PHYTOSEIIDAE (ACARINA: MESOSTIGMATA) IN THE NEW JERSEY APPLE ORCHARD ENVIRONMENT WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SPERMATHECAE AND THREE NEW SPECIES

Abstract

AbstractIn New Jersey, Typhlodromus pomi (Parrott) was the only predacious phytoseiid mite on most non-sprayed apple and deciduous trees. It also became the most numerous phytoseiid mite recolonizing apple trees a year after toxic spray residues had dissipated. Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) was the first phytoseiid mite collected from apple trees following cessation of toxic sprays and was usually abundant at the time of large red mite populations; later, an influx of several different species occurred. A. fallacis was the most common phytoseiid mite on low growing plants and was able to tolerate higher residues of toxic materials than other species. Other phytoseiids taken from sprayed apple trees in order of abundance included A. driggeri n. sp., A. amicus (Chant), T. longipilus Nesbitt, T. conspicuus (Garman), T. mexicanus (Garman), T. caudiglans Schuster, and A. pepperi sp. n. Species other than T. pomi found on non-sprayed apple trees were A. finlandicus (Oudemans), T. longipilus, T. caudiglans, and T. conspicuus. None of these species was entirely confined to apple. Five other species were collected that were not found on apple: T. flumenis Chant, T. pyri Scheuten, A. elongatus (Garman), A. okanagensis (Chant), and A. picketti sp. n. Three species collected from greenhouse plants in association with tetranychid mites were: A. fallacis, T. longipilus, and A. picketti.Three new species of Amblyseius are described. Two undescribed males and the spermathecae of the females are illustrated.