Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) on native Cerrado plants in a fragment in Eastern Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2026.66.026Keywords:
Diversity, Ecosystem Services, Natural Enemies, Plant-Mite Interaction, SurveyAbstract
Phytoseiidae mites are key natural enemies in agricultural and natural ecosystems. However, their diversity in some areas of the Cerrado biome, particularly in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil, remains poorly documented. This study aimed to survey the Phytoseiidae species associated with native plants in a Cerrado fragment in the municipality of Aparecida do Taboado, MS. Sampling was conducted quarterly over one year (2023-2024) on ten selected native plant species. A total of 268 adult mites were collected, belonging to 12 species in two subfamilies (Amblyseiinae and Phytoseiinae). The most abundant species were Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma (106 specimens), Phytoseius nahuatlensis De Leon (82), and Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma (36). Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) and Mabea fistulifera Mart. (Euphorbiaceae) were the plant species harboring the highest mite abundance. This study provides the first records of Amblydromalus zannoui Sourassou, Sarmento & Moraes and Phytoseius kaapre Demite, Lofego & Feres for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Furthermore, the findings suggest that plant – mite associations are influenced by leaf traits and food resources: P. nahuatlensis was dominant on the trichome-rich leaves of X. aromatica, I. zuluagai utilized leaf domatia on Matayba guianensis Aubl., and the abundant E. citrifolius was linked to M. fistulifera, likely utilizing its pollen. These data help fill a faunistic gap and highlight the role of native Cerrado vegetation as a reservoir of functional biodiversity, maintaining stable populations of natural enemies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Victoria Maria Rosa Cazão, Nayelli Midiã de Almeida Corrêa, Dhiógenes Vinícius Franco Alves Costa, Alici Hikari Machado Shiozuka, Miguel Filipe da Silva Xavier, Lucas Araújo do Nascimento, Antônio Carlos Lofego, Peterson Rodrigo Demite
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Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul
Grant numbers 83/045.355/2023
