Abstract
This article presents the results of a brief survey of mites infesting medicinal plants in the Kannur district of Kerala state in south India. Six species, damaging five species of important medicinal plants, were found. These species included Tetranychus urticae Koch (Tetranychidae), Brevipalpus phoenicis Geij. 1939 (Tenuipalpidae) and four Eriophyid species, Paratetra murrayae ChannaBasavanna 1966, Anthocoptes vitexae Mohanasundaram 1981, Aceria sp. nov. I and Aceria sp. nov. II and the host plants were Justicia adhatoda, Hibiscus rosasinensis, Murraya koenigii, Vitex negundo and Ixora coccinia, respectively. Mite-induced host damage, such as chlorosis, bud malformation, shoot deformity, leaf crinkling and reduction in leaf size, is discussed.
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Acknowledgement
The first author is thankful to the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, for providing assistance in the form of a Minor Research Project which allowed the work to be performed.