Predatory mites of the State of São Paulo, with emphasis on Laelapidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) potentially useful for the control of soil pests

Author(s)

Renata Angélica Prado Freire

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba. , ilustrações.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2007-03-23

Examining board members

Gilberto José de Moraes; Italo Delalibera Junior; Reinaldo Jose Fazzio Feres; Carlos Holger Wenzel Flechtmann; Mário Eidi Sato

• Advisor: Gilberto José de Moraes
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Indexed in: Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP-DEDALUS; Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações - USP
• Location: Universidade de São Paulo. Biblioteca Central da Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; ESALQ-BC/t631.46; F862a

Abstract

The edaphic fauna in natural ecosystems is large and diverse, involving the mites in large scale. Among the groups of soil mites, the Order Mesostigmata is of great importance, because it contains a large number of species, many of which are predators of other edaphic arthropods. Several agricultural pests, as mites, thrips and Sciaridae flies, live in the soil or spend part of their cycles in it. It has been verified in other countries that some of these pests are attacked and in some cases can be controlled by Mesostigmata predators. Some of the best studies predators of this group are species of Laelapidae. Brazil has been cited as a country of " biological megadiversity" . It is expected that the Brazil?s researchers dedicate efforts to detect the possible practical use of this diversity. The objectives of this work were the publication of a catalog with taxonomic information on the world species on the subfamilies Hypoaspidinae and Melittiphinae (Laelapidae), the identification of the genera of edaphic Mesostigmata and of the species of laelapids collected in previous works and remaining unidentified in the acarology collection of the Acarology Laboratory of Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" -Universidade de São Paulo, the description of new species of Laelapidae found in that material, the construction of taxonomic keys to assist in the separation of the genera mentioned in the catalog and of the species determined in this study, the preliminary evaluation of the practical use of predators naturally occurring in the State of São Paulo for the control of edaphic pests and the development of the mass production of a species of that group. Literature searches were conducted to detect publications to be included in the catalog, which is of great importance for the development research on Laelapidae, for putting together taxonomic information and references on the genera and species of this family that is disperse in international literature. Based on the characteristics of the collected mites and literature information, taxonomic keys, fundamental tools for researchers that work with edaphic Mesostigmata of the State of São Paulo, were prepared. Laelapid species were collected in natural areas to test their potential use in programs of biological control of edaphic pests. Stimulated by the results of authors of other countries in relation to the use of laelapid mites in the control of edaphic pests, and because of the present demand of growers of the State of São Paulo, a method of mass production of those predators was also developed in this work. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 03/13335-9 - Predatory mites in the State of São Paulo with potential for use in the control of soil pests
• Grantee: Renata Angélica Prado Freire
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)