SOME NEW RECORDS OF PLANT ASSOCIATED MITES ( ACARI ) FROM BANGLADESH

Mite fauna from plants in Bangladesh is known only recently through the works of Sanyal et ale (2004) and Gupta et ale (2004). They recorded 17 species collected on different host plants from Dhaka. The first author of the present paper while visiting Bangladesh in December, 2003, collected mites from some plants and this paper is based on that collection. This communication reports 11 species under 2 families and 3 genera under the orders Prostigmata and Mesostigmata. All the species except Tetranychus urticae appear to be new records from Bangladesh.


INTRODUCTION
Mite fauna from plants in Bangladesh is known only recently through the works of Sanyal et ale (2004) and Gupta et ale (2004).They recorded 17 species collected on different host plants from Dhaka.The first author of the present paper while visiting Bangladesh in December, 2003, collected mites from some plants and this paper is based on that collection.This communication reports 11 species under 2 families and 3 genera under the orders Prostigmata and Mesostigmata.
All the species except Tetranychus urticae appear to be new records from Bangladesh.

SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT
Key to the families, subfamilies and genera of plant mites from Bangladesh 1.One or two pairs of trichobothria on prodorsum or a pair on the posterodorsal aspect of hysterosoma usally without conspicuous pseudostigmata; stigmata situated at the base of gnathosoma or between chelicerae; palpi modified into thumb-claw complex ... Distribution: Bangladesh: Chittagong.Elsewhere: India, Pakistan.
Remarks : The infestation of this mite species caused the appearance of reddish patches on banana leaves and such infested leaves gradually withered.Gupta, 1976, Oriental Ins., 10 : 342-343.

Oligonychus sapienticolus
Diagnosis: Dorsal propodosomals and hysterosomals being longer than interval between their bases; in male, tibia I with 3 sensory and 9 tactile; in female, tibia I with 3 sensory and 7 tactile setae.

Remarks:
No noteworthy damage was caused by this species.Remarks : The species is a serious pest of agri-horticultural crops.The plants become sickly and the leaves turn yellow.However, in the present case, the infestation was of mild nature producing no noticeable damage symptoms.Distribution: Bangladesh: Chittagong.Elsewhere: India, Brazil, British West Indies, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, North America, Philippines, Portugal, South America, Taiwan, Thailand.

Tetranychus urticae Koch
Remarks : The paper reports banana and arum as the first record of the habitat. of the mite species.It is a very efficient predator of mostly tetranychid mites.

Remarks:
The record of this mite on Banana leaf (Musa sapientum) is made here for the first time.The economic importance of the species is not clearly known.