The lower and upper thermal activity thresholds of adult and larval Balaustium hernandezi von Heyden (Acari: Erythraeidae) are compared with those of its prey Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Adult female B. hernandezi retain ambulatory function (CTmin) and movement of appendages (chill coma) at significantly lower temperatures (5.9 and -2.1 °C, respectively) than those of larva...

Ticks and mites (subphylum Chelicerata; subclass Acari) include important pests of animals and plants worldwide. The Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) genome sequencing project marks the beginning of the genomics era for the field of acarology. This project is the first to sequence the genome of a blood-feeding tick vector of human disease and a member of the subphylum Chelicerata. Genome p...

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an important pest of vegetables and other economically important crops. This study evaluated the functional responses and prey-stage preferences of three species of predators, a predatory gall midge, Feltiella acarisuga (Vallot) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), and two predatory mite species, Neoseiulus californicus (McGre...

Predatory mites that belong to the Phytoseiidae family are one of the main natural enemies of phytophagous mites, thus allowing for their use as a biological control. Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks, 1904) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is among the main species of predatory mites used for this purpose. Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 (Acari: Tetranychidae) is considered to be one of the most important sp...

The impact of daily temperature variations on arthropod life history remains woefully understudied compared to the large body of research that has been carried out on the effects of constant temperatures. However, diurnal varying temperature regimes more commonly represent the environment in which most organisms thrive. Such varying temperature regimes have been demonstrated to substantially af...

A laboratory trial evaluated four phytoseiid species for their potential as biological control agents of spruce spider mite, Oligonychus ununguis (Jacobi) (Acari: Tetranychidae). An augmentative biological control approach, using the predatory mites Neoseiulus fallacis Garman and Galendromus occidentalis Nesbitt (Acari: Phytoseiidae), was evaluated for reducing pest mite densities and injury, a...

Cavia intermedia is a rodent species critically endangered and is found only on a 10 hectare island off the southern Brazilian coast. To identify the ectoparasites of C. intermedia, 27 specimens (14 males and 13 females), representing approximately 65% of the estimated total population, were captured and examined. A total of 1336 chewing lice of two species were collected: Gliricola lindolphoi ...

The genus Oulenziella Fan and Zhang contains two species, O. bakeri (Hughes) longiseta Barbosa Moraes. This paper describes a third africana sp. n., collected from mango trees in Kenya, provides new record of for this country. We redefine the based on data provide an updated key to genera subfamily Oulenziinae (Acari: Astigmata: Winterschmidtiidae) species Oulenziella.

We characterize the population dynamics of pests and beneficial organisms in strawberries to assess impact two meteorological factors (temperature precipitation) define most appropriate method for monitoring insects crop. Population were monitored weekly using plant beat Möericke traps Albion strawberries. Measurements taken organic strawberry farms over growing seasons, from March 26, 2010 Aug...