Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) from Mato Grosso State, Central-Western Brazil

The aim of the present study was to conduct a survey of mites of the family Phytoseiidae associated with plants of the natural vegetation and cultivated forests in sites of three biomes (Amazon Forest, Cerrado and Pantanal) in the Mato Grosso State. Twenty-one species of 11 genera, of the three phytoseiid subfamilies were registered. Amblyseius Berlese was the most diverse genus, with fi ve species. Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma was the most common species, collected from 12 plant species in fi ve collection sites. Eleven phytoseiid species were reported for the fi rst time in the Mato Grosso State.


INTRODUCTION
Mato Grosso is a large state of the central-western region of Brazil, occupying an area of about 10% (903.207 km 2 ) of the country´s territory ( IBGE 2020) and extending over parts of three biomes (Amazon Forest, Cerrado and Pantanal). Despite being one of the main agricultural producers in Brazil (Sousa et al. 2017), relatively few studies (Ferla & Moraes 2002, Moraes et al. 2006, Demite & Feres 2007, Demite et al. 2008a, Daud & Feres 2013 have been conducted to understand the local mite fauna. Most of these studies have been conducted in rubber tree plantations, except that of Demite et al. (2009), conducted in areas of natural vegetation of the Cerrado biome, neighboring plots of rubber trees. In these studies, only 25 phytoseiid species were reported, too few for a state about the size of the largest countries of western Europe. Knowledge regarding the mite fauna is of considerable importance to establish effective programs for the biological control of pest organisms.
Phytoseiidae is considered the most important family of predatory mites, with several species being produced and used commercially for the biological control of arthropod pests, including small insects (thrips and whitefl ies) and mites (McMurtry et al. 2013, 2015, Knapp et al. 2018. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytoseiid species associated with plants both in the natural vegetation and cultivated forests in Mato Grosso State.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Mites were collected from ten sites (Table I and Figure 1). Leaf and fl ower samples were obtained from the natural vegetation and cultivated forests from sites of the biomes found in the state between January 2015 and September 2016. They were put in plastic bags and transported to the laboratory, where they were washed in a bucket containing 8L of 30% ethanol and then filtered through a 50 µm mesh screen, from which mites were collected as described by Rezende & Lofego (2011).

RESULTS
Twenty-one species were found, belonging to 11 genera of three phytoseiid subfamilies, as subsequently specified.    Remarks: This is the first record of this species for Mato Grosso State, Brazil.
Specimens examined -Cotriguaçu: unidentified Annonaceae, I-2015 (1 female Remarks: This is the first record of this species for Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

Amblyseius operculatus De Leon
Amblyseius operculatus De Leon, 1967: 26. Amblyseius ( Remarks: This is the first record of this species for Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

Euseius concordis (Chant)
Typhlodromus ( Moraes et al. 1982). Remarks: This is the first record of this species for Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

Neoseiulus tunus (De Leon)
Typhlodromips tunus De Leon, 1967  Remarks: This is the first record of this species for Mato Grosso State, Brazil.
Remarks: Proprioseiopsis cannaensis was considered junior synonym of P. ovatus by Denmark & Evans (2011). However, Moraes & McMurtry (1983) measured and illustrated the spermathecae of holotypes of both species, reporting the following differences: P. cannaensis having calyx short (13 µm) and progressively increasing in diameter towards the base, and P. ovatus having calyx long (22 µm) and somewhat constricted medially. The specimens collected the shape of the calyx is most similar to the illustration provided by Moraes & McMurtry (1983) for P. cannaensis, 15 µm long. In our experience along the years, mites of this group collected in the American continent most often have calyx of the P. cannaensis type. Hence, studies to confirm or not that proposed synonymy should be conducted. Ideally, priority should be given to collect new specimens from the respective type localities. There would be no problem in this regard concerning P. cannaensis, whose type locality is Winter Haven, Florida, USA. However, the type locality of P. ovatus is not adequately known, as it was described from a single specimen intercepted in quarantine at Brownsville, Texas, USA, on plants imported from Ecuador. Hence, an effort should be made to determine more precisely the source of that specimen. This is the first record of this species for Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

DISCUSSION
Iphiseiodes zuluagai was the most common species in this study, being recorded from 12 plant species and in five collection sites, two from the Amazon Forest biome, two from the Pantanal and one from cultivated forest grown in a region where the original vegetation was Amazon Forest. Three other species also occurred both on plants of the natural vegetation and on plants of cultivated forests: Euseius alatus, E. citrifolius and E. concordis. These four species have been frequently found in Brazil, both on cultivated plants (e.g. Mineiro et al. 2004, Hernandes & Feres 2006, Rezende & Lofego 2012, Silva et al. 2012, Lofego et al. 2013, Domingos et al. 2014, Baldo et al. 2018) and on plants of the Amazon Forest (Nuvoloni et al. 2015b), Cerrado , Demite et al. 2009, Rezende & Lofego 2011), and Pantanal (Mendonça et al. 2019 Grosso (Nuvoloni et al. 2015b). In the present study, they were collected only in the Amazon Forest area, in Cotriguaçú (I. raucuara) and Sinop (A. chicomendesi). In addition to these two, nine other species are reported for the first time in Mato Grosso. These new records of species and genera demonstrate the importance of conducting surveys to better understand the diversity of this important group of predatory mites in Central-Western region of Brazil.