Phytoseiidae from date palms in Israel with descriptions of two new taxa and a key to the species found on date palms worldwide (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Abstract

The old world date mite Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) is an important spider mite pest of the date palms Phoenix dactylifera in most of North Africa and the Middle East. To identify potential predators of this key pest we monitored the phytoseiids in the date palm canopy and on the orchard floor for three consecutive years in the Southern Arava Valley of Israel. In this study we report on the phytoseiid species found. We describe two new species, Neoseiulus cozae and Typhlodromus shoshae, and redescribe seven species, Proprioseiopsis beatus, Neoseiulus marginatus, N. conterminus, N. rambami, N. bicaudus, Cydnoseius negevi and Typhlodromus athiasae, found on date palms or on the understorey Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon, gramineae in these orchards. A key to all species collected from date palm orchards worldwide is given. Proprioseiopsis beatus, N. marginatus and N. conterminus are recorded for the first time in Israel.

Keywords:

• date palms
• Phytoseiidae
• acarine biological control agents
• Arava Valley Israel

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr Cal Welbourn of the Division of Plant Industry, Gainsville, FL, USA, for kindly making available to the authors the specimen of Neoseiulus comitatus. We wish to express our gratitude to Prof. Jim McMurtry for his critical review of this manuscript and for his helpful comments. Finally, we would like to thank Shosh Peles, Orna Ucko, Amnon Greenberg (Southern Arava R&D) and the date growers of the kibbutz farms Elot, Samar and Yotvata for their invaluable assistance. This research was funded in part by a grant from the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Israeli Fruit Board and the Jewish National Fund. This manuscript is a contribution of the Institute of Plant Protection, Volcani Centre, ARO, Israel.