DIVERSITY OF MITES (ACARI) ON WILD MUSHROOMS FROM WEST BENGAL DR. SUHAIL AHMED BHAT

Abstract

This paper deals with a total of 44 species of mites belonging to 38 genera, 27 families and 4 orders, occurring on 15 species of wild mushrooms collected from 9 districts of West Bengal. Among those, some are damage causing, some are predatory, some are of accidental occurrence and some are of uncertain association with wild mushrooms. This paper includes species like Cheylitus audex, Eucheyletia sinensis, Cunaxoides biscutum, Lasioseius floridensis, Sejus togatus and Cheiroseius laelaptoides which are reported here for the first time from India. This report also includes 3 species as Tydeus sp. (family- Tydeidae), Typhlodromous sp. (family- Phytoseiidae), Cheylostigmaeus sp. (familyStigmaeidae) which appear to be new to science and will be described later elsewhere. In addition, it includes a total of 18 species, the occurrence of which on mushroom/ wild mushroom was earlier unknown. All the species are listed taxa-wise giving their habitats, localities, date of collection, relative abundance, nature of association with the wild mushrooms and importance, if any. Lastly, a list of mushroom species- mite is also appended.