ESTABLISHMENT AND DISPERSAL OF THE INTRODUCED PREDATORY MITE, MACROCHELES PEREGRINUS KRANTZ, IN AUSTRALIA

Abstract

A South African predatory mite, Macrocheles peregrinus, phoretic on dung beetles (Scarabaeidae), was released at 2 sites in northern Australia as part of a programme on the biological control of the buffalo fly, Haematobia irritans exigua De Meijere and the bush fly, Musca vetustissima Walker. Releases were made at Rockhampton, Queensland and at Adelaide River, Northern Territory, in December 1980 and February 1981 respectively. Establishment was achieved immediately and after 14 months the area colonised around each release site was approximately 180,000 km2. Copyright © 1983, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved