ARS | Publication request: REVISION OF THE GENUS ADACTYLIDIUM CROSS (ACARI: TARSONEMIDA: ACAROPHENACIDAE), MITES ASSOCIATED WITH THRIPS (THYSANOPTERA)

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 20, 2000
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The family Acarophenacidae includes mites that are parasitic on insects (beetles and thrips) and are potentially important as biological control agents. Because most of these mites are small, transparent, and are hidden in cryptic areas on the insect host, field recognition and collection of these mites are difficult. Adactylidium is one of the lesser known genera of this family, and biological and ecological information is practically non-existent. The importance of this paper is to describe ten new species, redescribe the four known species, and characterize the genus. All the species are parasitoids of eggs of thrips. This study will be important to taxonomists and to persons involved in mite systematics, integrated pest management, and biological control.

Technical Abstract: The genus Adactylidium is revised. Four nominal species (A. beeri Cross, A. nicolae Krczal, A. costarricensis Goldarazena, Jordana and Zhang, and A. moundi Goldarazena, Jordana and Zhang) and ten new species (A. brasiliensis A. crespii, A. ficorum, A. flechtmanni, A. irregularis, A. lindquisti, A. m mooniensis, A. morazae, A. rumanicus, and A. smileyi) are described and illustrated. The species are associated with numerous species of thrips from the Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropical, and Australian regions. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in a single cladogram resolved at the species level. A list of thrips hosts and a key to Adactylidium are provided. These mites have potential importance in the biological control of thrips pests in agricultural systems.