Agricultural Acarology

Mites are extremely abundant and variable in habitat but are not commonly seen by casual observers due to their small size. In fact, some mites are invisible to the naked eye. Many parasitic forms are vectors of diseases and some are serious agricultural pests. An entire branch of biology call Acarology is devoted to the study of these remarkable organisms.

This course covers mites under two parts. Part 1 gives general information about the taxonomic status of mites, collecting, preparation, mounting and reserving of mites, and the external (morphological) and internal (physiological) features of mites. Part 2 deals with economic important mites infesting vegetables. Brief information about the scientific and common names of important species, species description, geographical distribution, hosts, life cycle, damage symptoms, and management are documented.