Mite (Acari) fauna in apple orchards of around the Lake Van basin of Turkey

Abstract

Phytophagous and predatory mite species were determined in apple orchards in Van Lake basin (Turkey) during 2002-2004. Totally, eighteen mite species belonging to six families, Tetranychidae, Eriophyidae, Tenuipalpidae, Phytoseiidae, Stigmaeidae and Tydeidae, were identified on the apple orchards. It was found that Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher) (Acari: Tetranychidae) is the most common and important pest species while Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Euseius finlandicus (Oudemans) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and Zetzellia mali (Ewing) (Acari: Stigmaeidae) are the most common predatory mite species in the apple orchards of the region