Phytoseiid predatory mites can disperse entomopathogenic fungi to prey patches

Presumed Paternal Genome Loss During Embryogenesis of Predatory Phytoseiid Mites

Phytophagous Mites — Little Known Hosts of Entomopathogenic Fungi

Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

Predatory phytoseiid mites have been intensively studied and surveyed in the last decades because of their economic importance as biocontrol agents of agricultural pests. However, many regions of the world remain unexplored and the diversity of the family worldwide is still fragmentary. Up to date no phytoseiid species have been collected in the southernmost part of the Earth down to latitude 4...

Spectrum-specific UV egg damage and dispersal responses in the phytoseiid predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation is deleterious to plant-dwelling mites. Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) is a predominant predator of agriculturally important pest species of spider mite. However, phytoseiid mites are more vulnerable to UVB radiation than spider mites. Thus, the UVB radiation may influence decision making in foraging phytoseiid mites whether disperse or not. We tested the...

Entomopathogenic Fungi on Hemiberlesia pitysophila

Hemiberlesia pitysophila Takagi is an extremely harmful exotic insect in forest to Pinus species, including Pinus massoniana. Using both morphological taxonomy and molecular phylogenetics, we identified 15 strains of entomogenous fungi, which belong to 9 genera with high diversities. Surprisingly, we found that five strains that were classified as species of Pestalotiopsis, which has been consi...