Edward A. Ueckermann’s research while affiliated with North-West University and other places

Four species of tetranychid mites belonging to the genus Tetranychus Dufour, 1832, have been redescribed from India. Among them, two species are viz., Tetranychus gloveri Banks and Tetranychus lintearius Dufour reported for the first time from India. Tetranychus gloveri Banks, 1900 and Tetranychus hypogaeae Gupta, 1976 collected from the leaves of groundnut, Arachis hypogaea L. (Fabaceae); Tetranychus lintearius Dufour, 1832 from the leaves of Amaranthus cruentus L. (Amaranthaceae) and Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 from the leaves of sponge gourd, Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. (Cucurbitaceae) respectively and have been redescribed from West Bengal, India.

Four species of tetranychid mites belonging to the genus Tetranychus Dufour, 1832, have been redescribed from India. Among them, two species are viz., Tetranychus gloveri Banks and Tetranychus lintearius Dufour reported for the first time from India. Tetranychus gloveri Banks, 1900 and Tetranychus hypogaeae Gupta, 1976 collected from the leaves of groundnut, Arachis hypogaea L. (Fabaceae); Tetranychus lintearius Dufour, 1832 from the leaves of Amaranthus cruentus L. (Amaranthaceae) and Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 from the leaves of sponge gourd, Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. (Cucurbitaceae) respectively and have been redescribed from West Bengal, India.

In a survey of natural enemies of Aculops lycopersici (Tryon, 1917), we collected specimens of Homepronematus anconai (Baker, 1943) in different European countries and redescribed the species based on specimens collected in Belgium. The newly collected specimens were measured and morphologically compared with USA specimens available from museum collections. We also measured collections' specimens previously identified as H. staercki from Hungary, and others, previously identified (but undescribed) as Homeopronematus cf. staercki sp. nov. from Serbia. Quasihomeopronematus n. gen., with its type species Quasihomeopronematus nordestinus n. gen. n. sp., are described based on specimens from Brazil. As the name suggests, this genus is similar to the genus Homepronematus. Single female expansion lines were set-up with H. anconai specimens from Belgium, France, Germany and Hungary, and Q. nordestinus specimens from Brazil. With specimens of these lines, molecular analysis was performed to construct a phylogenetic tree including the results of previous studies with Pronematus ubiquitus (McGregor, 1932) and P. duffelensis De Vis and Ueckermann, 2024. The tree showed differences between origins of H. anconai, with one French line standing out. In a PCA analysis on morphological characters, the same French line separated from all other geographical origins albeit with some overlap. The molecular and morphological differences were assigned to intraspecific variation, and we consider all specimens studied as H. anconai. Homepronematus anconai is morphologically different from Q. nordestinus but the latter separated similarly as that one French line from all other H. anconai lines. We conclude that the CO1-gene is not sufficient to separate genera in the family of the pronematinae. The specimens previously identified as H. staercki or Homeopronematus cf. staercki sp. nov. overlap in the PCA analysis with the specimens of H. anconai. Therefore, we synonymise H. staercki with H. anconai. The results are discussed and additionally both species' distribution, habitat, and feeding habits are presented.

Two species of tetranychid mite belonging to the genus Tetranychus Dufour, 1832 is reported for the first time from India. Tetranychus merganser Boudreaux, 1954 is redescribed from the leaves of the areca nut, Areca catechu (LINN.) (Arecaceae) from Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. Another species Tetranychus megauncinatus Feres and Flechtmann, 1986 is redescribed based on collected specimens of Cucumis sativus L. (Cucurbitaceae) leaves from Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India.

Duoparus n. gen. with its type species Duoparus hyeresensis n. gen. n. sp. from Rubus in France are described. Duoparus is the first genus within the Pronematinae with two ag setae. In the genus Pseudopronematulus, two new species, P. duffelensis n. sp. from sweet pepper leaf litter in Belgium and Pseudopronematulus tocantinsensis n. sp. from leaf/soil litter from a no-tillage field in Brazil are described. Pseudopronematulus tenuisetosus, recently transferred from the genus Pronematus, from cotton in Mozambique is redescribed. Pseudopronematulus duffelensis n. sp. and P. tocantinsensis n. sp. are the fourth and fifth species in this genus and the first to be described in detail, including nymphal stages for P. duffelensis n. sp. Dasilcoferla n. gen. is described with Pseudopronematulus nadirae n. comb. as type species, which is transferred from Pseudopronematulus to Dasilcoferla and redescribed. A taxonomic key is provided for the separation of the species presently placed in Pseudopronematulus Fan and Li, 1992. Molecular analysis and morphological differences, mostly the chaetotaxy, of P. duffelensis n. sp. are compared with those of Pronematus ubiquitus (McGregor, 1932) and Homeopronematus anconai (Baker, 1943). The molecular results underpin the morphological difference between the species that belong to different genera. Relative distance of the genera are discussed.

