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Title: TWO NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS EXCELSOTARSONEMUS (ACARI: TARSONEMIDAE)

Author
item Ochoa, Ronald - Ron
item OCONNOR, BARRY - UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Submitted to: International Journal of Acarology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Mites are serious agricultural pests and cause billions of dollars in damage each year. Tarsonemid, or white mites, are important not only as plant pests but also are useful predators in biological control programs. This study describes two new species of white mite that are of special interest as occupants of Cocoa trees and the tops of different trees in the tropical rain forests of Central America. Biological data are presented that suggest that the unusual setae that adorn their bodies are important in the movement of the mites from tree to tree. This research provides new information on the mites of the tropics and will be important to mite identifiers, quarantine specialists, and tropical biologists.

Technical Abstract: Two new species of tarsonemid mites, Excelsotarsonemus kimhansenae and E. Mariposa are described and illustrated. Both species were collected from the canopy of lowland forest trees in Costa Rica.