The date palm, Phoenix dactylifera , is attacked by several mite species that frequently cause signifi cant damage. The Banks grass mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), and the Old World date mite, Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor), (Acari: Tetranychidae) are considered major pests of date palms. The spider mite Eutetranychus palmatus Attiah (Tetranychidae), the red palm mite, Raoiella indica Hirst, and the red and black fl at mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes), (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) are considered pests of minor importance to date palm. This chapter summarizes the present knowledge about the distribution, host range, damage, biology, seasonal incidence and management practices of these species. Strategies used for mites are centered on the use of chemical pesticides. Often, the extensive use of these products has resulted in secondary pest outbreaks, undermining the adoption of sustainable pest management programs. Alternative management tactics, including biological control, have not been widely adopted by date producers. Therefore, since more research is needed, future research priorities are also discussed.

Within the scope of a project investigating phytophagous and predacious mites associated with date palm,Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae), a comprehensive survey was conducted at five different provinces of Saudi Arabia. Eleven species within eight genera of false spider mites (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) were recorded from date palm trees, ground cover plants, and soil debris. Among them, three genera, Dolichotetranychus Sayed, Phytoptipalpus Sayed and Pseudoleptus Bruyant and three species, Pentamerismus retusus Meyer, Pseudoleptus kermanshahiensis Khanjani, Khanjani, Saboori & Seeman and Tenuipalpus bagdadensis Al-Gboory, are new to the mite fauna of Saudi Arabia. Two new species, Phytoptipalpus phoenicis sp. nov. and Dolichotetranychus riyadhensis sp. nov., collected from P. dactylifera and Cynodon dactylon L. (Poaceae), respectively, are described and illustrated. A key to species of Tenuipalpidae reported from date palms worldwide is given.

A new mite species, Zetzellia camphorae sp. n. (Acari, Stigmaeidae), is described and illustrated based on adult females. Mites were collected from leaf domatia of camphor trees, Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl. (Lauraceae) infested with the eriophyid mite, Aceria sp. (Eriophyidae) in Kyoto, Japan. An identification key to the adult females of the Japanese Stigmaeidae is provided.

Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae are important natural enemies of phytophagous mites and small insects. Phytoseiid mites often experience a variety of stresses brought about by changing or fluctuating environmental factors in the field or laboratory or during their commercial production. These factors include abiotic stressors such as extreme temperature and humidity, ultraviolet radiation, and pesticides, and biotic stressors such as cannibalism, intraguild predation, food shortage, and pathogens, all of which affect the biocontrol potential of phytoseiid mites. The extent to which an environmental stressor may affect the biocontrol efficacy of phytoseiid mites depends on the characteristics of the species and on other concurrent stresses. In this review, we discuss the effects of environmental stressors on various biological and ecological aspects of phytoseiid mites, such as development, survival, reproduction, and predation, and the mites’ adaptation strategies to these stressors.

The present work aims to study the taxonomy of parasitid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Egypt. The identification of newly collected specimens as well as the examination of some previously described species is presented. Cornigamasus ocliferius Skorupski & Witali
ski, 1997, extracted from cow dung, is recorded for the first time from this country. Adults and deutonymphs of Parasitus consanguineus Oudemans&Voigts, 1904 and P. fimetorum (Berlese, 1904), worldwide cosmopolitan species, were found in animal dung and soil. Three genera with seven species are known from Egypt to date. Redescriptions of adults and deutonymphs are provided for the known species. Also, a taxonomic key to the Egyptian parasitids is presented.

