Abundance, diversity, and distribution of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from citrus under different pest management programs in Florida

Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae are essential for controlling pest mites and insect pests. The abundance, diversity, and distribution of phytoseiid mites were determined in six citrus orchards located in the south and central Florida. Two orchards under organic pest management, two under conventional, and two untreated, were surveyed seven times from April 2019 to June 2020. The tap sampling method was employed to estimate the abundance of the phytoseiid mites in the tree canopy. Samples collected from the groves and processed in the laboratory included foliage from the tree canopy, ground cover, and leaf litter. Phytoseiids densities averaged 2.30 ± 0.40, 2.03 ± 0.49, and 1.89 ± 0.46 per tap sample, in the conventional, organic, and untreated groves, respectively. The high densities of these mites were observed in spring, coinciding with the bloom period, which provided pollen as food for some species. An examination of 1,221 specimens confirmed twenty-four phytoseiid species. Typhlodromalus peregrinus, Iphiseiodes quadripilis, and Euseius spp. were the most abundant species in the tree canopy. Whereas Typhlodromalus peregrinus, Typhlodromips dentilis, and Proprioseiopsis mexicanus were the dominant species in the ground cover. Amblyseius curiosus, Proprioseiopsis carolinianus, and Amblyseius tamatavensis were the most common species in the leaf litter. T. peregrinus was dominant in conventional groves, while Euseius spp. and I. quadripilis dominated organic and untreated groves, respectively.