Brief Inventory of Phytoseiidae (Parasitiformes) Found on Vegetable Crops in the Republic of Congo

Abstract

According to the last revised catalogue of the mite family Phytoseiidae and the online Phytoseiidae database, only six species of predatory mites have been identified to date in the Republic of Congo (RC). Two species were reported on cassava (Manihot esculenta), two on coffee (Coffea spp.), one on lemon (Citrus spp.), and one on unidentified plants. In this study, we catalogued predatory mites on five plants of economic interest in the RC. Two hundred and forty-seven mite specimens were collected on Manihot esculenta, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena, Abelmoschus esculentus, and Capsicum spp. Traditional taxonomy was used to identify the collected specimens. The morphological characteristics of the females were analyzed, including the lengths of the dorsal setae, presence or absence of dorsal and ventrianal setae, shape of insemination apparatus, leg chaetotaxy, and cheliceral dentition. Six species belonging to two subfamilies (Phytoseiinae and Amblyseiinae) and five genera (Amblyseius, Euseius, Paraphytoseius, Phytoseius, and Iphiseius) were identified. Among these six species, only one had previously been observed in the RC; the remaining five species are reported.