MITES INFESTING THREE VEGETABLE CROPS IN ASSIUT GOVERNORATE

A field experiment was carried out in El-Kossia district, Assiut Governorate during early summer plantations of 2013 and 2014 in order to study numerical density of three phytophagous mites (i. e. Tetranychus urticae Koch, Tetranychus cucurbitacearum (Sayed) (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Aculops lycopersici (Massee) (Acari: Eriophiidae)) inhabiting three vegetable crops squash, Cucurbita pepo L.; common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. and tomato, Lycoperiscon esculentum Miller, in addition to study the survey of the soil mites under the previous three vegetable plantations. Results indicate that T. urticae Koch infested the three vegetable crops; T. cucurbitacearum (Sayed) infested squash and the common bean. While A. lycopersici was found only on tomato plantations. The survey study revealed the presence of 33 mite species belonging to 20 families. The Mesostigmata mites ranked the first as they included the highest numbers of species (13 species) followed by the Cryptostigmata mites (11 species); the Prostigmata (6 species) and the Astigmata (3 species). The results obtained in the present study should be taken into account in planning programs when conducting the integrated pest management in the three previous vegetable fields. On the other side, it must be performed exclusively survey for all mite species on either the green leaves or soil beneath of those vegetable plants at Assiut area.