Some Mesostigmated Mites Associated with Food Stuff

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Citation: Egypt. Acad. J. Biolog. Sci. (A. Entomology) Vol. 13(2) pp: 189-194(2020)
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Vol. 13 No. 2 (2020)

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Citation: Egypt. Acad. J. Biolog. Sci. (A. Entomology) Vol. 13(2) pp: 189-194(2020)
Egypt. Acad. J. Biolog. Sci., 13(2):189-194 (2020)
Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences
A. Entomology
ISSN 1687- 8809
http://eajbsa.journals.ekb.eg/
Some Mesostigmated Mites Associated with Food Stuff
Mohammed El-Sayed Gad1, Abdel-Sattar Mohammed Metwally2, Ahmed Saber
Bream2.
1- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of science (Cairo), Al–Azhar
University.
2- Department of Agricultural Zoology and Nematology, Faculty of Agriculture
(Cairo), Al–Azhar University.
Email: mohammedgad1990@yahoo.com
 ______________________________________________________________
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article History
Received:30/3/2020
Accepted:13/5/2020

Keywords:
Incidence, Mites,
Foodstuff
This work was conducted to study the incidence of the mites
associated with stored foodstuff during the two successive years 2018 and
2019. Twenty-seven mite species from ten different stored products;
wheat grain, wheat flour, wheat bran, rice grain, maize grain, pea, corn,
bread bean, animal feed, and barley were collected from El-Sharqia
governorate. The collected mites belonged to one order Parasitiformes,
one suborder Gamasida (Mesostigmata), and 7 families, with 27 species
distributed among 15 genera. The recognised families were Ascidae
Vogits Oudemans, Ameroseiidae Evans, Lealapidae Berlese,
Macrochelidae Vitzithum, Uropodidae Kramer, Rhodacaridae Oudemans
and Parasitidae Oudemans).
INTRODUCTION
Stored product mites play an important role in human life. In many cases, they
caused serious economic losses or health problems. Mites inhabited mainly the stored food,
plant material, and debris. Among the next commodities well documented are the mite
infestation in cereal-based food, dried fruits, root crops and ornamentals, honey, and cheeses
(Hughes, 1976).
Mites are a major cause of qualitative and quantitative losses to several stored
products. The pest importance of stored product mites has been reviewed and pest risk is
suggested that caused direct consumption on human food, animal feed or other products
changing the quality of infested products, they can penetrate the hard grains and feed directly
on the grain kernels, therefore they destroy their germination power, change the moisture
contents of the medium, initiating growth and spread mould (Taha, 1985).
Mites (Acari) are the most diverse group of arachnids (Arachnida) with about 45,000
described species. Mites are typically very small in size (0.09-30 mm of the compact body).
Mites inhabit all types of habitats and they can be either free-living or parasitic. Free-living
mites are more common. The free-living mites possess many physiological adaptations that
enable them to act as predators, saprophages, fungivores, phytophages, microphages,
coprophages, and necrophages (Tomáš Erban, 2012).
Mites are numerous species of minute arthropods, members of class Arachnida

Mohammed El-Sayed Gad et al.
190
subclass Acari or Acarina, and pests of many economic prominences living in a wide range
of habitats. Mites are predators and parasites, performing crucial means of biological control,
essential herbivores, and detritivores, acting fungivorous and saprophytic, vectors of diseases,
and play a vital role in soil formation. These live on plants and animals, in the depths of the
ocean, in soil and fresh or brackish water, in the lungs of birds and animals, in stored grains
and stored products, on leaves of the rainforest, and in human clothes and bedding (Sarwar
Muhammad, 2019).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A-The Sampling Procedure:
The present investigation tended to record the different mite species associated with
the different stored products bring from different districts at El-Sharqia governorate. The
samples of stored food products were picked and singly kept in tightly closed polyethylene
bags. A label including all necessary information concerning habitat, locality, and date of the
collection were stuck on each bag and then, transferred to the laboratory.
A sample of 250 gm from each material was isolated by modified Tullgren funnels, in
3cm deep layers and kept for 24 hours below 40-watt electric lamps. The mites were
collected into petri-dishes with a ring of Vaseline mixed with citronella oil to prevent mite
escape (Metwally, 1976). Active mite individuals were transferred by 0.3 mm camel
hairbrush and examined using a stereomicroscope. Isolated specimens were placed in Nesbiti
solution (Krantz and Walter, 2009) (40 gm chloral hydrate, 25 ml distilled water and 2.5 ml
concentrated hydrochloric acid) for 24 hours, then mounted by placing a drop of Hoyer’s
medium (Hughes, 1976; Krantz and Walter, 2009).
The individual mite was pressed carefully to the bottom of the droplet and arranged
using a clean pair of forceps, a cover slide was picked up at its edge, applied the opposite
edge to the edge of the Hoyer’s droplet to allow the cover slide to fall into its place, then,
mounted slide was placed on a hot plate at 40-50 oC for 2-4 days (Krantz, 1978; EL- Sanady, 2005).
B-Identification:
The specimens were identified and kept on the mite collection of Agric, Zoology,
Nematology Department Faculty of Agric. AL–Azhar University. Identification was carried
out according to Griffiths (1960); Lindqust and Evans (1965); Hughes (1976); Summer and
Price (1970); Zaher et al., (1984); Krantz and Walter (2009).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Incidence of Mites Associated with Stored Products:
Mites of stored products were recorded during the two successive years (2018 and
2019). The collected mites are belonging to order: Parasitiformes.
Order: Parasitiformes:
Obtained results are presented in Table (1). This order was represented by suborder
Gamasida (Mesostigmata) which included seven families: Ascidae, Lealapidae,
Ameroseiidae, Macrochelidae, Uropodidae, Rhodacaridae, and Parasitidae. These families
have twenty-seven species belonging to fifteen genera.
Family: Ascidae Vogits and Oudemans:
Many investigators recorded some species belonging to family Ascidae associated
with pests infesting stored products (Hughes, 1976; Taha, 1985). Also, Ghazy (2016)
collected only two ascid species from three types of food bran, rice, and flour. Lindquist and
Evans (1965) Hughes (1976) showed that this family comprises more than 22 genera, with
several hundred predatory and micro-phytophagous species distributed around the world.

