Occurrence of Two Phoretic Mites of Suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) on Holotrichia consanguinea (Scarabaeidae: Coleoptera) from Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India
Vikas Bhand
Yashwantrao Chavan Arts and Science Mahavidyalaya, Mangrulpir, Dist-Washim, Maharashtra, India and S. N. Arts, D. J. M. Commerce and B.N. Sarda Science College, Sangamner (Autonomous) Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India.
Vandana Bhavare
*
S. N. Arts, D. J. M. Commerce and B.N. Sarda Science College, Sangamner (Autonomous) Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Mites inhabiting different habitats are important bio-controlling agents of various pests such as fungi, nematodes, harmful insects. Faunistic surveys were undertaken to collect beetles associated mites from the study area. The survey revealed the presence of phoretic deutonymphs of two mite species Uroobovella marginata and Uropoda orbicularis (order: Uropodina) on Holotrichia consanguinea beetle. Deutonymph is the larval stage of mite which disperse through phoresy on several insects and attach to insect cuticle by their anal pedicel. A brief diagnosis of these species is provided along with their locality records. Remarkably, these species are reported for the first time from Maharashtra, specifically from Sangamner Tehsil, Ahilyanagar district.
Keywords: Biocontrol, phoresy, Uropodina, dispersal, anal pedicel