Ácaros associados a Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) em fragmentos urbano e rural de floresta estacional semidecidual. Plantas nativas podem abrigar uma grande diversidade de ácaros, entretanto o estado de conservação dos fragmentos onde estas plantas estão localizadas pode influenciar a estrutura da comunidade. Em ambientes homogêneos a diversidade geralmente é menor devido à dominância de uma ou poucas espécies. O objetivo deste trabalho foi conhecer a acarofauna associada a Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) em dois fragmentos de floresta estacional semidecidual, sendo um rural e outro urbano. Amostramos mensalmente no período de abril de 2007 a março de 2008, sete indivíduos de X. aromatica em cada um dos dois fragmentos. Índices descritores de diversidade, dominância e de equitabilidade foram aplicados para verificar os padrões ecológicos da comunidade, além do Teste t de Student para comparar a abundância de ácaros entre os fragmentos. Foram coletados 27.365 ácaros de 37 espécies pertencentes a 11 famílias. Calacarus sp. (Eriophyidae) foi a espécie mais abundante, representando 73% do total amostrado. A abundância total foi maior no fragmento urbano (67,7%), com a diversidade atingindo somente 25% da máxima teórica prevista. Provavelmente, estes valores foram influenciados pela localização deste fragmento na área urbana, sendo mais homogêneo e submetido à presença de poluentes atmosféricos. Dessa forma, X. aromatica pode abrigar uma maior diversidade de ácaros quando inserida em um ecossistema conservado, visto que a maior diversidade de recursos disponíveis permite o estabelecimento de uma acarofauna mais rica e diversa.

Mites associated to Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) in urban and rural fragments of semidecidual forest. Native plants can shelter a great diversity of mites. Notwithstanding, the conservation of the forest fragments where the plants are located can influence the structure of the mites community. Generally, in homogenous environments the diversity is lower due to the dominance of one or a few species. In this work, we studied the mite community on Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) in two fragments of semidecidual forest: one on rural and other on urban area. Seven individuals of X. aromatica were monthly sampled from April 2007 to March 2008, in each of these fragments. Descriptive indexes of diversity, dominance and evenness were applied to verify the ecological patterns of the mite community, besides the Student's t-test to compare the abundance between the fragments. We collected 27,365 mites of 37 species belonging to 11 families. Calacarus sp. (Eriophyidae) was the most abundant species, representing 73% of the total sampled. The abundance was greater in the urban fragment (67.7%), with the diversity index reaching only 25% of the theoretical maximum expected. Probably, these values might have been influenced by the location of this fragment in the urban area, being more homogeneous and submitted directly to the presence of atmospheric pollution. In this manner, X. aromatica is able to shelter a higher diversity of mites when inserted in preserved ecosystems, since the highest diversity of available resources allows the establishment of richer and most diverse mite community.

Eutetranychus banksi (McGregor, 1914) is a phytophagous, polyphagous and cosmopolitan species recorded on 23 plant families in 24 countries in North, Central and South Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Specimens of E. banksi present morphological variability among individuals of the same population and also among populations from different host species, being commonly referred to as a polytypic species, despite the fact that studies based on meristic comparisons of these populations are lacking. Also, there is no data available in the literature on the biological life tables of E. banksi on different hosts. Specimens collected in Brazil, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, and Paraguay were investigated in order to recognize morphological patterns among populations from different localities and hosts. A redescription of the species is provided based on data both from literature and new observations. Also, the biological cycle on three hosts, experiments of hosts exchange and the possibility of interbreeding in individuals originating from different populations were evaluated. Significant differences in the morphology of the females of different populations were detected when comparing the different hosts. The length of the dorsal pairs of setae v2, sc2, c1, c3, e1 and h1 differentiated the specimens of the populations collected from Citrus sp. from those of Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. and Pachira aquatica Aubl.. Herein we observed significant variation among the life cycle of this species on the three hosts studied. When a substrate different from the one where the mites were collected was used for the biological cycle essay, significant variation was observed in several parameters such as average oviposition rate, events of arrenothoky, and sex ratio. Interbreeding with populations collected from Citrus sinensis and P. aquatica resulted in no descendants, although mating was observed.

