The present monograph aims at providing a comprehensive account of the plant inhabiting predatory mites of Orders Prostigmata (Families Anystidae, Bdellidae, CaIigonellidae, Camerobiidae. Cheyletidae, Cunaxidae, Erythraeidae, Eupodidae, Raphignathidae, Stigmaeidae, Tydeidae). Astigmata (Family: Acaridae) and Mesostigmata (Families: Ascidae, Laelapidae, Otopheidomenidae, Phytoseiidae). In addition, some oribatid mites (Order: Cryptostigmata) reported to be feeding upon important insect/nematode pests in agriculture are also included.
Part 1 of this monograph deals with 134 species (including descriptions of six new species) of which Prostigmata includes 128 species (11 families, 46 genera), Astigmata includes 3 species (1 family, 3 genera) and Cryptostigmata includes 3 species (3 families, 3 genera). Besides giving full synonymies, descriptions, illustrations, collection records, habitats, distributions, etc., keys to orders, families, genera and species are also provided. A detailed taxonomic review, complete list of all the plant inhabiting predatory mites (319 spp., 71 genera, 19 families) so far known from India and biological notes, wherever possible, are also given.
Part 2 of this monograph will deal with the remaining 185 species of the Order Mesostigmata belonging to Ascidae (9 spp, 5 genera), Laelapidae (2 spp, 1 genus), Otopheidomenidae (1 sp., 1 genus) and Phytoseiidae (173 spp, 11 genera). It will also include a chapter on bio-ecology and predatory behaviour of the potentially important predatory species and a state-wise list of predatory mites known so far from India.