Phytoseiidae (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata) from the Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil

Phytoseiidae is the most extensively studied family of predatory mites, some of which are effectively used as biological control agents. Nevertheless, studies of these mites in some Brazilian biomes such as the Pantanal are still scarce. The objective this publication was to assess the diversity of this family in Pantanal vegetation from Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, verifying the importance of the native plants as reservoirs for these mites. Samplings were carried out in five phytophysiognomies of the Pantanal: Cambarazal , Capao (forest islet), Carandazal , Riparian Forest and Paratudal . Thirty-five phytoseiid species were recorded on 40 plant species of 28 families. The most common species were Amblyseius chiapensis De Leon and Euseius concordis De Leon, recorded on 21 and 18 plant species, respectively. Inga vera Willd. (Fabaceae) and Paullinia pinnata L. (Sapindaceae) were the host plants harboring the greatest richness of phytoseiids, 15 and 14 species, respectively. Our results suggest a high diversity of phytoseiid mites in the Pantanal biome. However, as only a small proportion of the total biome area was considered, only a fraction of the mite diversity was probably recovered. Thus, new studies on this biome are needed, especially in other well-preserved native vegetation remnants.