Prostigmatid mites (Acari: Trombidiformes) associated with

fruit trees, vegetables, ornamentals and wild vegetation in

Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia

Seminar Proposal for the partial requirement of M.Sc. Degree

Eid Muhammad Khan Student ID: 435108481

Advisor: Dr. Muhammad Kamran RafiqueCo-Advisor: Dr. Fahad J. Alatawi

Acarology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection

OUTLINES Introduction

Objectives

Review of literature

Materials and Methods

References

INTRODUCTION

Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia) Unique & Isolated Area.

Located between Madinah and Tabuk.

Mites fauna remain unexplored.

Horticultural crops & Wild vegetation.

Saudi Arabia Map

Al-Ula (KSA)

Fruit trees Vegetables Date PalmCitrus Olive etc.

Eggs plantsTomato Cucurbits etc.

Economic Importance (Suborder Prostigmata)

Phytophagous

Plant pathogen vector

Predatory

Parasitic

Scavenger

Fungivorous Eriophyid sp.(Phytophagous / vector)

Agistemus sp.(Predatory mite)

Hoy, 2011

Webbing by Tetranychus urticae

Tetranychus urticae(Phytophagous Mite)

Classification of sub-order Prostigmata Scientific

Classification Arthropoda

Arachnida

Acari

Acariformes

Trombidiformes

Prostigmata

Super-families Families Genera Species

36 120 1348 17,170

(Krantz & Walter, 2009)

Stigmata mostly present anteriorly.

Coxae fused with body.

Chelicerae (stylet-like, rarely chelate)

Tritosternum absent.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

Objectives

1) Exploring and identifying the phytophagous and predatory mites of the suborder Prostigmata (Acari: Trombidiformes) associated with agricultural and wild vegetation in Al- Ula, Saudi Arabia.

2) Developing a diagnostic keys of prostigmatid groups occurring in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia.

3) Developing a key to the world species of genus Eutetranychus Klein (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae).

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

PHYTOPHAGOUS MITES

> 1288 spp. 76 genera 3877 diff. host plants.

Two subfamilies- Bryobinae- Tetranychinae

Tetranychus urticae

Oligonychus afrasiaticus

Zhang, 2003

Family Tetranychidae

Important Genera (Tetranychidae)

1 Tetranychus

2 Oligonychus

3 Eotetranychus

4 Schizotetranychus

5 Eutetranychus

6 Bryobia etc.

Notorious Pests: - Vegetables, Fruits, Ornamentals etc. Cosmopolitan distribution

(Zhang, 2003; Martin, 1972, Alatawi, 2011; Kamran et al., 2016a)

Attack of T. urticae

Attack of O. afrasiaticus

Economic Importance (Tetranychidae)

Fauna of Saudi Arabia (Tetranychidae)

Genera records 7

New records 10

New species 3

Genus Eutetranychus

Important Pest of citrus & other crops.

>30 spp. identified world.

No comprehensive key to this genus.

Mites of genus Eutetranychus are abundantly observed on many crops in Saudi Arabia.

Eutetranychus orientalis

Attack of E. Orientalis on CitrusVacante, 2010

Family Tenuipalipdae

Commonly called false spider mites.

891 valid sp. belong to 34 genera.

> 622 spp. found on > 928 host plant.

Important genera: - Tenuipalpus (306 spp.)

- Brevipalpus (282 spp.) - Aegyptobia (101spp.)

Roialla indica

Palm trees attacked by R. indicaMesa et al. 2009

Vector of Plant Pathogens: - Brevipalpus spp. (Rhabdoviruses etc.) Pest of diff. green house crops.

(Zhang, 2003; Martin, 1972, Alatawi, 2014; Kamran et al., 2016a)

Brevipalpus phoenicis

Economic Importance (Tenuipalpidae)

Fauna of Saudi Arabia (Tenuipalpidae)

Genera records 9

New records 11

New species 7

Family Eriophyidae > 4000 species in 250 genera.

Pests / Vectors (Plant Pathogens).

Biological Control (weeds).

Amrine et al., 2003; Hoy, 2011 ; Alatawi et al., 2014

Leaf attacked by eriophyid mite

Eriophyid Mite

Fauna of Saudi Arabia (Eriophyidae)

Genera records 8

New records 12

New species 1

PREDATORY MITES

Family Stigmaeidae

Second important Predatory family (< Phytoseiidae).

> 577 spp. in 34 genera in world.

Important genera:Agistemus, Eustigmaeus, Zetzellia and Stigmaeus.

Agistemus exsertus (Citrus mite pests).

Zetzellia and Agistemus(Tetranychid mites & small insects).

Fan et al., 2016; Zhang, 2003

Zetzellia sialkotensis

Agistemus sp.

Al-Youssif & Soliman, 1979; Alatawi, 2011)

Fauna of Saudi Arabia (Stigmaeidae)

Genera records 3

New records 5

New species 0

Family Bdellidae

135 species, 15 genera and five subfamilies.

