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...

The rates of parasitism of Theridion evexum by the parasitoid wasp Zatypota petronae, and Allocyclosa bifurca by Polysphincta gutfreundi, were followed for two years. Parasitism of T. evexum was very low (mean 1.39 +/- 1.8%), and restricted to nearly seven months of the year. Parasitism of A. bifurca was higher (mean 7.8 +/- 7.6%), and did not show a seasonal pattern. Reproduction of the host s...

In this paper, three new species of eriophyoid mites in the family Eriophyidae associated with Phoebe hunanensis Hand.-Mazz. (Lauraceae), namely Gammaphytoptus striatilobus sp. n., Phyllocoptes setalsolenidion sp. n., and Dechela phoebe sp. n. are described and illustrated. All are vagrants causing no apparent damage to the same host plants.

Two new species of quill mites of the family Syringophilidae parasitising trogoniform birds (Trogoniformes: Trogonidae) are described: Syringophiloidus quetzali sp. nov. from Pharomachrus mocinno Llave and Ph. antisianus (Orbigny); and Syringophilopsis trogoni sp. nov. from Trogon citreolus Gould and T. melanocephalus Gould. These findings are the first records of syringophilids associated with...

Para México, el maíz (Zea mays L.) es uno de los cultivos con mayor importancia cultural y económica. Uno problemas que disminuyen su producción la presencia plagas primarias, al ser controladas insecticidas químicos contribuyen a aparición otras consideradas secundarias, como ácaros. En cultivo se han registrado nueve especies ácaros pertenecen las familias Acaridae Tetranychidae una especie s...

Background Calathotarsus simoni Schiapelli & Gerschman 1975 is the only species of Migidae in Argentina. It is a rare and endemic spider only found in relict grassland of mountain systems in the province of Buenos Aires. This species is a habitat specialist spider occupying specific areas with certain microclimatic conditions on hilly and rocky grassland areas at about 500-1500 meters above sea...

ii Acknowledgements iii Table of

In the past, scientific research has predicted a decrease in the effectiveness of Bt cotton due to the rise of secondary and other sucking pests. It is suspected that once the primary pest is brought under control, secondary pests have a chance to emerge due to the lower pesticide applications in Bt cotton cultivars. Studies on this phenomenon are scarce. This article furnishes empirical eviden...

A recent study comparing sex ratios produced by experimental evolution in spider mites with those predicted by Hamilton's Local Mate Competition Theory clearly demonstrates Evolutionary Theory's success as a quantitatively predictive science.