes. In sections and smears of post embryonic stages belonging to mites representative of the four genera, a haploid number was found in males, whereas in females somatic cells contained 2n and ovaries n as well as 2n. Thus it is shown that sex is determined by the haplo-diploid (arrhenotokous) mechanism. Males differ from females in the structure of the interphase nuclei belonging to the central nervous system. Contribution from The Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research (NUIA.) Bet Dagan, Israel, 1968 Series, No. 1331-E.     

Karyotypes of eight species of phytoseiid mites of the genus Amblyseius Berlese (Acarina: Mesostigmata)

Chromosome studies, using the aceto-orcein smear technique, were made on embryonic tissue of eight Amblyseius Berlese species of the family Phytoseiidae. A haploid number of 4 chromosomes and a diploid of 8 were found.     

Three new species of phytoseiid mites from Kenya (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae)

The following 13 species of predacious mites of the family Phytoseiidae are recorded from various plants in Kenya: Amblyseius albizziae sp. nov., A. kenyae sp. nov., A. natalensis Van der Merwe, A. lokele Pritchard & Baker, A. largoensis (Muma), A. rykei Pritchard & Baker, A. teke Pritchard & Baker, Typholdromus kikuyuensis sp. nov., T. magdalenae Pritchard & Baker, Phytoseius amba Pritchard & Baker, p. ferox Pritchard & Baker, Iphiseius degenerans (Berlese), I. gongylus Pritchard & Baker. The new species and the male of A. natalensis are described.     

Some observations on the ecology of phytoseiid mites (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) in California

Summary An attempt is made to show why phytoseiid mites on citrus and avocado in southern California seem to be more effective predators of phytophagous mites than those on apple in southeastern England. It is suggested that this difference is caused both by factors inherent in the predator, such as its distribution, and by factors in its environment, such as the distribution of the prey and winter temperatures.

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Sommaire Une tentative faite afin de déterminer les causes pour lesquelles les acariens phytoseiides semblent être des prédateurs plus efficaces des acariens phytophages sur les Citrus et les Avocats du sud de la Californie, qu'ils le sont sur les pommiers dans le sud de l'Angleterre, suggère que cette différence est attribuable à la fois à des facteurs inhérents aux prédateurs, telle leur distribution, et à des facteurs du milieu, telles la distribution des proies et les températures hivernales.

     

Behavioral and population consequences of acarodomatia in grapes on phytoseiid mites (Mesostigmata) and implications for plant breeding

We examined the influence of acarodomatia in the riverbank grape Vitis riparia Michaux (Vitaceae) on the distribution and abundance of predatory mites (Phytoseiidae) and their interactions with herbivorous mites. Acarodomatia are tufts of nonglandular trichomes or pits located in major leaf vein axes of many species of woody perennial plants and are often occupied by predatory and mycophagous mites. In common garden plantings of different accessions of V. riparia we found a significant positive relationship between size of domatia and the abundance of naturally occurring predatory mites. Behavior of adult predatory mites may explain this positive association, in part. In separate laboratory experiments, gravid females of Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten and Amblyseius andersoni Chant spent more time and deposited more eggs on half of a V. riparia leaf with accessible domatia versus the other half in which access to domatia was blocked with pruning tar. Domatia also had population consequences. In an outdoor experiment using potted grapevines, population size of T. pyri and A. andersoni mites was greater on V. riparia with open domatia compared to V. riparia in which domatia were blocked with pruning tar. Population size of predatory mites was also greater on V. riparia with domatia than on Vitis vinifera L., whether their axils were blocked or not. Since V. vinifera have very small domatia, these results indicate that the presence of domatia is important, not just access to vein axils. Elevated predatory mite populations in response to domatia, however, did not translate into differences in the abundance of European red mite Panonychus ulmi (Koch), an important pest of grapes.Overall, these results indicate that domatia in uncultivated V. riparia promote higher densities of some species of generalist phytoseiid mites. However, domatia are small in most cultivated grapes. We crossed females and males of V. riparia that varied in domatia size and reared their offspring and found that average domatia size in the parents was highly correlated (r² = 0.77, slope = 0.55) with average domatia size in offspring (high narrow-sense heritability). Given that V. riparia possesses many other desirable agronomic traits, this result suggests it should be practical to breed for well-developed domatia in cultivated accessions.     