Active fast running Predator

Predator of phytophagous mites and insects.

Spinibdella cronini abundantly reported in association with date

palm mite

Soliman & Al-Yousif, 1979;Wallace & Walters 1976; Gerson et al. 2003; Omukunda et al. 2012

Red mite (Bdellidae)

Fauna of Saudi Arabia (Bdellidae)

Genera records 1

New records 2

New species 0

Family Cunaxidae

Almost 289 species in 27 genera, 9 subfamilies.

Generalist predators.

Found soil, plant debris, moss etc.

Feed on micro-arthropods and root knot nematodes.

Soliman & Al-Yousif, 1979;Zhang, 2003; Den Hyer, 2011; Skvarla et al. 2014

Armascirus sp.

Fauna of Saudi Arabia (Cunaxidae)

Genera records 6

New records 6

New species 2

MATERIALS & METHODS

1) Study Area & Map

- Survey Periods: 2016-2017.

Crop Plants Wild Vegetation

Fruits trees Forest trees

Vegetables Weeds

Ornamental plants Grasses etc.

2) Collection & Preservation

1) Foliage Shaking using white paper

2) By using Aspirator

3) By using Berlese’s Funnels

1) Foliage shaking

2) Aspirator collection 3) Berlese’s Funnel

Locality

Host name

Date of collection

GPS coordinates

Collector name

Short ecological notes abundance, damage symptoms, moving behavior

Plant picture of unknown host

3) Field Information

4) Slides Preparation & Mites Identification

1) Slides Preparation 2) Slides Drying 3) Specimens identification

4) Literature 5) Imaging 6) Illustration of Specimens

Literature for the Identification of Mites

Preliminary Report

Preliminary survey (November 2016).

~1000 specimen collected (450+ slides).

High association of Prostigmatid predatory mite with

phytophagous mite.

Stigmaeus (Stigmaeidae) new genus record.

Obdulia (Tenuipalpidae) new to Saudi mite fauna.

Positive to have new species and more genus records.

Families reportedTETRANYCHIDAE

TENUIPALPIDAE

TUCKERLLIDAE

RAPGHIGNATHIDAE

STIGMAEIDAE

CALLIGONELLIDAE

CUNAXIDAE

BDELLIDAE

CAMERIOBIDAE

ERYTHRYOIDAE

TYDEIDAE

CHEYLETIDAE

• Al-Atawi, F. J. (2011a). Phytophagous and predaceous mites associated with vegetable crops from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi journal of biological sciences, 18(3), 239-246.

• Al-Atawi, F. J., & Halawa, A. M. (2011b). New records of eriophyoid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from Saudi Arabia. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 14(2), 112

• Alatawi, F. J., Kamran, M., & Negm, M. W. (2015). False spider mites (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) associated with date palm orchards in Saudi Arabia: description of two new species and new records. Systematic and Applied Acarology, 20(7), 809-

• Alatawi, F. J., & Kamran, M. (2015). Two new flat mite species of Aegyptobia and Pentamerismus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Saudi Arabia. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39(2), 244-250

• Al-Youssif, M.S. & Soliman, Z.R. (1979) Cheyletid mites of Saudi Arabia with a key to species (Acari: Acariformes: Prostigmata). Bulletin  Entolomological Society of Egypt, 62, 213– 218

• Amrine Jr, J. W., Stasny, T. A., & Flechtmann, C. H. (2003). Revised keys to world genera of Eriophyoidea (Acari: Prostigmata). Indira Publishing House

• Blake, J. (1988). Mites and Thrips as Bacterial and Fungal Vectors between Plant Tissue Cultures. Acta Horticulturae, 225: 163-166.

• Krantz, G. W., Evans, D., & Walter, D. E. (2009). A manual of acarology (No. C/595.42 M35).

• Kamran, M., Mirza, J. H., & Alatawi, F. J. (2016a). The genus Paraplonobia Wainstein and Neopetrobia Wainstein (Acari, Trombidiformes, Tetranychidae) from Saudi Arabia: new species, new records and key to the world species of Paraplonobia. ZooKeys, (598), 27

• Kamran, M., Mushtaq, H. M. S., & Alatawi, F. J. (2016b). The genus Aegyptobia Sayed (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae) from Saudi Arabia: five new species and a key to the world species. International Journal of Acarology, 1-21

• Gerson, U., Smiley, R. L., & Ochoa, R. (2003). Mites (Acari) for pest control. Mites (Acari) for pest control

• Zhang, Z. Q. (2003). Mites of greenhouses: identification, biology and control. Cabi. Pp 99.

• Soliman, Z. R., Al-Yousif, M. S. (1979). Prostigmatid mites of Saudi Arabia (Acari: Acariformes: Prostigmata). Bull Zool Soc Egypt 29: 82–86

• Jeppson, L. R., Keifer, H. H., & Baker, E. W. (1975). Mites injurious to economic plants. Univ of California Press

• Vacante, V. (2010). Citrus mites: identification, bionomy and control. CABI.

References