# A catalogue of spider mite (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) fauna associated with agricultural ecosystems of Kerala, South India with a taxonomic key

Haseena Bhaskar, Melvin Mohan, Desavath Gouthami, Penuballi Swathi, Amal Poulose, Udaya Kumar Sreelakshmi, Channegowda Chinnamade Gowda, Chengaloor Venugopalan Vidya, Deepu Mathew

► To cite this version:

Haseena Bhaskar, Melvin Mohan, Desavath Gouthami, Penuballi Swathi, Amal Poulose, et al. A catalogue of spider mite (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) fauna associated with agricultural ecosystems of Kerala, South India with a taxonomic key. Acarologia, 2025, 65 (2), pp.534-546. 10.24349/sx3u-ymwh. hal-05088061

HAL Id: hal-05088061

https://hal.science/hal-05088061v1

Submitted on 28 May 2025

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Acarologia

Open Science
in Acarology

# A catalogue of spider mite (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) fauna associated with agricultural ecosystems of Kerala, South India with a taxonomic key

Haseena Bhaskar<sup>a</sup>, Melvin Mohan<sup>a</sup>, Desavath Gouthami<sup>b</sup>, Penuballi Swathi<sup>b</sup>, Amal Poulose<sup>a</sup>, Udaya Kumar Sreelakshmi<sup>a</sup>, Channegowda Chinnamade Gowda<sup>c</sup>, Chengaloor Venugopalan Vidya<sup>b</sup>, Deepu Mathew<sup>d</sup>

## Original research

### ABSTRACT

Spider mites have emerged as serious pests of several field and horticultural crops in Kerala, in recent years. This extensive survey was carried out to assess the spider mite faunal diversity in different locations in the districts of Kerala. The mite specimens collected during the surveys were mounted for morphological characterization and identification. The study recorded 25 species of mites in five genera namely, *Tetranychus* (13), *Oligonychus* (5), *Schizotetranychus* (4), *Eotetranychus* (1), *Eutetranychus* (1) and *Neotetranychus* (1) distributed on 88 different host plants. *Tetranychus gloveri* was recorded on a wider host range of 44 plants from 28 different plant families followed by *T. truncatus* (23 hosts), *T. urticae* (11), *Oligonychus tylus* (10) and *O. biharensis* (10) etc. A few species were also recorded with single host plant. The study documents new geographical distribution for *Neotetranychus lek* from India; *Schizotetranychus mansoni* from South India; *Oligonychus tylus*, *O. grypus*, *O. sacchari* and *Tetranychus bambusae* from Kerala. New host plants were recorded for *T. gloveri* (21), *T. truncatus* (4), *T. urticae* (2), *T. puschelii* (2), *T. udaipurensis* (3), *T. neocalidonychus* (2), *T. fijiensis* (2), *T. ludeni* (1), *T. bambusae* (1), *O. tylus* (6), *O. biharensis* (4), *E. orientalis* (1), *S. baltazari* (2) and *S. mansoni* (1). A comprehensive key for the identification of different species of spider mites collected during the study is provided. The study concluded that the spider mite fauna in Kerala is diverse and that the exotic mite species, *T. truncatus* and *T. gloveri*, which were recently recorded from Kerala, have established themselves in the state by widening their host range, within a short period.

**Keywords** spider mite; species diversity; Kerala; host plants; aedeagus

### Introduction

Spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) are distributed worldwide with about 1,358 described species (Migeon and Dorkeld, 2025). Globally, spider mites are known as very important

Received 06 February 2025

Accepted 22 May 2025

Published 26 May 2025

Corresponding author

Haseena Bhaskar<sup>D</sup>: haseena.bhaskar@kau.in

Academic editor

Migeon, Alain

https://doi.org/10.24349/sx3u-ymwh

ISSN 0044-586X (print)

ISSN 2107-7207 (electronic)

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Bhaskar H. et al.

Licensed under
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0

OPEN ACCESS

<footnote><sup>a</sup> All India Network Project on Agricultural Acarology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala - 680656, India.</footnote>

<footnote><sup>b</sup> Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala - 680656, India.</footnote>

<footnote><sup>c</sup> All India Network Project on Agricultural Acarology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560065, India.</footnote>

<footnote><sup>d</sup> Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala - 680656, India.</footnote>
pests in the agricultural production (Vacante, 2015). They are known for their capability to
damage a variety of plants, including field crops, vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants, and
medicinal and aromatic plants. Their short life cycle, polyphagous nature, and small size
complicate management efforts at field level. Therefore, studying their diversity is critical
for understanding their ecological roles, identifying invasive species, and developing effective
management strategies.

The identification of spider mite species is particularly challenging due to their relatively small size, phenotypic plasticity, and unique morphological features, which complicate differentiation compared to the other arthropods with more distinct traits (Ros and Breeuwer, 2007). Accurate species identification requires both male and female specimens in spider mites, unlike many other organisms that can be identified from a single specimen (Majeed et al. 2022). In India, the first extensive documentation of spider mites were conducted by Gupta (1976) who reported 83 species under 18 genera. This was followed by further documentation of 100 species from 20 genera (Gupta, 1991) and a revision that reported 101 species in 1994 (Gupta & Gupta 1994). A recent compilation of the checklist of spider mite fauna in the country recorded 135 spider mite species (Tetranychidae) belonging to two subfamilies, six tribes and 20 genera (Chalil et al. 2024).

Studies on spider mite fauna on the vegetable crop ecosystems of Thrissur district, central Kerala reported *Tetranychus* as the predominant phytophagous mite genus in the region (Binisha and Bhaskar, 2013). Later, spider mites were reported as serious pests of vegetable crops grown under protected cultivation in Kerala (Lenin and Bhaskar, 2016). A study conducted in the Kasaragod district of Kerala (the northernmost district of the state) reported seven different species of spider mites infesting different vegetable crops in the region. Recently, eight species of spider mites belonging to three genera viz., *Tetranychus truncatus*, *T. okinawanus* (*T. gloveri*), *T. urticae*, *T. fijiensis*, *T. neocaledonicus*, *T. marianae*, *Eutetranychus orientalis* and *Oligonychus biharensis* were reported on ornamental plants in Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of Kerala. These mites were reported from fourteen different host plants namely, rose, marigold, chrysanthemum, balsam, cock's comb, gerbera, adenium, bauhinia, cairo morning glory, orchid (*Vanda* sp.), zinnia, cassia, crape jasmine and pinto peanut (Prakash *et al.* 2022).