Some Mesostigmated Mites Associated with Food Stuff
191
This family was found in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from stored products to the
surface litter of forests and grasslands. Their chelicerae indicated that they are predatory or
mycophagous organisms.
This family was represented by five species; the first three species belong to genus
Blattisocius.
The first species was Blattisocius tarsalis (Oudemans), which was isolated from wheat
flour and maize grain, collected from Zagazig and Deyarb Negm by rare numbers during the
period of the study.
Also, Blattisocius dentriticus (Berlese), which isolated from wheat flour and maize grain,
collected from Zagazig and AboHammad by rare numbers during the period of the study.
Also, Blattisocius keegani Fox, isolated from wheat flour and maize grain, collected from
AboHammad and Deyarb Negm by few numbers. The fourth species was Lasioseius
africanus Nasr, belonging to genus Lasioseius and collected from Zagazig and Deyarb
Negm by a few numbers.
The fifth species was Proctolaelaps pygmaeus (Muller), belonging to genus Proctolaelaps
and isolated from barley grain and maize grain, collected from Zagazig, Deyarb Negm and
AboHammad by a few numbers. All ascid mite species were recorded throughout the whole
2019 year. These results agree to the results of Metwally, et al. (2016) in which they isolated
eight species belong to three genera from Gharbia and Cairo governorates during the two
successive years (2013 and 2014). Also, these results agree to the results of Nagah (2018), in
which she extracted 12 species belonging to 6 genera from Qalubia governorate during the
two successive years (2017 and 2018).
Family: Lealapidae Berlese
This family was represented by eight species as follows:
The first species was Haemogamaus pontiger Berlese, belonging to genus Haemogamaus
which extracted from wheat grain and barley grain, collected from AboHammad and Zagazig
by rare numbers.
The second species was Ololaelaps sellnicki Bregetova, belonging to genus Ololaelaps
which was extracted from maize flour, collected from Zagazig and AboHammad by
intermediate numbers during the period of the study.
The third species was Stratiolaelaps scimitus, belonging to genus Stratiolaelaps which was
isolated from maize flour and maize grain, collected from AboHammad and Kafr Saqr.
Also, the fourth species Hypoaspis kifli Metwally & Ibrahim, was isolated from wheat
flour and barley grain, collected from Zagazig and Kafr Saqr by few numbers.
The fifth species belonged to genus Laelaps, there was Laelaps transvaalensis zumpt,
isolated from wheat flour, collected from Zagazig and Kafr Saqr by few numbers.
Also, the sixth species Laelaps keegani Thurman, was isolated from wheat flour collected
from Zagazig and Deyarb Negm in rare numbers.
Also, the seventh species of Laelaps astronomicus (Koch), which extracted from wheat
grain and collected from Zagazig and Kafr Saqr in few numbers.
The eighth species was Androlaelaps casalis Berlese, belonging to genus Androlaelaps,
isolated from barley grain and rice grain, collected from AboHammad and Zagazig by
intermediate numbers during the period of the study.
These results are agreeing with the results of Nagah (2018), in which she extracted 5 species
belonging to 2 genera from Qalubia governorate during two successive years (2017 and 2018).
Family: Ameroseiidae Evans
Nagah (2018) isolated 3 species belonging to 2 genera, of family Ameroseiidae,
collected from Qalubia governorate. In the present study, ameroseiid mites were represented
by two genra, Kleemania and Ameroseius.
The first genus was Kleemania, including three species, the first species was Kleemania

