Study on faunestic, distribution and host range of Tetranychoidea (Arachnida: Acari) on fruit trees in Mashhad region, Iran

Subject Areas : entomology and othea arthropods

F. Shakhsi Zare ¹ , M. Arbabi ² , H. Kamali ³ , M. Ghasemzadeh ⁴

1 - Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
2 - Department of Agricultural Research Zoology, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Tehran, Iran
3 - Agricultural and Natural Research center of Khorasan Razavi, Mashhad, Iran
4 - Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran

Received: 2011-09-18 Accepted : 2012-09-27 Published : 2012-11-21

Keywords:

Abstract :

In order to study the fauna of Tetranychoidea on fruit trees in Mashhad Region, Iran, a sampling program was conduated during 2006-2007. Samples were taken directly from leaves, stems and branches by shaking on white tray or use of Berlese funnel trap. Microscopic slides were provided according to valid methods. In this study 8 species from 8 genus belonging to two families (Tetrnychidae and Tenuipalpidae) were collected and identified: Tetranychus urticae,­Panonychus ulmi,­Olygonychus bicolor, Eotetranychus pruni, Bryobia rubrioculus, Meyernychus emeticae, Tenuipalpus granati and Cenopalpus irani. Results showed that T. urticae had the greatest host range and activity during the sampling periods. Predatory mites belonging to 8 families were collected mostly on apple and pear trees in regions with lower than 1000 meter altitude. Most of the predatory mites were from Cunaxidae but the most varied host range and distribution of was Tydeidae. Torogh destrict had the fughest species richness. Most species diversity was recorded from Torogh district.