Though the above studies were not carried out over a wide area covering the entire state,
new host records have been reported for some mite species. Recently, several new pest
problems involving spider mites have emerged on tissue culture banana saplings and tapioca
in the state (Swathi and Bhaskar, 2023; Bhaskar et al. 2024). Considering the geography of
Kerala bounded on one side with the biodiversity rich Western Ghats, the spider mite fauna in
the state is believed to be more diverse. However, a comprehensive study on spider mite fauna
covering various agro-ecological zones of Kerala is lacking, highlighting the significance of
this study.

Materials and methods

Purposive sampling surveys were conducted from 2021 to 2024 across 126 geographic locations
in different agricultural ecosystems covering different districts across Kerala, to collect spider
mites on field and plantation crops, ornamental, medicinal, aromatic and wild plants (Figure 1).
Mite samples were collected from the randomly selected host plants showing obvious symptoms
of mite infestation, from each location. Mite infested leaf samples were placed separately in
sealed polythene bags, labelled, and brought to the laboratory for species identification. In
the laboratory, a single gravid female mite from each sample was released onto mulberry leaf
placed on wet sponge in plastic tray, to establish a pure line culture (isoline culture). Each
culture was then assigned a unique accession number. Male (dorsal and lateral orientation)
and female mites (dorsal orientation) from each accession were slide mounted on Hoyer's
medium under a stereo binocular microscope (Leica ES2) to prepare permanent slides. Slide
mounted specimens were examined under a phase contrast research microscope (RADICAL,
RXLr-4) equipped with image analysis software, to study the taxonomic characters. For genus level identification, female mite characters such as chaetotaxy of the hysterosoma, number and position of duplex setae on tarsus I and the structure of empodium were studied. For species level identification, the characters such as chaetotaxy of tibia I and tarsus I, pattern of dorsal striae between dorsocentral hysterosomal setae in female and the structure of aedeagus and structure of terminal sensillum of pedipalp in male specimens were studied. Available literature sources and relevant taxonomic keys were used for species level identification (Pritchard and Baker, 1955; Baker and Pritchard, 1960; Gupta, 1985; Meyer, 1992; Gupta and Gupta, 1994; Ehara, 1995; Ehara, 1999; Bolland et al. 1998; Srinivasa et al. 2012; Zeity et al. 2016 and Migeon and Dorkeld, 2025). Taxonomic keys were prepared for the identification of genera and species of Tetranychidae collected during the study.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 1** Mite survey locations.</figcaption></figure>

To study the host association of spider mites, the host plants on which each species was collected were recorded. The expertise of the scientists in the Department of Floriculture as well as All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Medicinal Plants in the College of Agriculture was sought for identification of those ornamental and medicinal plants which could not be identified at species level by the authors. Similarly, wild plants (mostly weeds) were identified by the Scientists in the AICRP on Weeds, Department of Agronomy. For identification, either the field photographs or the excised shoot with foliage and inflorescence of the host plants were used. The plant names are in accordance with the reference database World Flora Online (WFO, 2025).

