Phytoseiidae of Vietnam (Acari: Mesostigmata) with description of a new species

Abstract

Vietnam is a large country of Southeast Asia and a globally recognized hotspot of biodiversity. Until recently, only limited surveys had been carried out on the resident Phytoseiidae fauna and presence of 12 species had been documented, with 11 belonging to the sub-family Amblyseiinae and 1 to the sub-family Typhlodrominae. Here, we present results from 2017 field surveys and add a total of 8 new country records, one of which a newly-described species. At least 5 species (i.e., Neoseiulus longispinosus, Paraphytoseius cracentis, P. orientalis, Amblyseius cinctus and A. herbicolus) are well-known biological control agents (BCA), while two species (Euseius ovaloides and Gynaeseius liturivorus) carries ample potential as BCA agents but necessitates further study. In addition to the intrinsic value of phytoseiid mite biodiversity in tropical environments, demonstration of the natural occurrence of efficient BCAs in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam is of great agricultural and commercial interest.