International trade continues increase, with agricultural trade being a major pathway for transport and introduction of pests to new regions. We use South Africa’s interception records to highlight particular challenges related to mites detected on agricultural plants and fresh produce. These challenges include interception of damaged or immature specimens, lack of local and global taxonomic specialists, uncertainties in understudied taxa, lack of availability or access to reference material, and difficulties with international collaborations. As an example, we present a particularly notable case of a Brevipalpus interception which took sixteen years to positively identify. This mite was intercepted 54 times (2007-2023) on European kiwifruit imported to South Africa. The first interceptions were from Italy in 2007, then in 2010 from Greece, and in 2015 from France. Despite repeated interceptions, various challenges hampered our ability to identify the species, until in 2023 it was eventually identified as Brevipalpus garmani Baker. We discuss the implications of this and other interceptions for biosecurity in agricultural trade.

A new species of Neotropical Camerobiidae from Brazil, Neophyllobius (Neophyllobius) unespensis n. sp., is collected and described from the raceme-type inflorescences of a native South America forest tree, Cannonball tree, Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae), description based on females, a protonymph, and a larva. The new stilt-legged mite was found during two springs for two consecutive years, which coincides with the inflorescence period of this tree.

Pronematus ubiquitus (McGregor) is redescribed based on specimens collected at the type locality. Additionally, in a survey for natural enemies of Aculops lycopersici (Tryon), P. ubiquitus was found in most European countries where samples were gathered as well as in Morocco. Together with specimens available from museum collections and originating from Brazil, South Africa and Türkiye, the newly collected specimens were measured and morphologically compared with those from the type locality. Additionally, single female expansion lines were set-up with specimens from California (USA), Belgium, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Morocco, and molecular analysis were performed in order to construct a phylogenetic tree. The tree showed differences between origins, but this was assigned to intraspecific variation. A PCA analysis on morphological characters separated the Brazilian specimens from those of all other geographical origins. The Californian (USA) specimens grouped together, as did the Moroccan and all European specimens, but with overlap between the groups. The Brazilian specimens were described as a new species, P. brasiliensis n. sp. All other specimens were considered as P. ubiquitus. Furthermore, we searched for types of early described Pronematus species and studied P. rykei, P. karrooi and P. tenuisetosus types; the first two species were confirmed morphologically as a distinct Pronematus species while the latter belongs to the genus Pseudopronematulus. The morphological characteristics of specimens that were used for a recent redescription of P. rykei did not coincide with our redescription of the type. We transferred those specimens to the new species, P. juglandi sp. nov.

The samples were collected at weekly intervals between April and October from 2011 to 2014 on rosaceous plants and Quercus trees in Ankara, Turkey. Twelve spider mite species (Acari: Tetranychidae), Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher), Schizotetranychus ibericus Reck, Tetranychus urticae Koch, T. turkestani (Ugarov & Nikolskii), Eoteteranychus populi (Koch), E. pruni (Oudemans), E. coryli Reck, E. tiliarium (Hermann) Panonychus ulmi (Koch) (Tetranychinae), Bryobia rubrioculus (Scheuten), B. praetiosa Koch and B. sp. (Bryobiinae) were identified in Ankara. Schizotetranychus ibericus Reck, 1947 is a new record for Turkey. Tetranychus urticae and A. viennensis occurred in all the sampling localities, while S. ibericus was collected only on a Quercus sp. (Fagaceae). Tetranychus urticae Koch (Tetranychidae) was the most abundant and common species while some other species were represented by only two specimens such as Eotetranychus populi and E. tiliarum (Hermann). Apple harbored the highest number of spider mite species (9) while Prunus mahaleb and Quercus had only 2 and 1 species, respectively. The preferred hosts plants were Malus domestica (1007), Prunus domestica (749) and Prunus avium (479), while Prunus armeniaca (164), Prunus mahaleb (66) and Quercus sp. (17) were less preferred hosts. Collection data and geographical distribution of these species are provided. The checklist of the previous identified Tetranychinae species of Turkey is provided.