A survey of the species of predaceous mites belonging to the Phytoseiidae family was run every other week for a three-year period on 'Valencia' orange tree leaves (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) in Lavras, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Iphiseiodes zuluagai Denmark & Muma and Euseius alatus DeLeon were the most frequent, the first one representing 66.2% and the second 29.8% of the collected mites. Both were found during the whole period, and I. zuluagai occurred mostly between April and September (autumn and winter), period of mild temperatures and low rainfalls. The species E. alatus, presented higher occurrence between October and February that corresponded to the higher temperatures and pluvial precipitation period. Other surveyed species and percentages of occurrence were: Amblyseius compositus Denmark & Muma (2,6%), Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant) (1,1%) and Phytoseiulus macropilis (Banks) (0,3%), being A. compositus the most frequent; the other species were occasional.
Acari; predaceous mite; Citrus sinensis; natural enemy; population dynamics
