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Schizotetranychus

Superfamily Tetranychoidea

   Family Tetranychidae

      Subfamily Tetranychinae

        Tribe Tetranychini

          Genus Schizotetranychus

Common names: Bamboo spider mite

Probability of Encounter: Very high

Quarantine importance: High.  About 140 species of Schizotetranychus have been described and many of these feed on grasses, especially bamboos, and other monocots.  Figs, a variety of trees, and some herbs are also host to species of the genus.

Diagnosis:

Similar taxa.   Several generic-level taxa similar to Schizotetranychus in having split claw-like empodia have been recently described from bamboos (e.g. Yunonychus, Yezonychus) based on the absence of an opisthosomal setal pair (i.e. 9 vs 10 pairs in Schizotetranychus); however, the identity of these setae is difficult to determine.  Trilobonychus from Nothofagus in New Zealand has 3-pronged claw-like empodia and 9 pairs of opisthonotal setae (f2 absent).  Other Tetranychinae lack the split empodial claw.

References

 Baker EW & AE Pritchard.  1960.  The tetranychoid mites of Africa.  Hilgardia 29(11): 455-574.

 Baker EW & DM Tuttle.  1994.  A guide to the spider mites (Tetranychidae) of the United States.  Indira Pub. House, West Bloomfield, MI: 347 pp.

Bolland HR, J Gutierre  & CHW Flechtmann. 1998. World Catalogue of the Spider Mite Family (Acari: Tetranychidae). Brill: Leiden.

Helle W & MW Sabelis (eds.) 1985. Spider Mites, Their Biology, Natural Enemies, and Control, vol. 1A. Elsevier: New York.

Jeppson LR, HH Keifer & EW Baker. 1975. Mites Injurious to Economic Plants, University of California Press: Berkeley

Meyer, M.K.P. 1974.  A revision of the Tetranychidae of Africa (Acari) with a key to the genera of the world.  Dept. Agr. Tech. Serv. Mem. 36: 291 pp.

Meyer, M.K.P. Smith 1987.  African Tetranychidae (Acari: Prostigmata) - with reference to the world genera.  S. Afr. Dept. Agr. Water Supply, Entomol. Mem. No. 69: 175 pp.

Mignon A & CHW Flechtmann 2004.  First additions and corrections to the World Catalogue of the Spider Mite Family (Acari: Tetranychidae).  Intern. J. Acarol. 30: 143-152.

Ochoa R, H Aguilar & C Vargas 1994. Phytophagous Mites of Central America: An Illustrated Guide  CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Tseng Y-H  1990.  A monograph of the mite family Tetranychidae (Acarina: Trombidiformes) from Taiwan.  Taiwan Museum Special Publication series 9. 224 pp.

Zhang Z-Q.  2003.  Mites of greenhouses: identification, biology and control.  CABI Publishing, Wallingford:  244 pp.

Zhang Z-Q, Y Zhang & J Lin 2000.  Mites of Schizotetranychus (Acari: Tetranychidae) from moso bamboo in Fujian, China.  Syst. Appl. Acarol. Sp. Publ. 4: 19-35.

Zhang Z-Q & NA Martin 2001.  A review of Schizotetranychus-like mites from New Zealand.  J. Roy. Soc. N.Z. 31: 307-325.