SOIL MITES AS BIOCONTROL AGENTS AGAINST LAND SNAIL, Monacha cartusiana (MULLER) INHABITING SOIL AT SHARKIA GOVERNORATE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Plant Protection Research Institute, A,R,C., Dokki, Egypt.

Abstract

Mites inhabiting soil heavy infested with the land snail , Monacha cartusiana (Muller) in Abou-Kabeer district, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt were surveyed during two successive years (9Nov. to June: 2009 – 10 &2010-11). The collected mites were 18 species belonging to 16 genera, 15 families and 3 sub order of the sub-class Acari. