Language: English with bilingual summary in English and Maori
Members of the family Tenuipalpidae, commonly known as false spider mites, belong to a large group of the obligate plant-feeding mite superfamily Tetranychoidea. These tiny mites, often of a quarter to a third of a millimeter, are also known as flat mites due to their body shape. Some species are of agricultural importance as pests of economic plants or vectors of crop diseases. They are among the common species intercepted on imported fresh produce and are becoming increasingly important in biodiversity. Several species are known as invasive species in recent years. Over 1100 species of the Tenuipalpidae have been described in the world and over 300 species belong to the genus Tenuipalpus. In New Zealand, only 9 species of Tenuipalpus have been recorded. This book provides both full descriptions of these species from New Zealand and a key to enable their identification.