## Results

A total of 354 accessions of spider mites were collected from 126 geographic locations from 88 host plants, across different districts of Kerala during the study. The collection represented 25 species in a single subfamily Tetranychinae, under two tribes viz., Eurytetranychini and Tetranychini. Eurytetranychini was represented by only one species in the genus, *Eutetranychus*. Tetranychini was represented by 25 species within six genera: *Tetranychus*, *Oligonychus*, *Schizotetranychus*, *Neotetranychus*, *Eutetranychus* and *Eotetranychus*. The genus *Tetranychus* was diverse with 13 species viz., *T. gloveri*, *T. truncatus*, *T. urticae*, *T. macfarlanei*, *T. ludeni*, *T. neocalidonicus*, *T. udaipurensis*, *T. marianae*, *T. fijiensis*, *T. lombardini*, *T. puschelli*, *T. bambusae* and *T. kanzawai*. Four species of the genus *Schizotetranychus* recorded include: *S*.
<table><caption>Table 1 Diversity of spider mites and their host plants in Kerala.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">S.No</th><th rowspan="2">Species</th><th rowspan="2">Host plants</th><th rowspan="2">Districts</th><th colspan="2">Geographic Coordinates</th></tr><tr><th>Latitude (°N)</th><th>Longitude (°E)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td colspan="6"><strong>Tribe: Eutetranychini</strong></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><strong>Genus: Eutetranychus</strong></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">1</td><td rowspan="2">Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein)</td><td rowspan="2">Tabernaemontana divaricata, Manihot esculenta, Murraya koenigii</td><td rowspan="2">Thrissur</td><td>10°32'52" N</td><td>76°16'45" E</td></tr><tr><td>10°33'41" N</td><td>76°14'35" E</td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><strong>Tribe: Tetranychini</strong></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><strong>Genus: Schizotetranychus</strong></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">2</td><td rowspan="2">Schizotetranychus baltazari Rimando</td><td rowspan="2">Clausena anisata, Azadirachta indica, Murraya koenigii, Melia dubia, Citrus limon</td><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°45'14" N</td><td>77°01'28" E</td></tr><tr><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°47'51" N</td><td>76°44' 35" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">3</td><td rowspan="2">Schizotetranychus krungthepensis Auger & Naing</td><td rowspan="2">Saccharum officinarum</td><td>Malappuram</td><td>10°55'39" N</td><td>76°09' 55" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°32'42" N</td><td>76°16' 26" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">4</td><td rowspan="2">Schizotetranychus mansoni Gupta</td><td rowspan="2">Oryza sativa, Oryza rufipogon</td><td>Kannur</td><td>11°53'04" N</td><td>75°22'33" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°33'06" N</td><td>76°16'41" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">5</td><td rowspan="2">Schizotetranychus hindustanicus (Hirst)</td><td rowspan="2">Azadirachta indica, Citrus limon</td><td>Malappuram</td><td>11°05'55" N</td><td>76°21'56" E</td></tr><tr><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°37'20" N</td><td>76°32'32" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">6</td><td rowspan="2">Eutetranychus sp.1</td><td rowspan="2">Citrus limon, Azadirachta indica</td><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°33'06" N</td><td>76°16'41" E</td></tr><tr><td>Pathanamthitta</td><td>9°20'57" N</td><td>76°35'33" E</td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><strong>Genus: Eotetranychus</strong></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Neotetranychus lek Flechtmann</td><td>Bauhinia variegata, Manihot esculenta</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°47'51" N</td><td>76°44'35" E</td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><strong>Genus: Neotetranychus</strong></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">8</td><td rowspan="2">Oligonychus biharensis (Hirst)</td><td rowspan="2">Amaranthus cruentus, Rosa sp., Artocarpus heterophyllus, Arachis pintoii, Bauhinia variegata, Mangifera indica, Abelmoschus esculentus, Manihot esculenta, Gliricidia sepium, Averrhoa bilimbi</td><td>Wayanad</td><td>11°37'03" N</td><td>76°12'44" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°33'59" N</td><td>76°15'00" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">9</td><td rowspan="2">Oligonychus oryzae (Hirst)</td><td rowspan="2">Oryza sativa</td><td>Trivandrum</td><td>10°36'22" N</td><td>76°24'8" E</td></tr><tr><td>Ernakulam</td><td>8°25'47" N</td><td>76°59'04" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">10</td><td rowspan="2">Oligonychus tylus Baker & Pritchard</td><td rowspan="2">Cocos nucifera, Oryza sativa, Musa paradisiaca, Areca catechu, Licuala grandis, Echinochloa frumentacea, Panicum miliaceum, Setaria italica, Zea mays, Oryza rufipogon</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>9°59'00" N</td><td>76°34'36" E</td></tr><tr><td>Alappuzha</td><td>9°35'40" N</td><td>76°31'14" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">11</td><td rowspan="2">Oligonychus grypus Baker & Pritchard</td><td rowspan="2">Oryza sativa, Musa paradisiaca</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°36'11" N</td><td>76°37'44" E</td></tr><tr><td>Alappuzha</td><td>9°10'35" N</td><td>76°31'4" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">12</td><td rowspan="2">Oligonychus sacchari (McGregor)</td><td rowspan="2">Saccharum officinarum</td><td>Pathanamthitta</td><td>9°21'27" N</td><td>76°33'51" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kollam</td><td>8°58'56" N</td><td>76°48'47" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">13</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus gloveri Banks</td><td rowspan="2">Dendrobium sp, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Helianthus annuus, Dahlia pinnata, Vigna unguiculata, Rosa sp., Abelmoschus esculentus, Calotropis gigantea, Ricinus communis, Guazuma ulmifolia, Morus alba, Monochoria vaginalis, Dracaena victoria, Sambucus racemosa, Oxalis corniculata, Tagetes erecta, Exacum bicolor, Cucurbita moschata, Ipomoea caica, Chrysanthemum indicum, Impatiens balsamina, Vanda wightii, Adenium obesum, Musa paradisiaca, Cucumis sativus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Murraya koenigii, Mangifera indica, Ipomoea sp., Gerbera jamesonii, Amaranthus cruentus, Ocimum sanctum, Carica papaya, Benincasa hispida, Biophytum sensitivum, Caladium bicolor, Colocasia esculenta, Sicyos edulis, Passiflora cristalina, Peperomia pellucida, Exacum tetragonu, Eryngium foetidum</td><td>Wayanad</td><td>10°32'42" N</td><td>76°16'26" E</td></tr><tr><td>Ernakulam</td><td>10°53'76" N</td><td>76°32'78" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">14</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus urticae Koch</td><td rowspan="2">Cucumis sativus, Adenium obesum, Clitoria ternatea, Rosa sp., Leucas aspera, Solanum melongena, Manihot esculenta, Abelmoschus esculentus, Vigna unguiculata, Chrysanthemum indicum, Amaranthus cruentus</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°17'26" N</td><td>76°12'04" E</td></tr><tr><td>Alappuzha</td><td>10°21'01" N</td><td>76°22'12" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">15</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus marianae McGregor</td><td rowspan="2">Rosa sp., Centrosema