Diversity of mite fauna associated with various agro-horticultural crops in Jharkhand

Abstract

The present study was conducted to explore and identify the predatory mites as well as phytophagous mites associated with different crops, weeds and forest plants in Jharkhand in March, 2017. A total of six species of predatory mites belonging to the order Mesostigmata viz., Euseius alstoniae (Gupta, 1975), Euseius sp1, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) sp1, Typhlodromips syzygii (Gupta, 1975), Amblyseius largoensis (Muma, 1955) and Scapulaseius asiaticus (Evans, 1953) were recorded which belong to the family Phytoseiidae. Among them, E. alstoniae (Gupta) was found as the predominant species. The other important predatory mites belong to the families Stigmaeidae, Tydeidae, Bdellidae and Ascidae under the order Prostigmata was observed during the period of investigation. The phytophagous mites belong to the families Tetranychidae, (Tetranychus urticae, Koch, Eutetranychus orientalis, Klein and Oligonychus sp.) Tenuipalpidae (Brevipalpus phoenicis, Geisk) and Tarsonemidae, (Polyphagotarsonemus latus, Banks) under the same order Prostigmata were identified and found as a key mite pest in various plants in surveyed areas of Jharkhand.