Mites play an important role in citrus production whether as pests or beneficial predators. Based on published works, about 149 identified mite species representing 39 families were previously reported from citrus orchards in Egypt. Field surveys were conducted fortnightly from October 2014 to February 2016 in twenty-eight citrus orchards of eight districts in Assiut Governorate, Egypt to determine the species composition of phytophagous and predatory mites. Also, the incidence and distribution of the most important species were reported. Samples were taken from plant leaves, buds and fruits. The citrus brown mite, Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein, 1936) (Tetranychidae), the red and black flat mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) (Tenuipalpidae) and the broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks, 1904) (Tarsonemidae) seemed to be the most common phytophagous species found in citrus orchards. Several predatory mite species of numerous families were also recorded, of these, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, 1962; Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri Scheuten, 1857 (Phytoseiidae) and Agistemus exsertus González-Rodríguez, 1963 (Stigmaeidae) were found to be the most abundant predatory species inhabiting the leaves of mandarin, lime and orange, while Cheletogenes ornatus (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1876) and Hemicheyletia bakeri (Ehara, 1962) (Cheyletidae) were observed mostly on the fruits. Quantifying the presence of various predatory species inhabiting citrus trees will be an important step for pest mites control. In subsequent studies these predators can be used in biological control programs.

Mites play an important role in citrus production whether as pests or beneficial predators. Based on published works, about 149 identified mite species representing 39 families were previously reported from citrus orchards in Egypt. Field surveys were conducted fortnightly from October 2014 to February 2016 in twenty-eight citrus orchards of eight districts in Assiut Governorate, Egypt to determine the species composition of phytophagous and predatory mites. Also, the incidence and distribution of the most important species were reported. Samples were taken from plant leaves, buds and fruits. The citrus brown mite, Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein, 1936) (Tetranychidae), the red and black flat mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) (Tenuipalpidae) and the broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks, 1904) (Tarsonemidae) seemed to be the most common phytophagous species found in citrus orchards. Several predatory mite species of numerous families were also recorded, of these, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, 1962; Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri Scheuten, 1857 (Phytoseiidae) and Agistemus exsertus González-Rodríguez, 1963 (Stigmaeidae) were found to be the most abundant predatory species inhabiting the leaves of mandarin, lime and orange, while Cheletogenes ornatus (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1876) and Hemicheyletia bakeri (Ehara, 1962) (Cheyletidae) were observed mostly on the fruits. Quantifying the presence of various predatory species inhabiting citrus trees will be an important step for pest mites control. In subsequent studies these predators can be used in biological control programs.

Mites play an important role in citrus production whether as pests or beneficial predators. Based on published works, about 149 identified mite species representing 39 families were previously reported from citrus orchards in Egypt. Field surveys were conducted fortnightly from October 2014 to February 2016 in twenty-eight citrus orchards of eight districts in Assiut Governorate, Egypt to determine the species composition of phytophagous and predatory mites. Also, the incidence and distribution of the most important species were reported. Samples were taken from plant leaves, buds and fruits. The citrus brown mite, Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein, 1936) (Tetranychidae), the red and black flat mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) (Tenuipalpidae) and the broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks, 1904) (Tarsonemidae) seemed to be the most common phytophagous species found in citrus orchards. Several predatory mite species of numerous families were also recorded, of these, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, 1962; Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri Scheuten, 1857 (Phytoseiidae) and Agistemus exsertus González-Rodríguez, 1963 (Stigmaeidae) were found to be the most abundant predatory species inhabiting the leaves of mandarin, lime and orange, while Cheletogenes ornatus (Canestrini and Fanzago, 1876) and Hemicheyletia bakeri (Ehara, 1962) (Cheyletidae) were observed mostly on the fruits. Quantifying the presence of various predatory species inhabiting citrus trees will be an important step for pest mites control. In subsequent studies these predators can be used in biological control programs.

On the occurrence of mite species affiliated to the Acaridida in Egypt is still far below the taxa discovered in other countries despite the description of many species and few genera especially in Upper Egypt. The current study focused on describing two new species pertaining to the families Acaridae (Caloglyphus citri n. sp.) and Histiostomatidae (Histiostoma herbali n. sp.) described herein as hypopi (heteromorphic deutonymphs) from soil and bermuda grass in citrus orchards in Assiut, Egypt.

On the occurrence of mite species affiliated to the Acaridida in Egypt is still far below the taxa discovered in other countries despite the description of many species and few genera especially in Upper Egypt. The current study focused on describing two new species pertaining to the families Acaridae (Caloglyphus citri n. sp.) and Histiostomatidae (Histiostoma herbali n. sp.) described herein as hypopi (heteromorphic deutonymphs) from soil and bermuda grass in citrus orchards in Assiut, Egypt.