No presente trabalho foram estudados os ácaros associados a plantas ornamentais de praças, ruas e jardins residenciais, no município de Ilha Solteira, SP. Foram amostradas folhas de 20 espécies de plantas e alguns representantes das morfoespécies de ácaros encontrados foram montados em lâminas de microscopia com o meio de Hoyer, para posterior identificação sob microscópio óptico com contraste de fases. Foram registradas 23 espécies pertencentes a 15 gêneros de oito famílias. Dessas espécies, 13 são fitófagas, nove predadoras e uma de hábito alimentar não determinado. A família com maior riqueza de ácaros foi Tetranychidae, com nove espécies, sendo uma delas registrada pela primeira vez após a descrição original e outra pela primeira vez no Brasil. Lorryia formosa Cooremann, 1958 (Tydeidae) foi a que ocorreu em maior número de hospedeiros. As plantas com as maiores riquezas de ácaros foram Lagerstroemia indica L., Mussaenda alicia Hort. e Tabebuia sp., com seis espécies registradas em cada uma.

Phytophagous mites living on ornamental plants growing in parks, streets and residential gardens from Ilha Solteira, State of São Paulo, were studied. Leaves of 20 plant species were sampled and some specimens of the different morphospecies found were mounted in microscopy slides with Hoyer's medium for posterior identification under phase contrast microscope. Twenty three species belonging to 15 genera of eight families were recorded. From these, 13 species are phytophagous, nine are predator and one is of unknown feeding habits. The family Tetranychidae presented the highest richness, with nine species registered, being one of these recorded for the first time after the original description and another one being registered for the first time in Brazil. Lorryia formosa Cooremann, 1958 (Tydeidae) occurred on the highest number of hosts. The host plants that harbored the highest number of mite species were Lagerstroemia indica L., Mussaenda alicia Hort. and Tabebuia sp., with six species recorded on each.

Aceria gymnoscuta Navia & Flechtmann, 2002 foi originalmente descrita com base em espécimes coletados sobre Syagrus cocoides Mart. e Syagrus flexuosa (Mart.) Becc. (Arecaceae). Pequenas variações no padrão do escudo dorsal e na linha esternal em relação à descrição original e detalhes das genitálias do macho e da fêmea são apresentadas neste trabalho, com base em espécimes coletados sobre um novo hospedeiro, Syagrus oleracea (Mart.) Becc.

Aceria gymnoscuta Navia & Flechtmann, 2002 was originally described based on specimens collected on Syagrus cocoides Mart. and Syagrus flexuosa (Mart.) Becc. (Arecaceae). Slight variations in the dorsal shield pattern and the sternal line, in relation to the original description, and details on male and female genitalia are mentioned in this paper, based on specimens collected on a new host, Syagrus oleracea (Mart.) Becc.

Calacarus heveae Feres, 1992 was the first eriophyid mite reported from Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. This mite was first found in northwestern São Paulo State, Brazil. Feres (1998) described two additional species, Shevtchenkella petiolula and Phyllocoptruta seringueirae, from the same host and from same region. The commercial monocultural planting of the Amazonian rubber tree in the northwestern region of São Paulo State started about 18 years ago. In the Amazonian region, the native rubber tree grows dispersed between other plant species. Until now these eriophyids have been collected only on monocultural plantings. This paper reports the occurrence of C. heveae, S. petiolula and P. seringueirae on H. brasiliensis in the Amazonian Forest for the first time. The monocultural method in association with prevailing climatic conditions allows periodic outbreaks of these mites is believed. These new records for those three eriophyid species on rubber trees growing in natural conditions corroborate this hypothesis.