pubescens</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>11°37'03" N</td><td>76°12'44" E</td></tr><tr><td>Wayanad</td><td>9°55'38" N</td><td>76°19'12" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">16</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus urticae Koch</td><td rowspan="2">Cucumis sativus, Adenium obesum, Clitoria ternatea, Rosa sp., Leucas aspera, Solanum melongena, Manihot esculenta, Abelmoschus esculentus, Vigna unguiculata, Chrysanthemum indicum, Amaranthus cruentus</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°38'45" N</td><td>76°33'13" E</td></tr><tr><td>Alappuzha</td><td>9°12'26" N</td><td>76°29'34" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">17</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus marianae McGregor</td><td rowspan="2">Rosa sp., Centrosema pubescens</td><td>Kollam</td><td>9°10'35" N</td><td>76°31'4" E</td></tr><tr><td>Palakkad</td><td>12°31'40" N</td><td>74°58'31" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">18</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus urticae Koch</td><td rowspan="2">Cucumis sativus, Adenium obesum, Clitoria ternatea, Rosa sp., Leucas aspera, Solanum melongena, Manihot esculenta, Abelmoschus esculentus, Vigna unguiculata, Chrysanthemum indicum, Amaranthus cruentus</td><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°25'47" N</td><td>76°59'04" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kollam</td><td>8°58'56" N</td><td>76°48'47" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">19</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus marianae McGregor</td><td rowspan="2">Rosa sp., Centrosema pubescens</td><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°56'25" N</td><td>76°56'00" E</td></tr><tr><td>Pathanamthitta</td><td>9°20'46" N</td><td>76°30'30" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">20</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus urticae Koch</td><td rowspan="2">Cucumis sativus, Adenium obesum, Clitoria ternatea, Rosa sp., Leucas aspera, Solanum melongena, Manihot esculenta, Abelmoschus esculentus, Vigna unguiculata, Chrysanthemum indicum, Amaranthus cruentus</td><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°29'08" N</td><td>76°06'10" E</td></tr><tr><td>Idukki</td><td>9°43'18" N</td><td>77°09'15" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">21</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus marianae McGregor</td><td rowspan="2">Rosa sp., Centrosema pubescens</td><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°47'56" N</td><td>76°41'33" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kannur</td><td>12°04'38" N</td><td>75°24'11" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">22</td><td rowspan="2">Tetranychus marianae McGregor</td><td rowspan="2">Rosa sp., Centrosema pubescens</td><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°22'1" N</td><td>76°22'30" E</td></tr><tr><td>Pathanamthitta</td><td>10°33'09" N</td><td>76°17'19" E</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><caption>Table 1 Continued.</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">S.No</th><th rowspan="2">Species</th><th rowspan="2">Host plants</th><th rowspan="2">Districts</th><th colspan="2">Geographic Coordinates</th></tr><tr><th>Latitude (°N)</th><th>Longitude (°E)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="10">16</td><td rowspan="10">Tetranychus truncatus Ehara</td><td rowspan="10">Cucumis sativus, Colocasia esculenta, Carica papaya, Chrysanthemum indicum, Citrullus lanatus, Amaranthus cruentus, Rosa sp., Tagetes erecta, Vigna unguiculata, Celosia argentea, Musa paradisiaca, Solanum melongena, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Lycopersicon esculentum, Benincasa hispida, Manihot esculenta, Murraya koenigii, Bauhinia variegata, Gerbera jamesonii, Impatiens balsamina, Abelmoschus esculentus, A. moschatus, Areca catechu</td><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°33'06" N</td><td>76°17'05" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="9">Palakkad</td><td>10°53'76" N</td><td>76°32'78" E</td></tr><tr><td>10°36'35" N</td><td>76°23'36" N</td></tr><tr><td>10°32'36" N</td><td>76°16'10" N</td></tr><tr><td>10°55'38" N</td><td>75°54'15" E</td></tr><tr><td>10°47'51" N</td><td>76°44'35" E</td></tr><tr><td>10°31'52" N</td><td>76°34'56" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°04'20" N</td><td>76°34'14" E</td></tr><tr><td>10°44'36" N</td><td>76°16'8" E</td></tr><tr><td>Alappuzha</td><td>9°35'40" N</td><td>76°31'14" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Malappuram</td><td>9°10'35" N</td><td>76°31'4" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°36'56" N</td><td>76°12'51" E</td></tr><tr><td>10° 55' 36" N</td><td>75°54'11.9" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°37'03" N</td><td>76°12'44" E</td></tr><tr><td>10°32'44" N</td><td>76°15'46" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Palakkad</td><td>10°48'07" N</td><td>76°49'24" E</td></tr><tr><td>9°10'35" N</td><td>76°31'4" E</td></tr><tr><td>12°15'23" N</td><td>75°07'00" E</td></tr><tr><td>12°11'59" N</td><td>75°09'47" E</td></tr><tr><td>12°04'45" N</td><td>75°24'03" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="10">17</td><td rowspan="10">Tetranychus macfarlanei Baker &amp; Pritchard</td><td rowspan="10">Abelmoschus esculentus, A. moschatus Vigna unguiculata, Solanum melongena</td><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°32'50" N</td><td>76°16'53" E</td></tr><tr><td>Palakkad</td><td>10°47'51" N</td><td>76°44'35" E</td></tr><tr><td>Wayanad</td><td>11°37'03" N</td><td>76°12'44" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kannur</td><td>12°04'38" N</td><td>75°24'11" E</td></tr><tr><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°56'25" N</td><td>76°56'00" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>8°56'47" N</td><td>76°55'04" E</td></tr><tr><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°45'14" N</td><td>75°24'11" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kannur</td><td>12°04'38" N</td><td>75°24'11" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°32'42" N</td><td>76°16'26" E</td></tr><tr><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°45'14" N</td><td>77°01'28" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Malappuram</td><td>9°35'40" N</td><td>76°31'14" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°05'55" N</td><td>76°21'56" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°32'54" N</td><td>76°16'41" E</td></tr><tr><td>Ernakulam</td><td>10°03'12" N</td><td>76°17'00" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kottayam</td><td>9°35'40" N</td><td>76°31'14" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">Wayanad</td><td>10°32'17" N</td><td>76°13'01" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°36'56" N</td><td>76°12'51" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°49'01" N</td><td>76°01'01" E</td></tr><tr><td>Trivandrum</td><td>8°25'47" N</td><td>76°59'04" E</td></tr><tr><td>Thrissur</td><td>10°32'39" N</td><td>76°17'11" E</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">20</td><td rowspan="5">Tetranychus fijiensis Hirst</td><td rowspan="5">Pyrus communis, Musa paradisiaca, Caryota urens, Cassia fistula, Elettaria cardamomum, Areca catechu</td><td>Thrissur</td><td>11°36'56" N</td><td>76°12'51" E</td></tr><tr><td>Manihot esculenta</td><td>10°36'22" N</td><td>76°24'8" E</td></tr><tr><td>Kollam</td><td>10°33'32" N</td><td>76°21'4" E</td></tr><tr><td>Malappuram</td><td>8°56'25" N</td><td>76°56'00" E</td></tr><tr><td>11°00'57" N</td><td>76°06'47" E</td></tr></tbody></table>

