STUDIES ON TARSONEMINA (ACARI: HETEROSTIGMATA) IN EGYPT

Abstract

In our Country little work had been done on Cohort Tarsonemina (Acari : Heterostigmata ) . There gave the present work was undertaken to through the light on taxonomy and systematic of new taxa ; ecological on soil Tarsonemina species associated with five truck hosts . These were : onion, garlic, taro, potatoes and sweet potato, which located at Shebin El­ Kom district, Minufiya Governorate, Egypt, during two successive seasons 199'8 and 1999 . Also , effect of contaminated soil with different pesticide under sweet potato plants on this mite was studied .

Results obtained could be summarized as follows : -

1. Thirty seven tarsonemine mite species belonging to six families were encountered. Of these, five species belong to family Siteroptidae , one species to family Pyemotidae, fifteen species to Pygmephoridae, seven species to Scutacaridae, four species to family Microdispidae and five species to Tarsonemidae.

2. Out of a total of 37 Tarsonemina species, nine species proved to be new for science and a description of male of B. fatmae Sev. Et Abo­ Korah as first record in These are : Siteroptes badeehae n.sp., Brennandania assalii n.sp., Bakerdania , zohdyi n.sp., Imparipes elnabawyi n.sp., Jmparipes omarii n.sp., Imparipes zakia n.sp., Scutacarus hendyi n.sp., Scutacarus abdelrahimi n.sp. and Scutacarus abotakae n.sp.

3. Potatoes accommodated the highest soil Tarsoriemina population density (106000 ind's/m2), followed by that found under garlic, omon, sweet potato and taro with population density of 66800, 31300, 26000 and 12800 ind's/m2 in descending order, respectively.

Positive relationship occurred between the number of different mite