Mites in ASEAN countries
Cambodia
Lao PDR
Myanmar
Thailand
Vietnam
Brunei
East Timor
Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Mites
The Acari, or mites and ticks, comprises a very diverse and species-rich subclass of small arthropods in the class Arachnida of the subphylum Chelicerata and phylum Arthropoda. Mites are small in size. Most mites are between 300 and 500 mm long in the adult stage. Mites are ubiquitous in all major terrestrial and aquatic habitats. With some 50,000 described species worldwide, mites comprise a hyper-diverse group of minute predaceous, phytophagous, mycophagous, saprophagous, coprophagous, necrophagous, phoretic and parasitic species.
The focus of our capacity-building programmes concerns mites that are important as pests and beneficial natural enemies on crops or fruit/timber trees and in stored products. Spider mites (Tetranychidae) are among the most important pests on many plants. False spider mites (Tenuipalpidae), which are related to spider mites, sometimes also become pests on various plants. Some species of tarsonemid mites and eriophyoid mites injure fruit and vegetable crops, and also ornamental plants. A few false spider mites and eriophyoid mites are known to transmit virus diseases. Acarid mites of the genus Rhizoglyphus damages the bulbs of flowers and stored roots of many crops. Acarid mites of the genus Tyrophagus are also important pests of plant seedlings and stored fruits and products. Other families of plant mites are of minor economic importance (e.g. Tuckerellidae, Penthaleidae, Siteroptidae, Tydeidae). The several species of predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae are important biocontrol agents. Some species of the family Stigmaeidae are also important natural enemies of pests, especially on fruit trees. A few species of Laelapidae are also used in the biological control of mite pests and thrips on many crops in greenhouses and sometimes in stored products. Other families of minor biocontrol importance include Bdellidae, Cunaxidae, Anystidae, Erythraeidae, Trombidiidae, Ascidae, Parasitidae, Tetranychidae (used in biocontrol of weeds) and Eriophydidae (used in biocontrol of weeds).
Southeast Asian Mites
1) Spider mites (Tetranychidae) of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines; no species have been recorded from Brunei, East Timor, Lao PDR and Singapore yet.
2) False psider mites or flat mites (Tenuipalpidae). Fewer than 20 species known in the region, with most from the Philippines.
3) Tarsonemidae. Only 10 species from the region.
4) Eriophyoidea. 325 species reported in Southeast Asia. These species belong to three families, eight subfamilies, 11 tribes and 104 genera.
Created by Dr Zhi-Qiang
Zhang; hosted by Systematic
& Applied Acarology Society