baltazari, S. hindustanicus, S. krungthipensis, and S. mansoni. The genus *Oligonychus* was represented by five species: *O. oryzae*, *O. tylus*, *O. biharensis*, *O. grypus*, and *O. sacchari*. The genera *Eotetranychus*, *Eutetranychus* and *Neotetranychus* were each represented by a single species. The spider mite species recorded in the study along with their host plants are furnished in Table 1.

Taxonomic key for the identification of the tribes, genera and species of spider mites in agricultural ecosystems of Kerala is presented here. The structure of aedeagus of different species studied is furnished in Figure 2.
<table><tr><td>3a. Empodium split bilaterally into 2 claw-like structures, usually with appendent hairs</td><td><i>Schizotetranychus</i> Trägårdh</td></tr><tr><td>3b. Empodium split distally into hairs</td><td>4</td></tr></table>

4a. Dorsal body setae twice as long as the distance between bases of consecutive setae and set on tubercles
... *Neotetranychus* Trägårdh; aedeagus knob axis at an acute angle with the shaft, knob with an acute anterior angulation, width of knob about twice the width of aedeagus neck (Fig. 2G) — *N. lek* Flechtmann

4b. Dorsal body setae at least as long as the distance between bases of consecutive setae, not borne on tubercles
... *Eotetranychus* Oudemans; distal bent portion of aedeagus longer than the width of neck, knob pointed distally without projections (Fig. 2F) — *Eotetranychus* sp.1

5a. Tarsus I with two sets of duplex setae distal and adjacent; empodium of legs claw like with proximo ventral hairs
*Oligonychus* Berlese
5b. Tarsus I with two sets of duplex setae well separated, dividing segment into 3 more or less equal parts; empodium of legs claw like, splits distally into 3 pairs of hairs
*Tetranychus* Dufour

## Key to the species of *Schizotetranychus*

1a. Dorso hysterosomal setae longer than longitudinal distance between bases of consecutive pair of setae; distal portion of aedeagus turns dorsal to form a sigmoid distal end, tip slightly hooked (Fig. 2E)
*S. hindustanicus* (Hirst)

1b. Dorso hysterosomal setae shorter or approximately as long as the longitudinal distance between bases of consecutive pair of setae; aedeagus not as above
2

2a. Tibia I with 8 tactile and 2 sensory setae; distal end of peritreme bulb like; aedeagus dorsally directed but not sigmoid (Fig. 2D)
*S. mansoni* Gupta

2b. Tibia I with 7 tactile and 1 sensory setae; distal end of peritreme hooked
3

3a. Dorsal striae between third pair of dorso central hysterosomal setae longitudinal; aedeagus bent dorsad and dorsal margin of the tip pointed posteriorly at an angle (Fig. 2B)
*S. baltazari* Rimando

3b. Dorsal striae between third pair of dorso central hysterosomal setae transverse; aedeagus bent dorsad at right angle with shaft dorsal margin, with slender distal part, slightly curved caudad (Fig. 2C)
*S. krungthepensis* Auger & Naing

## Key to the species of *Oligonychus*

1a. Male aedeagus with distinct knob
2

1b. Male aedeagus without distinct knob
3

2a. Aedeagus with knob very prominent, curved downwards with long slender tapered posterior projection and flat dorsal margin (Fig. 2H)
*O. biharensis* (Hirst)

2b. Aedeagus with knob small, spear like with broad base; with dorsal margin of shaft forming almost right angle to anterior margin of upturned part (Fig. 2J)
*O. tylus* Baker and Pritchard

3a. Dorsally directed aedeagal part longer, strongly angulate medially, with long and slender posterior projection (Fig. 2K)
*O. grypus* Pritchard and Baker
3b. Dorsally directed aedeagal part comparatively short, weakly angulate medially, with small posterior projection forming slender, blunt or finger like tip 4

4a. Palp with terminal sensillum about thrice as long as wide and dorsal sensillum slender; dorsal idiosomal setae slightly longer than the interval between their longitudinal base; dorsal projection of aedeagus narrow, finger-like, projecting posteriorly (Fig. 2I) ... *O. oryzae* (Hirst)

4b. Palpus with terminal sensillum two times as long as wide and slender, dorsal sensillum slender; dorsal idiosomal setae twice longer than the interval between their longitudinal bases; aedeagus with distal part strongly sigmoid; upturned part recurved distally, forming strong and comparatively thick downturned tip (Fig. 2L) ... *O. sacchari* (McGregor)

## Keys to species of *Tetranychus*

1a. Spur on empodium I of female stout, 2/3rd the length of proximoventral hairs; aedeagus knob forming an acute angle with the shaft, posterior angulation acute (Fig. 2W) ...

1b. Spur on empodium I when present short, never exceeding 1/3rd the length of proximoventral hairs; aedeagus not as above ...

2a. Aedeagus long, slender, tapering; without a distinct terminal knob (Fig. 2T) ...

2b. Aedeagus not long, slender and tapering; with a terminal knob ...

3a. Female with proximal set of duplex setae more or less in line with the proximal tactile setae ...

3b. Female with proximal set of duplex setae well beyond the proximal four tactile setae ...

4a. Aedeagal knob with very small anterior and posterior projections; empodium II of male with proximoventral tridigitate spurs (Fig. 2Q) ...

4b. Aedeagal knob with acute anterior projection and without posterior projections; empodium II of male with 3 pairs of proximoventral hairs and with a small distinct medio dorsal spur (Fig. 2R) ...

5a. Aedeagus with a tiny knob; knob with slight anterior and posterior angulations (Fig. 2V) ...

5b. Aedeagus with a well-developed knob; knob not as above ...

6a. Dorsum of aedeagal knob with median indentation, berry like ...

6b. Dorsum of aedeagal knob slightly rounded without median indentation, not berry like ...

7a. Aedeagal neck not conspicuous, shaft shorter, anterior projection of the knob rounded and much bigger than the posterior projection (Fig. 2X) ...

7b. Aedeagal neck conspicuous, shaft longer, anterior and posterior projections of the knob subequal (Fig. 2S) ...

8a. Female empodium with strong mediodorsal spur; female terminal sensillum slightly longer than wide; aedeagal knob looks like a bird's head with posterior projection beak like (Fig. 2M) ...

