SURVEY OF PREDATORY MITES INHABITING VEGETABLE CROPS IN KOZHIKODE, KERALA
MP RAHUL *
PG & RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY MALABAR CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, CALICUT- 673 001, INDIA
MARY ANITHALATHA SADANANDAN *
PG & RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY MALABAR CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, CALICUT- 673 001, INDIA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The paper embodies the result of a survey conducted on predatory mite fauna associated with 18 species of vegetable crops belonging to 09 families and 16 genera. The result of the survey yielded 40 species of predatory mites belonging to 19 genera, 05 families of the suborders Mesostigmata, Prostigmata and Astigmata. Of these 04 species belonging to 02 genera are recognized as new to science.
Keywords: Predatory mites, Phytoseiidae, Ascidae, Cunaxidae, Acaridae, Bdellidae, Kerala