TETRANYCHIDAE AND PHYTOSEIIDAE mites ASSOCIATED WITH YUCCA CROP Manihot esculenta CRANTZ, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORDOBA

Abstract

The phytoseiid mite is considered that the most important natural enemy of the phytophagous mites on cassava. A taxonomic inventory and morpho­logical descriptions of the most important genera and the species complex of phytoseiid mites and their association with tetranychids were determined, as well as, their geogra­phical distribution in the Colombian department of Córdoba was realized. Specimens were obtained from samples collected in 21 localities with a temperature range of 23-38°C and altitude above sea level) ranging from 20 to 800 meters. Because of the agroecological similitude between the Nort West re­gión of Córdoba and the North of Ghana in Africa an intensive sampling was carried out in this region. Taxo­nomic identification was made accord­ing Muma & Denmark's system wíth the collaboration of Doctor Gilberto de Moraes from CPATSA, Brazil. Results show the presence of the following phytoseiid species: Ambly­seius aerialis (Muma), Euseius naindai­mei (Chant & Baker), lphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma, Neoseiu­lus anonymus (Chant & Baker), N. chilenensis (Dosse), Phytoseiulus ma­cropilis (Banks), Typhlodromalus limonicus (Garman & McGregor).limonicus was the most widely distributed species in the department, followed by A. aerialis, N. anonymus and P. macropilis. Tetranychid mites most frequently found were Mononychellus progresi­vus, M. tanajoa, M. caribbeanae, Oli­gonychus peruvianus, O. gossypii, and Tetranychus sp.