4.3.2.2 Family Cunaxidae
The members of the family Cunaxidae are cosmopolitan and free-living predatory
mites that ambush their prey; Overall, few data are available about the effectiveness
of Cunaxidae to control key plant pests in Iran (Den Heyer et al. 2011a, b).
4.3.2.3 Family Stigmaeidae
The Stigmaeids belongs to the superorder Acariformes, order Trombidiformes,
suborder Prostigmata, (Lindquist et al. 2009b). Members of this family have been
collected from diverse habitats including foliage, buds and flowers, soil, litter mosses
and lichens, fallen leaves, nests of birds and rats (Zhang 2003).
The genus Stigmaeus Koch, 1836 recorded from most parts of the country. To
date, 27 species of the genus have been recorded and described from Iran (Fakhari
et al. 2015). More than 35% of the species are free-living predators on plant leaves
and branches. These species are mainly from two genera, Agistemus and Zetzellia
(Gerson 1972). Agistemus and Zetzellia usually prefer to feed on immatures than
adults of spider mites. Zetzellia mali (Ewing) prefered to feed on active apple rust
mite, Aculus schlechtendali than eggs of European red mite, Panonychus ulmi; and
eggs more than quiescent nymphs of P. ulmi (Clements and Harmsen 1993). It also
has been recorded as a predator of C. irani (Rashki et al. 2004). This species showed
aggregative spatial distribution pattern and density-dependent predation on C. irani
and Bryobia rubrioculus Scheuten (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Kermanshah province
(Darbemamieh 2008; Darbemamieh et al. 2009) but, despite of aggregated dispersal
pattern, it showed density independent reaction to its prey, P. ulmi on apple trees
(Rahmani et al. 2008).
Few number of the Iranian Stigmaeidae has been identified and for a long time,
researches were restricted to Z. mali (Ewing) and A. macrommatus Gonzales. These
mites can live in the soil and organic matter (Khanjani and Uckerman 2003;
Khodayari et al. 2008). However, they could also survive on pollen, fungal spores
and plant sap (Khodayari et al. 2008). Three species of Zetzellia including Z. mali
(Ewing), Z. kamali Kheradmand, Fathipour and Ueckerman, and Z. pourmirzai
Khanjani and Ueckerman are recorded from Iran. Z. pourmirzai, a near species to
Z. mali, has been found in Kermanshah province (Khanjani and Ueckermann 2008).
This species has been considered as a predator with the same foraging regimes
(Darbemamieh 2008), and has the ability of surviving for a long time on low
prey densities (Villanueva and Harmsen 1998). Quantitative knowledge of spatial
distribution patterns of plant feeding mites and their natural enemies is essential for
understanding their interactions and developing reliable sampling plans for monitoring pest and predator abundance (Onzo et al. 2005; Athanassiou et al. 2005). The
results of a study by Darbemamieh et al. (2011) showed that the spatial distribution
indices of the Z. pourmirzai and its two preys (C. irani and B. rubrioculus) can be
used in designing sampling programs as well as in the proper estimation of their
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H. Madadi and H. Kamali
The members of the family Cunaxidae are cosmopolitan and free-living predatory
mites that ambush their prey; Overall, few data are available about the effectiveness
of Cunaxidae to control key plant pests in Iran (Den Heyer et al. 2011a, b).
4.3.2.3 Family Stigmaeidae
The Stigmaeids belongs to the superorder Acariformes, order Trombidiformes,
suborder Prostigmata, (Lindquist et al. 2009b). Members of this family have been
collected from diverse habitats including foliage, buds and flowers, soil, litter mosses
and lichens, fallen leaves, nests of birds and rats (Zhang 2003).
The genus Stigmaeus Koch, 1836 recorded from most parts of the country. To
date, 27 species of the genus have been recorded and described from Iran (Fakhari
et al. 2015). More than 35% of the species are free-living predators on plant leaves
and branches. These species are mainly from two genera, Agistemus and Zetzellia
(Gerson 1972). Agistemus and Zetzellia usually prefer to feed on immatures than
adults of spider mites. Zetzellia mali (Ewing) prefered to feed on active apple rust
mite, Aculus schlechtendali than eggs of European red mite, Panonychus ulmi; and
eggs more than quiescent nymphs of P. ulmi (Clements and Harmsen 1993). It also
has been recorded as a predator of C. irani (Rashki et al. 2004). This species showed
aggregative spatial distribution pattern and density-dependent predation on C. irani
and Bryobia rubrioculus Scheuten (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Kermanshah province
(Darbemamieh 2008; Darbemamieh et al. 2009) but, despite of aggregated dispersal
pattern, it showed density independent reaction to its prey, P. ulmi on apple trees
(Rahmani et al. 2008).
Few number of the Iranian Stigmaeidae has been identified and for a long time,
researches were restricted to Z. mali (Ewing) and A. macrommatus Gonzales. These
mites can live in the soil and organic matter (Khanjani and Uckerman 2003;
Khodayari et al. 2008). However, they could also survive on pollen, fungal spores
and plant sap (Khodayari et al. 2008). Three species of Zetzellia including Z. mali
(Ewing), Z. kamali Kheradmand, Fathipour and Ueckerman, and Z. pourmirzai
Khanjani and Ueckerman are recorded from Iran. Z. pourmirzai, a near species to
Z. mali, has been found in Kermanshah province (Khanjani and Ueckermann 2008).
This species has been considered as a predator with the same foraging regimes
(Darbemamieh 2008), and has the ability of surviving for a long time on low
prey densities (Villanueva and Harmsen 1998). Quantitative knowledge of spatial
distribution patterns of plant feeding mites and their natural enemies is essential for
understanding their interactions and developing reliable sampling plans for monitoring pest and predator abundance (Onzo et al. 2005; Athanassiou et al. 2005). The
results of a study by Darbemamieh et al. (2011) showed that the spatial distribution
indices of the Z. pourmirzai and its two preys (C. irani and B. rubrioculus) can be
used in designing sampling programs as well as in the proper estimation of their
158
H. Madadi and H. Kamali