Abstract
Mites are widely distributed throughout the world, and some species are important pests of fruit crops, field crops, vegetables, and weeds. In the present study, extensive sampling was done to assess mites’ biodiversity in different citrus orchards of Kinnow, Musambi, and Feutrell’s early at tehsil Sahiwal Sargodha, Sillanwali, and Bhalwal of district Sargodha. Sampling was done at fifteen days interval to record the population dynamics and identification of citrus mites during 2018. A total 37,963 mites specimens were collected in which nine species were identified from four families Cunaxa sp. (Cunaxidae); Amblyseious andersoni Chant, Euseius sp., Neoseiulus sp. (Phytoseiidae); Brevipalpus californicus Banks, B. phoenicis (Geijskes) (Tenuipalpidae), and Eutetranychus orientalis Klein, Panonychus citri (McGregor), Tetranychus urticae Koch (Tetranychidae). Brevipalpus sp., T. urticae and B. californicus were the dominant species. While Neoseiulus sp. and E. orientalis were less abundant species. Maximum numbers of mite specimens (12056 numbers) were collected from tehsil Sargodha, while minimum specimens (6499 numbers) were recorded from tehsil Sahiwal. The results are discussed concerning the abundance of mites that are the major citrus pests and dominant predacious mite species as candidates for biological control of various arthropods in Sargodha citrus
Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Muhammad Hamid Bashir, Shah Najaf Mukhtar, Muhammad Arshad, Nimra Altaf. (2021) Diversity and Abundance of Mite Species in Citrus Orchards of Sargodha, Pakistan, Punjab University Journal of Zoology, Volume 36, Issue 1.
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