ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON PREDACEOUS AND PARASITIC MITES ASSOCIATED WITH SOME STORED PRODUCTS

The occurrence of mites associated with stored products was estimated at different regions of Giza governorate, Egypt (6th October City, Osim, Al-aiat, Faisal, Dahshour and El-Baragil). The seven localities were chosen to conduct this study along three years (2016-2018). Seventy-nine mite species belonging to 44 genera, 22 families and 4 suborders were collected from examined stored products e.g. (chocolate, dried molokhia, wheat flour, maize, bean, rice, date palm fruits, hulling rice, wheat grain, dried fig, turkey cheese, wheat flour, dried milk, peanut). The obtained results indicated that Acarus farrie, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Blomia freemani were the dominant astimatidmites in all examined store products. Whereas, Cheletogenes ornatus, Blattisecius keegani and Hypoaspis oseii were the most common predatory mites. The highest population of astimatid mites was recorded in March and the lowest level was recorded during August on wheat grain. While . on dried fig the astigmatid mites reached the highest population during April, whereas, the lowest population was recorded during August, along the two successive years.