8b. Female empodium with mediodorsal spur inconspicuous or absent, female terminal sensillum approximately twice as long as wide; aedeagal knob not as above ...
<table><tr><td>9a. Dorsal surface of aedeagal knob at an angle to the axis of the shaft</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>9b. Dorsal surface of knob parallel to the axis of the shaft</td><td>11</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>10a. Posterior angulation of knob elongated, width of the knob more than twice the width of the aedeagal neck (Fig. 2O)</td><td>T. marianae McGregor</td></tr><tr><td>10b. Posterior angulation of knob shorter, width of the knob one and a half times the width of the aedeagus neck (Fig. 2U)</td><td>T. lombardinii Baker & Pritchard</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>11a. Dorsal surface of the aedeagal knob not convex completely, at least posterior half of the knob with a median indentation (Fig. 2P)</td><td>T. truncatus Ehara</td></tr><tr><td>11b. Dorsal surface of the aedeagal knob convex or most part of it is</td><td>12</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>12a. Terminal sensillum of male palpus about 3-4 times as long as broad, aedeagal knob about 1/5th to 1/4th the length of the dorsal margin of the shaft (Fig. 2W)</td><td>T. urticae Koch</td></tr><tr><td>12b. Terminal sensillum of male palpus about 3 times as long as broad, aedeagus knob about 1/3rd the length of the dorsal margin of the shaft (Fig. 2Y)</td><td>T. kanzawai Kishida</td></tr></table>

## Host range of spider mite fauna in Kerala

In this study, spider mites have been recorded on 83 different host plants. *Tetranychus gloveri* was recorded on the widest host range of 44 host plants in 28 plant families (Table 1; Figure 3). This mite was distributed in eight districts covering northern, central and southern regions: Kasargod, Wayanad, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala. *Tetranychus truncatus* was recorded on 23 host plants followed by *T. urticae* (11 hosts), *Oligonychus tylus* and *O. biharensis* (10 hosts each), *T. ludeni* (9 hosts), *T. fijiensis* (6 hosts), *T. neocalidonychus* and *Schizotetranychus baltazari* (5 hosts each), *T. udaipurensis* and *T. macfarlanei* (4 hosts each), *Eutetranychus orientalis* (3 hosts), *Tetranychus marianae*, *T. puschelii*, *Oligonychus grypus*, *Schizotetranychus mansoni*, *S. hindustanicus*, *Eotetranychus* sp. 1, and *Neotetranychus lek* (2 hosts each). All other species recorded only single host each.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 3** Host range of spider mite species in Kerala.</figcaption></figure>
Discussion

From the 25 species of spider mites recorded in the study, many were found to be serious pests of field crops and ornamental plants in Kerala. The most predominant mite species was *T. gloveri*, followed by *T. truncatus* and *T. urticae*, which recorded wider host range compared to other species.

*Tetranychus gloveri* was first recorded in India on *Adenium obesum* from Kerala, which was then reported as *Tetranychus okinawanus* Ehara (Zeity et al. 2016). However, recently, Sharkey et al. (2022) reported *T. okinawanus* as a junior synonym of *T. gloveri*. Subsequently, it emerged as a predominant pest of major agricultural and horticultural crops in Kerala (Arunima et al. 2018; Prakash et al. 2022). This study reports 21 new host plants for this mite species as: orchid (Dendrobium sp.); jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus); West Indian elm (Guazuma ulmifolia); curry leaf (Murraya koenigii), country kreat (Exacum bicolor), persian violet (Exacum tetragonum), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), victoria corn plant (Dracaena victoria), creeping wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) pumpkin (Cucumis moschata), red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus), giant milk weed (Calotropis gigantean), little tree plant (Biophytum sensitivum), holy basil (Ocimum sanctum), aquatic pickerel weed (Monochoria vaginalis), angelwings (Caladium bicolor), betel (Piper betle), pepper elder (Peperomia pellucida), chowchow (Sicyos edulis), passion vine (Passiflora cristalina) and spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum). Hence, it can be inferred that *T. gloveri* has established and spread across Kerala by widening its host range and expanding its geographical area of distribution.

*Tetranychus truncatus* has a broad distribution, with records on 104 host plants in 34 plant families. It was first recorded in India from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on *Dahlia* sp. (Rather, 1983) and later, from Karnataka on mulberry (Srinivasa et al. 2012). In Kerala, it was recorded on cowpea, amaranthus, and cucumber (Bennur et al., 2015) under open cultivation and cucumber and amaranthus under protected cultivation (Lenin and Bhaskar, 2016). Subsequently, it was identified as a serious banana pest (Bhaskar & Lenin, 2018) and reported on brinjal (Lekha & Kinathi, 2019) as well as ornamental plants, including marigold, cock's comb (Celosia sp.), and rose (Prakash et al., 2022). This study adds new host records: tomato (*Lycopersicon esculentum*), orchid tree (*Bauhinia variegata*), ash gourd (*Benincasa hispida*), and holy basil (*Ocimum tenuiflorum*).

*Tetranychus urticae* is the most polyphagous spider mite species with 1577 different host plants species from the 132 different plant families, worldwide (Migeon and Dorkeld, 2025). It is very interesting that our study recorded only 11 different host plants for *T. urticae*. Thumba (*Leucas aspera*) and desert rose (*Adenium obesum*) are new hosts recorded for *T. urticae* in the study.

*Neotetranychus lek* is reported for the first time from India, while *S. mansoni* for the first time from south India. Flechtmann (2013) described *N. lek* based on specimens collected on cassava from Thailand. No further record was made on the mite species. In our study the species was collected on cassava and bauhinia. *Schizotetranychus mansoni* was described by Gupta (1980) from the specimens collected on paddy from south Andaman Island. In the Indian mainland though it was reported from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, the host plant was not mentioned (Gupta, 1991). In this study, brownbeard rice (*Oryza rufipogon*) is reported as new host for *S. mansoni*.

*Oligonychus grypus*, *O. tylus*, *O. sacchari* and *Tetranychus bambusae* are new distribution records for Kerala. *Oligonychus grypus* was earlier recorded from India on rice from Tamil Nadu (Sivakumar and Kunchithapatham, 2014) and from Karnataka on *Apluda mutica* and *Pennisutum glaucum* (Majeed et al. 2022). *Oligonychus tylus* was recorded earlier in India on coconut from Tamil Nadu (Dhyamanagouda et al. 2021), on date palm from Gujarat (Muralidharan et al. 2020) and on banana and arecanut from Karnataka (Majeed et al. 2022). Rice, arecanut, the ruffled fan palm (*Licuala grandis*), proso millet (*Panicum miliaceum*), barnyard millet (*Echinochloa esculenta*) and foxtail millet (*Setaria italica*) are reported here as new host plants for the mite species. *Oligonychus sacchari* was earlier reported in India
from West Bengal (Gupta 1992) and from Tamil Nadu (Gupta and Gupta, 1994). *Tetranychus bambusae* was reported in India earlier from Karnataka on *Bambusa bambos* by Zeity *et al.* (2016). In this study, it was collected on *Bambusa vulgaris*, which is a new host plant from India.

