Mites associated with Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth (Malpighiaceae) in the state of Pará, Brazil

Abstract

The present study evaluated the mite fauna associated with nance, Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth, in the state of Pará, Eastern Amazon. Mites were collected from leaves of nance clones in the municipalities of Belém and Tomé-Açu from 2012 to 2014. The collected mites were mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer’s medium. A total of 2,749 mites were collected, distributed in 32 species belonging to eight families, in addition to specimens of the suborder Oribatida, which represented 73% of the total collected. Eighteen species of predators of the families Ascidae, Cunaxidae, Phytoseiidae and Stigmaeidae are reported. Phytoseiidae was the most diverse family, with ten species, with a predominance of Amblyseius aerialis (Muma, 1955). Thirty-one mite species are new records in B. crassifolia in the state of Pará, and the Tydeidae Afrotydeus kenyensis (Baker, 1970) and Pseudolorryia nicaraguensis (Baker, 1970) are reported for the first time in Brazil.

Keywords

• Acari
• phytophagous
• nance
• predators