Spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) of Saudi Arabia: two new species, new records and a key to all known species

ABSTRACT

A total of 18 spider mite species belonging to 10 genera of the family Tetranychidae (Acari: Prostigmata) are reported from different provinces of Saudi Arabia (SA). Among these, two new species, Sonotetranychus madinahensis sp. nov. and Tetranychus salicornicus sp. nov., belonging to the subfamily Tetranychinae are described and illustrated. Also, five genera and 11 species are new to the mite fauna of SA. The distribution and host data of all recorded species in the current study are provided. A key to all spider mite species of SA is provided as well as a key to the species of the armenychus species group of the genus Tetranychus Dufour, based on males.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C41BB3ED-99D5-4DCF-B557-09526FA7D56B

KEYWORDS:

• Sonotetranychus
• Tetranychus
• Oligonychus
• Mesobryobia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research, at King Saud University, Riyadh through research group No. [RG 1437-043].