This study records three new host plants for *T. udaipurensis* viz., *Alocasia macrorrhizos* (Araceae), *Arachis pintoi* (Arachidaceae), and *Verbena officinalis* (Verbenaceae). Horsewood (*Clausina anisata*) and Malabar neem (*Melia dubia*) are new hosts recorded for *S. baltazari*. In Kerala, *T. udaipurensis* was earlier reported on okra, cassava and banana (Arunima, 2017), while *S. baltazari* is a major pest of curry leaf (Nilamudheen, 2021).

Other new host records made in the study are: red amaranth (*Amaranthus cruentus*), okra, (*Abelmoschus esculentus*), Mexican lilac (*Gliricidia sepium*) and bilimbi (*Averrhoa bilimbi*) for *Oligonychus biharensis*; red amaranth (*A. cruentus*) and bleeding heart vine (*Clerodendrum thomsoniae*) for *T. puschelii*; Malabar kino (*Pterocarpus marsupium*) and horsewood (*Clausena anisata*) for *T. neocalidonychus*; banana (*Musa paradisiaca*) and jaggery palm (*Caryota urens*) for *Tetranychus fijiensis*; winged bean (*Psophocarpus tetragonolobus*) for *T. ludeni* and cassava (*Manihot esculenta*) for *E. orientalis*.

*Oligonychus oryzae* and *T. kanzawai* are serious pests of rice and cassava, respectively in Kerala (Bhaskar and Thomas, 2011; Bhaskar *et al.* 2024). *Schizotetranychus krungthepensis* was collected in the study only on sugarcane. It was first described by Naing *et al.* (2014) from specimens collected on sugarcane from Thailand. This exotic mite pest was later reported from different states of India including Kerala on sugarcane (Mahesh *et al.* 2021; Poojar *et al.* 2021), which is now considered as an emerging threat to sugarcane crop in India.

The results of the study indicates that the fauna of spider mites in Kerala is more diverse than documented till date. Two exotic mite pest species, *T. truncatus* and *T. gloveri*, reported recently in the state have established and turned invasive by expanding the geographical area of distribution and widening their host range. However, the most polyphagous spider mite species *T. urticae* recorded only fewer number of host plants in Kerala, compared to the above two species. The study also reports new geographical distribution and host records of spider mite species for the country, India and the state, Kerala.

**Conflict of interest statement**

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare in relation to the subject matter of this paper.

**Acknowledgements**

The authors extend sincere thanks to Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India for funding the project and All India Network Project on Agricultural Acarology (AINPAA) for providing facilities to conduct the work.

**ORCID**

Haseena Bhaskar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6701-5632

Melvin Mohan https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9075-6517

Desavath Gouthami https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0917-4473

Penuballi Swathi https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0475-8750

Amal Poulose https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6436-9476

Udaya Kumar Sreelakshmi https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4097-6905

Channegowda Chinnamade Gowda https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3626-6922

Chengaloor Venugopalan Vidya https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0995-8517

Deepu Mathew https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2941-1060
References

Arunima V. 2017. DNA barcoding of spider mites (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) on major crop plants of Kerala [M.Sc (Ag) thesis]. KAU: Thrissur. pp. 59.

Arunima V., Bhaskar H., Abida P.S., Shylaja, M.R. 2018. *Tetranychus okinawanus* Ehara (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) emerging as a potential invasive pest in Kerala, India. Abstract Book. In XV International Congress of Acarology; September 2-8, 2018. Antalya, Turkey, pp.72.

Baker E.W., Pritchard A. E. 1960. The tetranychoid mites of Africa. p. 455-574. https://doi.org/10.3733/hilg.v29n11p455

Bennur S., Abida P.S., Valsala P.A., Mathew D., Bhaskar, H. 2015. DNA barcoding of spider mites (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) in vegetables using COI and ITS2 markers. In Genome 65 Auriga DR, Suite 203, Ottawa, on K2E 7W6, Canada: Canadian Science Publishing, NRC Research Press. 58 (5): pp. 195-195.

Bhaskar H., Lenin N. 2018. Management of banana leaf mite, *Tetranychus truncatus* (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae), a new pest of banana. Book of Abstracts, National Symposium on Entomology. Pp. 1-9.

Bhaskar H., Swathi P., Gowda C., Mohan M., Miraj A.S., Venugopalan, V.C., Mathew D. 2024. New Record of *Tetranychus kanzawai* (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Cassava in India. J. Entomol. Sci., 60 (1): 154-156. https://doi.org/10.18474/JES24-04

Bhaskar H., Thomas J. 2011. Sporadic incidence of paddy leaf mite *Oligonychus oryzae* (Tetranychidae: Prostigmata) in Palakkad, Kerala. Insect Environ, 17 (2): 55-56.

Binisha K.V., Bhaskar H. 2013. Mite fauna associated with major vegetable crops of Thrissur district, Kerala. Entomon, 38 (1): 47-52. https://entomon.in/index.php/Entomon/article/view/20

Bolland H.R., Gutierrez J., Flechtmann C.H.W. 1998. World catalogue of the spider mite family (Acari: Tetranychidae). Brill, Netherlands. pp. 392.

Chalil S.P., Kunnathattil M., Kaimal S.G., Punathil T. 2024. A checklist of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) of India. Persian J. Acarol., 13 (1): 29-75. https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.v13i1.78022

Dyamanagouda P., Vishnupriya, R., Gowda, C.C. 2022. Two new records of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) with new host plant from Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Persian J. Acarol., 11 (1): 153-157. https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.v11i1.70382

Ahara S. 1995. A New Species of *Tetranychus* (Acari, Tetranychidae) from the Ryukyu Islands. Japan. J. Entomol., 63 (1): 229-233.

Ahara S. 1999. Revision of the spider mite family Tetranychidae of Japan (Acari, Prostigmata). Species diversity, 4 (1): 63-141. https://doi.org/10.12782/specdiv.4.63

Flechtmann C.H. 2013. A new species of *Neotetranychus* Trägårdh (Acari: Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) from Thailand with a key to world species. Persn. J. Acarol., 2 (1). https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.v2i1.9947

Gupta S.K. 1976. Contribution to our knowledge of tetranychid mites (Acarina) with descriptions of three new species from India. Orient. Insects, 10: 327-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/00305316.1976.10432332

Gupta S.K. 1985. Hand book of Plant mites of India. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, pp. 520.

