| abstract | Mites of the genus Phytoseius Ribaga are generally found inhabiting low-growing vegetation. They predate upon mites of the families Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, Eriophyidae and Tarsonemidae as well as small insects. Preliminary observations indicate that most of these mites are considered to be of great economic importance as they play a great role in the control of phytophagous mites. Several species were recorded from different parts of the world by Ribaga (1904), Wainstein (1959), Chant & Athias Henriot (1960), Pritchard & Baker (1962), Ebara (1961 & 1910), El-Badry (1968), Gupta (1969, 1977 a & 1977 b), Chaudhri (1973) and Chaudhri et al. (1979).
Denmark (1966) gave a revision of the genus Phytoseius, while El-Badry (1970) reviewed the phytoseiid mites of Egypt showing that the genus was represented by both Phytoseius plumifer Canestrini & Fanzago and Phytoseius solanus El-Badry. The present study deals with the description of the new species, Phytoseius pesidiumii n.sp. along with a key to the already known species of the genus from Egypt. |