ALTERNATIVE PLANT HABITATS FOR COMMON PHYTOSEIID PREDATORS OF THE CASSAVA GREEN MITE (ACARI, PHYTOSEIIDAE, TETRANYCHIDAE) IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL

A survey was conducted to identify possible alternative plant habitats of the most common phytoseiid predators associated with the cassava g reen mite, Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar), in their native environment in northeast Brazil. Thirty-two phytoseiid species were collected, in cluding Amblyseius aripo (DeLeon), Amblyseius idaeus (Denmark and Muma ) and Amblyseius limonicus Garman and McGregor s. l., the three predat ors previously shown as the most common on cassava. In increasing orde r, A. idaeus, Phytoseius guianensis DeLeon and A. aripo were the most common phytoseiids collected on the plant habitats examined. A. limoni cus s.l. was one of the least common phytoseiids on plants other than cassava. Alternative plant habitats seem important in harboring A. ari po and A. idaeus, but not A. limonicus s.l..