Gupta S.K. 1991. The mites of agricultural importance in India with remarks on their economic status. In: Modern Acarology: Proceedings of the VIII International Congress of Acarology, Dusbábek, F. and V. Bukva (Eds.) Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia, 6-11 August, SPB Academic Publishing: The Hague. 1: 509-522.

Gupta S.K., Gupta Y.N. 1994. A taxonomic review of Indian Tetranychidae (Acari: Prostigmata) with description of new species and redescriptions of known species, keys to genera and species. Memoirs Zool. Survey India. 18: 1-196.

Gupta Y.N. 1980. Some spider mites (Acarina: Tetranychidae) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands with descriptions of three new species. Records of the Zoological Survey of India. pp. 111-117. https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi/v77/i1-4/1979/161847

Gupta. 1992. Arachnida: plant mites (Acari). Zoological Survey of India, State Fauna Series 3: Fauna of West Bengal, Part 3: pp. 61-211.

Lekha K., Kinathi P. 2019. First report of *Tetranychus truncatus* on brinjal in Kerala. Indian J. Entomol., 81 (3): 456-457.

Lenin J.A., Bhaskar H. 2016. Mite pests of vegetable crops under protected cultivation in Kerala. Entomon, 41 (4): 218-224. https://doi.org/10.33307/entomon.v41i4.218

Mahesh P., Srikanth J., Mahendran B., Chandran K., Singaravelu B., Salin, K.P. 2021. Occurrence of the exotic mite *Schizotetranychus krungthepensis* (Acarina: Tetranychidae) in sugarcane germplasm in India. Crop Prot., 144: 105556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2021.105556

Majeed S.A.A., Rajashekharappa K., Srinivasa N., Hegde J.N., Chinnamadegowda C.C. 2022. Diversity and Abundance of Spider Mites and Associated Predatory Mites of Shivamogga Region. Biol. Forum - An Int. J., 14 (2): 1303-1307.

Migeon A., Dorkeld F. 2025. Spider Mites Web: a comprehensive database for the Tetranychidae. [18 January 2025]. Available from: https://www1.montpellier.inrae.fr/CBGP/spmweb

Muralidharan C.M., Baidiyavadra D.A., Sharma K.M., Srinivasa, N. 2020. First incidence of a spider mite, *Oligonychus tylus* (Baker & Pritchard), in date palm (*Phoenix dactylifera* L.) groves of Kachchh in Gujarat, India. J. Plantation Crops, 48 (2): 137-41. https://doi.org/10.25081/jpc.2020.v48.i2.6373

Naing H.H., Chandrapatya A., Navajas M., Auger P. 2014. Know more about spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Myanmar. Proceedings of 90th YAU (Yezin Agricultural University) Conference held at: Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. pp. 257-275.

Nilamudeen M. 2021. The occurrence of Citrus green mite, *Schizotetranychus baltazari* Rimando (Acari: Tetranychidae) on curry leaf (*Murraya koeningii* F: Rutaceae) in Kerala. Insect Environ., 24 (2): 247-248.
Poojar D., Ramakrishnan V., Gowda, C. 2021. Two new records of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) with new host plant from Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Persian J. Acarol., 11 (1): 153-157.
https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.v11i1.70382

Prakash J., Bhaskar H., Mathew D., Vidya C.V., Gowda C.C., Shylaja, M.R. 2022. Diversity of spider mites (Tetranychidae) on ornamental plants in Central Kerala Indian J. Entomol., 84 (1): 82-87.
https://doi.org/10.55446/UE.2021.255

Pritchard A.E., Baker E.W. 1955. A revision of the spider mite family Tetranychidae. Memoirs Series, San Francisco, Pacific Coast Entomological Society. pp. 472. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl title.150852

Rather A.Q. 1983. New records of five genera and eighteen species of phytophagous mites (Acarina) from India with notes on their host range, distribution and economic importance. In: Abstracts of 2nd All India Symposium on Acarology, Pune, pp. 25-26.

Ros V.I.D., Breeuwer J.A.J. 2007. Spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) mitochondrial COI phylogeny reviewed: host plant relationships, phylo-geography, reproductive parasites and barcoding. Exp. Appl. Acarol., 42 (4): 239-262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-007-9092-z

Sharkey E.R., Beaulieu F., Moore M.R., Bolton S.J. 2022. Morphological and molecular data reveal the conspecificity of the spider mites *Tetranychus gloveri* and *T. okinawanus* (Acari: Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae). Syst. Appl. Acarol., 27 (2): 250-268. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.27.2.7

Sivakumar K., Kunchithapatham R. 2014. Phytophagous mite diversity of *Tetranychus* spp. and *Oligonychus* sp. (Acari: Tetranychidae) found on different host plants in Coimbatore district and surrounding regions. Trends Biosci., 7 (24): 4113-4117.

Meyer M.K.P.S. 1992. Four new species of *Bryobia* Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) from South Africa, with a revised key to the African species. Phytophylactica, 24 (1): 1-8.

Srinivasa N., Gowda C.C., Mallik B., Raghavendra P. 2012. New record of *Tetranychus truncatus* Ehara (Acari: Tetranychidae) as a potential pest from Karnataka. Indian J. Entomol., 74: 379-383.

Swathi P., Bhaskar H. 2023. *Tetranychus gloveri* (Acari: Tetranychidae): an emerging threat to tissue culture banana plantlets in nurseries. Pest Manage. Hortic Ecosyst., 29 (2): 299-301.
https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-4541.2023.00046.7

Vacante V. 2015. The handbook of mites of economic plants: identification, bio-ecology and control, CABI, Croydon, UK. pp. 1-865. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845939946.0001

WFO 2025. World Flora Online. Accessed on: [19 May 2025]. Available from https://www.worldfloraonline.org.

Zeity M., Srinivasa N., Gowda C.C. 2016. New species, new records and re-description of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) from India. Zootaxa. 4085 (3): 416-430. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4085.3.5