TY - JOUR
T1 - Interactions between phoretic mites and the Arabian rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes agamemnon arabicus
AU - Al-Deeb, Mohammad Ali
AU - Muzaffar, Sabir Bin
AU - Sharif, Eyas Mohammad
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Oryctes agamemnon arabicus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is one of the main pests on date palm trees in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two mite species were found associated with this beetle: Sancassania sp. (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) and Hypoaspis rhinocerotis Oudemans (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae). Sancassania deutonymphs (hypopi) were phoretic on O. a. arabicus adults and larvae. However, they were also necromenic, because once the host dies they feed on its carcass. The highest deutonymph load was found in the subelytral space of O. a. arabicus adult. The phoretic and necromenic interactions between Sancassania sp. and O. a. arabicus need to be investigated in more detail. H. rhinocerotis was recorded for the first time in UAE. Its role has not yet been studied in the date palm agricultural ecosystem.
AB - Oryctes agamemnon arabicus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is one of the main pests on date palm trees in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two mite species were found associated with this beetle: Sancassania sp. (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) and Hypoaspis rhinocerotis Oudemans (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae). Sancassania deutonymphs (hypopi) were phoretic on O. a. arabicus adults and larvae. However, they were also necromenic, because once the host dies they feed on its carcass. The highest deutonymph load was found in the subelytral space of O. a. arabicus adult. The phoretic and necromenic interactions between Sancassania sp. and O. a. arabicus need to be investigated in more detail. H. rhinocerotis was recorded for the first time in UAE. Its role has not yet been studied in the date palm agricultural ecosystem.
KW - Hypoaspis rhinocerotis
KW - Sancassania
KW - date palm tree
KW - necromeny
KW - phoresy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874601422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1673/031.012.12801
DO - 10.1673/031.012.12801
M3 - Article
C2 - 23448160
AN - SCOPUS:84874601422
SN - 1536-2442
VL - 12
JO - Journal of Insect Science
JF - Journal of Insect Science
M1 - 128
ER -