• About This Item
• Files in Download

Key to the Phytoseiid Predatory Mites Found on California Crops

Predatory mites in the family Phytoseiidae are known throughout the world in agricultural crops as important predators of pest mites, especially the spider mites (Tetranychidae), as well as small insects such as thrips, psyllids, scales, aphids, and whiteflies.

Detailed line drawings illustrate descriptions of each mite species, and a separate appendix included in the download contains photos of key characteristics of slide-mounted mites taken through a compound microscope. The interactive appendix, includes photos of forty-five of the forty-six mite species found in the key.

For the majority of mite species, photos of the dorsum, venter, ventrianal shield, spermatheca, and chelicera are provided. For some species, additional photos are included for structures that are especially important for confirming identification, such as the peritreme, macrosetae, pores, and dorsal shield indentations.

This free publication is available by download. The publication and the appendix are included in a zip file. Please note this is a large, 36MB file

This publication is best viewed using the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. You can download a free copy of the Acrobat Reader from Adobe Systems Incorporated.