Tetranychinae

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Taxonomy

Common names

Banks grass mite, Spruce spider mitespider mite:
a member of the family Tetranychidae (Prostigmata).
, conifer spider mitespider mite:
a member of the family Tetranychidae (Prostigmata).
, avocado brown mite, avocado red mitered mite:
common name of a variety of mites with red cuticle (from carotene) such as the red spider mites (Prostigmata, Tetranychoidea) or that turn red on blood feeding such as the poultry red mite (Mesostigmata, Dermanyssidae).  
, mango spider mitespider mite:
a member of the family Tetranychidae (Prostigmata).
, grasswebbing mite, Southern red mitered mite:
common name of a variety of mites with red cuticle (from carotene) such as the red spider mites (Prostigmata, Tetranychoidea) or that turn red on blood feeding such as the poultry red mite (Mesostigmata, Dermanyssidae).  
, Persea mite, sugarcane leaf mite, rice spider mitespider mite:
a member of the family Tetranychidae (Prostigmata).
, corn spider mitespider mite:
a member of the family Tetranychidae (Prostigmata).
, cotton spider mitespider mite:
a member of the family Tetranychidae (Prostigmata).

Probability of encounter

very high

Quarantine importance

Very High. About 200 species of Oligonychus have been described including many polyphagous pests of high agricultural and forestry importance. A variety of subgenera have been proposed, but the characters are often difficult to apply and many of the pest species are difficult to distinguish. A few of the important pest species currently not known to be in the US include:

• Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) attacks maize, dates, ryegrass and other grasses.
• Oligonychus biharensis (Hirst) attacks apple, pear, grape, litchi, avocado, banana, guava, mango, and numerous ornamentals.
• Oligonychus gossypii (Zacher) attacks cotton, citrus, peach, papaya, beans, okra, peanut, and ornamentals.
• Oligonychus indicus (Hirst) attacks banana, soybean, maize, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, and other grasses.
• Oligonychus litchii Ehara attacks bamboo, maize, sugarcane, rice, other grasses and palm.
• Oligonychus mangiferous (Rahman & Sapra) attacks apple, pear, peach, grape, blackberry, litchi, avocado, banana, mango, pomegranate, sweet potato, cotton,and numerous ornamentals.
• Oligonychus mcgregori (Baker & Pritchard) attacks avocado, cassava, cotton, and ornamentals.
• Oligonychus shinkajii Ehara attacks maize, rice, sugarcane, bamboo and other grasses.
• Oligonychus thelytokousthelytokous:
  exhibiting all female parthenogenesis (thelytoky).
  Gutierrez attacks avocado, litchi, mango, cassava, cotton, and ornamentals.
• Oligonychus zeae (McGregor) attacks banana, maize, sorghum, sugarcane, and other grasses.

Diagnosis

• With 1 pair of paranal setaeseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  (h3); setaeseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  h2 terminal; setaseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  h1 absent.
• With 10 pairs of opisthonotal setaeseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  (c1–3, d1–2, e1–2, f1–2, h2) and 3 pairs of prodorsal setaeseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  (ve, si, se)
• With 2 pairs of anal setaeseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  (ps1–2)
• Empodiaempodium:
  (pl. empodia) an unpaired structure arising between the tarsal claws, ranging from pad-like to claw-like and often bearing structures such as tenent hairs, dense setulae, or taking the form of a featherclaw (Eriophyoidea)..
  claw-like, sickle-shaped and generally longer than the proximoventral hairsproximoventral hairs:
  the hair-like processes on the empodia of some spider mites; apparently represents a finely divided empodium, and not tenent hairs.
  on female and legs II–IV on male; bifid on leg I of male.
• Duplex setaeseta:
  (pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
  on tarsustarsus:
  (pl. tarsi) the subdistal leg segment between the tibia and the pretarsus (apotele).
  I +/- adjacent

Similar taxa

Other Tetranychini have either 2 pairs of paranal setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
(e.g., Allonychus, Panonychus) or lack a clawclaw:
like - having a distal hook; resembling a claw.
(although a spurspur:
a projection, usually tooth- or spine-like, from the body or limbs.
may be present) and have empodiaempodium:
(pl. empodia) an unpaired structure arising between the tarsal claws, ranging from pad-like to claw-like and often bearing structures such as tenent hairs, dense setulae, or taking the form of a featherclaw (Eriophyoidea)..
split into hairhair:
usually referring to a seta; considered an imprecise and misleading term for seta.
-like processes distally (e.g., Tetranychus, Amphitetranychus) or lack setaseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
c2 (Xinella) or have empodial claws that are similar in length or shorter than the proximoventral hairsproximoventral hairs:
the hair-like processes on the empodia of some spider mites; apparently represents a finely divided empodium, and not tenent hairs.
(Hellenychus).

References

• Baker and Pritchard 1960Baker and Pritchard 1960:
  Baker EW, Pritchard AE. 1960. The tetranychoid mites of Africa. Hilgardia 29 (11): 455–574.
• Baker and Tuttle 1994Baker and Tuttle 1994:
  Baker EW, Tuttle DM. 1994. A guide to the spider mites (Tetranychidae) of the United States. Indira Publishing House, West Bloomfield, Michigan. 347 pp.
• Beard et al. 2003Beard et al. 2003:
  Beard JJ, Walter DE, and Allsopp P. 2003. Spider mites of sugarcane in Australia: A review of grass-feeding Oligonychus Berlese (Acari: Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) with the description of four new species. Australian Journal of Entomology 42: 51-78.
• Bolland et al. 1998Bolland et al. 1998:
  Bolland HR, Gutierrez J, Flechtmann CHW. 1998. World catalogue of the spider mite family (Acari: Tetranychidae). Brill, Leiden.
• Helle and Sabelis 1985Helle and Sabelis 1985:
  Helle W and Sabelis MW, eds. 1985. Spider mites: Their biology, natural enemies, and control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 1A. Elsevier, New York.
• Jeppson et al. 1975Jeppson et al. 1975:
  Jeppson LR, Keifer HH, and Baker EW. 1975. Mites injurious to economic plants. University of California Press, Berkeley.
• Meyer 1974Meyer 1974:
  Meyer MKPS. 1974. A revision of the Tetranychidae of Africa (Acari) with a key to the genera of the world. Republic of South Africa, Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Entomology Memoir No. 36: 291 pp.
• Meyer 1987Meyer 1987:
  Meyer MKPS. 1987. African Tetranychidae (Acari: Prostigmata) - with reference to the world genera. Republic of South Africa, Department of Agriculture and Water Supply, Entomology Memoir No. 69: 175 pp.
• Migeon and Flechtmann 2004Migeon and Flechtmann 2004:
  Migeon A and Flechtmann CHW. 2004. First additions and corrections to the World Catalogue of the Spider Mite Family (Acari: Tetranychidae). International Journal of Acarology 30 (2): 143-152.
• Ochoa et al. 1994Ochoa et al. 1994:
  Ochoa R, Aguilar H, and Vargas C. 1994. Phytophagous mites of Central America: An illustrated guide. CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica.
• Tseng 1990Tseng 1990:
  Tseng Y-H. 1990. A monograph of the mite family Tetranychidae (Acarina: Trombidiformes) from Taiwan. Taiwan Museum Special Publication Series 9. 224 pp.
• Zhang 2003Zhang 2003:
  Zhang Z-Q. 2003. Mites of greenhouses: Identification, biology and control. CABI Publishing, Wallingford. 244 pp.