Description of Four Species of Acarid Mites Newly Recorded from Japan, with Reference to the Damage Caused to Crops (Acari:Astigmata)

Abstract

Four species of acarid mites which had not been previously recorded in Japan were observed on various plants mainly in Hokkaido, northern Japan, and their morphological features were described. The damage caused to the crops was also briefly reported. Tyrophagus similis VOLGIN, 1949, commonly occurred on spinach in Hokkaido, and was also found to be injurious to melon, cucumber, pumpkin and maize in many parts of the island. Tyrophagus perniciosus ZACHVATKIN, 1941, was injurious to spinach, melon and pumpkin, but its distribution was limited to several areas of Hokkaido. Tyrophagus neiswanderi JOHNSTON et BRUCE, 1965, was collected mainly from plants grown in greenhouses in Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu, but injury was reported only on cucumber in Ibaraki Prefecture, Honshu. Mycetoglyphus fungivorus OUDEMANS, 1932, was collected only from spinach and seemed to be restricted to eastern Hokkaido. Its hypopus has not yet been found in Japan. The first record of the genus Mycetoglyphus OUDEMANS, 1932, in Japan is reported in this paper. © 1988, JAPANESE SOCIETY OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY. All rights reserved.