Agistemus collyerae (Acari: Trombidiformes: Stigmaeidae) in South Africa: First record, introduction pathways and a re-description including additional life stages

Abstract

Agistemus collyerae Gonzáles-Rodrigues (Stigmaeidae) is reported for the first time in South Africa on grapevines in the Western Cape Province. We investigate a possible introduction pathway of this mite as a contaminant on imported agricultural goods. Based on South African interception data, we report new country records of A. collyerae in the USA, Chile, Yemen, Spain and France. We re-describe it based on the South African specimens, including first-time descriptions of the male and deutonymph. Female specimens have shorter dorsal setae than those documented in the original descriptions, but we do not consider this enough evidence to justify a new species.