Mites of the families Eriophyidae, Tarsonemidae and Tetranychidae are considered of economic importance in the blackberry (Rubus fruticosus, Rosaceae), raspberry and other small fruit crops. This study was conducted from November of 2001 to October of 2003 on Brazos, Caigangue and Tupy cultivars in Ilópolis municipality, state of Rio Grande do Sul, to describe the mitefauna and its population fluctuation in blackberry crops. A total of 36,094 mites belonging to 12 families was collected. Most of the mites belong to Diptilomiopidae (80.9%) and Tetranychidae (13.9%), composed predominantly of phytophagous species. Chakrabartiella sp. (Diptilomiopidae) was the most abundant species, followed by Neotetranychus asper Feres & Flechtmann, 2000 (Tetranychidae). Stigmaeidae (2.1%) and Phytoseiidae (0.4%) were the most common families of predaceous mites, and Agistemus brasiliensis Matioli, Ueckermann & Oliveira, 2002 (Stigmaeidae) and Typhlodromalus aripo DeLeon, 1967 (Phytoseiidae) the most common predaceous species.
Agroecossystems; Diptilomiopidae; Tetranychidae; Phytoseiidae; Stigmaeidae
