Phytoseiidae

Phytoseiulus persimilis

The Phytoseiidae are a family of predatory mites ( gamasid ), which is distributed worldwide. Their prey consists of various plant pests such as thrips, spider mites or gall mites. Therefore they can be used for biological pest control. Their importance for agriculture has meant that the family is in contrast to many other mite families well studied.

Way of life

The majority of the species of this family are free-living, they feed on prey on insects, such as thrips, young stages of other mites and roundworms and their eggs. Some species eat the mycelium of fungi, others may be in want of animal food and feed exclusively on pollen.

System

In the family Phytoseiidae, there are three subfamilies, the Amblyseiinae that Phytoseiinae and Typhlodrominae with a total of 16 tribes. A total of 2,300 species are divided into 84 genera.

The subfamilies with some selected genera:

• Amblyseiinae Muma, 1961
• Amblyseiella Muma, 1955 Amblyseiulella Muma, 1961
• Amblyseius Berlese, 1914
• Archeosetus Chant & McMurtry, 2002
• Arrenoseius Wainstein, 1962
• Asperoseius Chant, 1957
• Chelaseius Muma & Denmark, 1968
• Chileseius Gonzalez & Schuster, 1962
• Eharius Tuttle & Muma, 1973
• Euseius De Leon, 1967
• Evansoseius Sheals, 1962
• Fundiseius Muma & Denmark, in Muma 1970
• Honduriella Denmark & Evans, 1999

• Chantia Pritchard & Baker, 1962
• Phytoseius Ribaga, 1904
• Platyseiella Muma, 1961

• Africoseiulus Chant & McMurtry, 1994
• Australiseiulus Muma, 1961
• Chanteius Wainstein, 1962
• Cocoseius Denmark & Andrews, 1981
• Cydnoseius Muma, 1967
• Galendromimus Muma, 1961
• Galendromus Muma, 1961
• Gigagnathus Chant, 1965
• Kuzinellus Wainstein, 1976
• Leonseius Chant & McMurtry, 1994
• Metaseiulus Muma, 1961
• Meyerius van der Merwe, 1968
• Neoseiulella Muma, 1961
• Papuaseius Chant & McMurtry, 1994
• Paraseiulus Muma, 1961
• Silvaseius Chant & McMurtry, 1994
• Typhlodromina Muma, 1961
• Typhlodromus Scheuten, 1857
• Typhloseiopsis De Leon, 1959
• Typhloseiulus Chant & McMurtry, 1994