Bridging the knowledge gap: advances in the distribution of Tenuipalpidae mites in Central and Eastern Europe
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The Tenuipalpidae family includes globally distributed plant-feeding mites of economic concern due to their potential as phytopathogen vectors and their role in damaging ornamental and agricultural plants. This study presents a faunistic survey of flat mites across Slovakia and Ukraine, in addition to complementary data from the Netherlands, Hungary, and Bulgaria via U.S. interception records. Field collections in Slovakia and Ukraine yielded 13 tenuipalpid species across three genera, with several new national and continental records, including four Pentamerismus species recorded for the first time in Europe. New host plant associations, particularly involving coniferous and ornamental taxa, were frequently documented. These findings expand the known distribution of flat mites in Central and Eastern Europe and underscore the importance of targeted faunistic surveys for understanding species diversity, host range, and potential pathways of introduction. The integration of systematic field sampling, literature reviews, and interception data supports early detection and regulatory measures critical for plant protection and biosecurity programs.
Source: Acarologia
DOI: 10.24349/yunh-z34k
Institutions: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, Institute of Zoology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, University of Florida
Language: English
Topic: Study of Mite Species
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416779010