Population growth and predation interference between two species of predatory phytoseiid mites (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) in interactive systems

Summary Populations of two species of phytoseiid mite predators, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius degenerans (Berlese), feeding on a tetranychid prey, Tetranychus pacificus McGregor, were allowed to grow separately as well as together on bush lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus Var.) arenas in the laboratory. The population plateau attained by P. persimilis was nearly 5 times higher than that for A. degenerans when each species was on separate leaf arenas. When they were on the same arena, P. persimilis was outcompeted by A. degenerans after about 70 days of population growth. When dispersal to other arenas was necessary for the predators to find prey in another experiment, P. persimilis survived well but not A. degenerans. The mechanisms underlying species displacement were explored further. The differential mortality of immature predators at different developmental stages due to interspecific predation was concluded to be responsible for the population decline of P. persimilis, and the decline of A. degenerans in another experiment was attributed to its sedentary tendency regardless of prey distribution and to the lack of alternative food sources in the system. The implications to biological control of mutual predation between predator species is discussed briefly.     

Biosystematics of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) associated with cassava

Laboratory crossing experiments indicate that populations of A. limonicus sensu lato collected from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Brazil (Cruz das Almas) and Colombia (Palmira and Monteria) are conspecific and different from A. limonicus Garman & McGregor sensu stricto collected in Riverside, California, USA and Jaguariuna, Brazil. A. limonicus s.l. did not cross with A. tenuiscutus, A. rapax or A. limonicus s.s.. A. limonicus s.s. did not cross with A. rapax. Populations of A. aerialis, A. anonymus and A. idaeus from Colombia are conspecific with Brazilian populations of these species.     

Karyotypes and sex determination in two species of laelapid mites (Acari: Gamasida)

The chromosome number and morphology of two species of the family Laelapidae have been determined: Hypoaspis aculeifer Canestrini, 1887 has 9() and 18() chromosomes and Cosmolaelaps miles Berlese, 1914 7() and 14(). Both karyotypes have monokinetic chromosomes and show obvious similarity. The longest chromosome of both species consists of a normal and a heterochromatic arm. The two laelapid mites prove to be arrhenotokous, as unfertilized females lay eggs from which only males arise. A theory has been postulated that within the Gamasida an evolutionary line towards arrhenotoky is present.Arguments supporting an independent evolution of sex determining system in the two acarine taxa Actinotrichida and Anactinotrichida are discussed.     

Bewsiella Domrow (Acarina: Mesostigmata): a revision and the description of new species

The genus Bewsiella is considered to comprise a considerable number of species, despite having been regarded as monotypic. The structure of the male spermadactyl is proposed as a key character for separating congeneric species. This character seems likely to bear phylogenetic information on both the mites themselves and their hosts. Since the male of Bewsiella fledermaus Domrow, the type-species, has not been found, it is impossible to define the morphology of this species based on both sexes. Consequently, all mites that share many characters with the female of B. fledermaus are placed in a B. fledermaus species group. B. aelleni (Till) is considered as a valid species and both sexes and the protonymph are redescribed and illustrated. B. nycteris n. sp., B. emballonuris n. sp., B. cloeotis n. sp., B. haradai n. sp. and B. coelopos n. sp. are described and illustrated. The genus Bewsiella was originally allocated to the family Laelapidae and later transferred to the family Macronyssidae. Recently, the genus was returned to the Laelapidae, and some evidence supporting this action was obtained during the present study, but further studies are required for confirmation.     

Biological control of spider mites on grape by phytoseiid mites (Acari: Tetranychidae,Phytoseiidae): emphasis on regional aspects

Leaf samples were taken from 34 (1998) and 10 (1999) vineyards in five valleys in western Oregon to assess spider mite pests and biological control by predaceous phytoseiid mites. A leaf at a coordinate of every 10 m of border, 5 m into a vineyard, was taken to minimize edge effects; 20 leaves were taken at regular intervals from vineyard centers. Variables recorded at each site included grape variety and plant age, chemicals used, and vegetation next to vineyards. Sites were rated as occurring in agricultural versus riparian settings based on surrounding vegetation types. Multiple linear regressions and a computer genetic algorithm with an information content criterion were used to assess variables that may explain mite abundances. Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten was the dominant phytoseiid mite species and Tetranychus urticae Koch the dominant tetranychid mite species. High levels of T. urticae occurred when phytoseiid levels were low, and low levels of T. urticae were present when phytoseiid levels were high to moderate. T. urticae densities were higher in vineyards surrounded by agriculture, but phytoseiid levels did not differ between agricultural and riparian sites. Phytoseiids had higher densities on vineyard edges; T. urticae densities were higher in centers. Biological control success of pest mites was rated excellent in 11 of 44 vineyards, good in 27, and poor in only six sites. Predaceous mites appeared to be the principal agents regulating spider mites at low levels in sites where pesticides nontoxic to predators were used. Effects of surrounding vegetation, grape variety, growing region, and other factors on mites are discussed.