SOME NEW RECORDS OF MITES ( ACARI ) FROM BANGLADESH

The published reports on mite fauna of Bangladesh in general and that on fruit trees and ornamental plants in particular are scanty though it is a fact that due to rich floral wealth of the country, the mite fauna is also likely to be rich there. One of the authors (MZRM), while examining various plants, flowers, etc. sent to him for routine examination in connection with quarantine purpose, collected a good number of mites from such habitat and the present paper is based upon those material. It reports a total of 12 species belonging to 9 families and 12 genera under 4 orders and all appear to be new records from Bangladesh.


INTRODUCTION
The published reports on mite fauna of Bangladesh in general and that on fruit trees and ornamental plants in particular are scanty though it is a fact that due to rich floral wealth of the country, the mite fauna is also likely to be rich there.One of the authors (MZRM), while examining various plants, flowers, etc. sent to him for routine examination in connection with quarantine purpose, collected a good number of mites from such habitat and the present paper is based upon those material.It reports a total of 12 species belonging to 9 families and 12 genera under 4 orders and all appear to be new records from Bangladesh.SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT Order I. PROSTIGMATA Family 1. TETRANYCHIDAE Donnadieu, 1875 important on which it causes substantial damage.All the previous records of this species were from leaves of various plants (Gupta & Gupta, 1994) but not on any rotten material like rotten rose leaf, as has been recorded here.
Remarks: This is a polyphagous species and has been recorded earlier on over 300 host plants (Gupta, 1985; Gupta & Gupta, 1994; Meyer, 1974; Smith-Meyer, 1987).It is a serious pest of a number of vegetables, fruit trees, oilseeds, spices, pulses and ornamental plants and the damage done by this mite causes serious economic loss to the growers.Family 2. TARSONEMIDAE Kramer, 1877 4. Tarsonemus sp.
Remarks : The species of this genus has so far not been recorded from Bangladesh.Due to non-availability of male specimen, the specific identity could not be determined.Material examined: 4 females, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Savar, ex coriander (Coriandrum sativum Linn.) 10.5.1997.
Remarks : Originally, this species was described from Malacca straits on skin of the bird, Psittinus cyanurus and also was recorded in debris of leg hom.In India, it has been recorded to feed upon eggs of Rhizopertha on paddy, Michelia champaca, guava (Psidum guajava Linn.) and as predator.This species also predates on Rhizopertha and Togoderma eggs (Gupta, 2002) Koch, In : Hughes (1976), The mites of stored food and houses, p. 366-368.
Remarks : The occurrence of the species in rotten sweet gourd is quite obvious because of the fact that it is commonly available in rotten plant material as well as in manure.It has also been recorded in cucumber house (Hughes, 1976).It probably fed on fungi grown on rotten material.

Distribution : Cosmopolitan.
Remarks : This mite is called the bulb mite as they commonly infest bulbs of potato (Hughes, 1976).It is also available on decaying plants.The occurrence of this mite on zinger is, therefore, nothing surprising.As per published information, it is more common on live bulbs than on decaying ones but in the present observation, the case was just the reverse.It also attacks onion, tulip, dahlia tubers, etc. in the field or in storage.The extent of damage sometimes may be serious (Gupta, 1985).
Remarks: This species occurs in varied habitats but most common in laboratory fungal culture, stored food with high fat and protein content, dried eggs, ham, copra, cheese, different kinds of nuts, various kinds of seeds, banana, barley, tobaco, wheat flour, rotten flowers, etc.This is the first record of this species from Bangladesh.Material examined: 4 females, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Savar, ex dung beetle, 23.10.1993.
Remarks : This species was earlier recorded from soil, litter, dung as well as on plants but so far it was not recorded from dung beetle as phoretic association.Hence, the present habitat appears to be interesting.Hitherto this species was unrecorded from Bangladesh.