Abas

Gerson, U., 2014, PEST CONTROL BY MITES (ACARI): PRESENT AND FUTURE Uri G, Acarologia 54 (4), pp. 371-394 : 381

DISEASES OF ABAS

The diseases of phytoseids were recently summarized by Bjornson (2008), Hoy and Jeyaprakash (2008) and by Schütte and Dicke (2008); data on other ABAs were unavailable. Microorganisms found on and in various Phytoseiidae were listed by Schütte and Dicke (2008), but only a few caused any damage, mostly when the predators are un- der stress, as in mass-rearing facilities. The disease factors include the bacterium Acaricomes phytoseiuli Schütte et al. and several microsporidia. The bacterium, apparently restricted to P. persimilis , is transmitted via feces and debris, causing reduced fitness. The phytoseiid Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (formerly in Metaseiulus ) infected by Cardinium , a bacterium from the Bacteroidetes group, has a shorter life, fewer progeny and a male-biased sex ratio ( Wu and Hoy 2012). The microsporidium Oligosporidium occidentalis Becnel et al. shortens the life of G. occidentalis , reduces its fecundity and causes a male-biased sex ratio ( Hoy and Jeyaprakash 2008).

Only few viruses were detected in the Phytoseiidae and their negative effects are unknown ( Schütte and Dicke 2008). There are also a few reports of diseases affecting ABAs in the field, e.g. an infection of Euseius citrifolius Denmark and Muma by the fungus Neozygites sp. in Brazil ( Furtado et al. 1996). The presence of potential disease factors on and in ABAs in the field may become a problem when they are brought into the laboratory to be mass-reared; requiring screening and sanitation procedures.