Mohammed El-Sayed Gad et al.
192
plumigera Oudemans, isolated from rice grain and maize grain, collected from Zagazig and
AboHammad by rare numbers,
-The second species was Kleemania kossi El-Badry, Nasr & Hafez, extracted from rice grain
and maize grain, collected from Zagazig and AboHammad by rare numbers, this agrees with
results of El-Bltagy (2017), who extracted Kleemania genus from onion, maize and bread
bean collected from Nawag and Sammanoud(Gharbia governorate) by few numbers.
-Also, the third species Kleemania plumosus (Oudemans), which was isolated from rice
grain and barley grain, collected from Zagazig and Deyarb Negm by few numbers.
The second genus was Ameroseius, including only one species that was Ameroseius
egypticus Nasr, extracted from barley grain, and collected from Zagazig by few numbers
through the two years.
Family: Macrochelidae Vitzthum
Family Macrochelidae was represented by seven species, the first five species
belonged to genus Macrocheles.
The first species was Macrocheles sp, isolated from barley grain and rice grain, collected
from Zagazig and Deyarb Negm by rare numbers during the summer season.
The second species was Macrocheles matrius (Hull), isolated from barley grain, collected
from Zagazig and Deyarb Negm by rare numbers during the summer season.
The third species was Macrocheles muscadomestica (Scopoli), isolated from barley grain
and rice grain, collected from Zagazig, Deyarb Negm, and Kafr Saqr by intermediate
numbers during the whole year of 2018. Also, the fourth species was Macrocheles
merdarius (Berlese), extracted from barley grain, collected from Zagazig, Deyarb Negm and
Kafr Saqr by few numbers during summer season.
The fifth species was Macrocheles sembelawanii Hafez, El-Badry & Nasr, extracted from rice
grain, collected by rare numbers during the whole 2018 year. This agrees with the results of
El-Bltagy (2017), who extracted Macrocheles scutatus, from animal feed, collected from
Nawag and Kafr El-Hema (Gharbia governorate) by few numbers during the summer season
2014.
While the other sixth and seventh species belonged to the genus Holocelano. The sixth
species was Holocelano anogmos Evans, isolated from wheat flour and bread bean, collected
from Zagazig, AboHammad, and Deyarb Negm by dominant numbers during the whole 2019 year.
Also, the seventh species was Holocelano shoemakei Evans, extracted from wheat grain,
collected from Zagazig, Kafr Saqr, and Deyarb Negm by few numbers during the whole 2019 year.
Family: Uropodidae Kramer
This family was represented by one species Uropovilla sp., belonged to the genus
Uroporella, isolated from Maize grain, pea and corn, collected from Zagazig by rare numbers
during the summer season.
Family: Rhodacaridae Oudemans
This family was represented by one species Rhodacarus sp., which belonged to the
genus Rhodacarus was extracted from wheat flour and animal feed, collected from Deyarb
Negm and Kafr Saqr by few numbers during the 2018 year. This result was similar to the
results of El-Bltagy (2017), in which she extracted Rhodacarus tabeeni from Nasr City
(Cairo governorate) and Nawag (Gharbia governorate) during the study period.
Family: Parasitidae Oudemans
This family included one species Parasitus sp. which was isolated from wheat grain,
animal feed, pea, and corn, collected from Zagazig by a few numbers during the whole year
of 2019. This result was similar to the results of El-Bltagy (2017), which was extracted
Parasitus consoginues (Odu. and Vogits) from animal feed, maize by few numbers collected
from Nawag (Gharbia governorate) during the year of 2017.

Some Mesostigmated Mites Associated with Food Stuff
193
Table 1: Incidence of Order Parasitiformes, Suborder Gamasida (Meostigmata) mite species
in El-sharqia governorate for two years (2018 and 2019).
Dominant ++++: The mite species number forming more than 10% of the total population.
Intermediate +++: The mite species number forming between 5-10 % of the total population.
Few + +: The mite species number forming between 2- 5 % of the total population.
Rare +: The mite species number forming less than 2% of the total population.
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ARABIC SUMMARY
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Ascidae Vogits Oudemans, Ameroseiidae Evans, Lealapidae Berlese, Macrochelidae
Vitzithum, Uropodidae Kramer, Rhodacaridae Oudemans, Parasitidae Oudemans). 
  Ascidae Vogits Oudemans  Ameroseiidae Evans  Lealapidae Berlese 
    Macrochelidae Vitzithum 
    Uropodidae Kramer Rhodacaridae OudemansParasitidae Oudemans
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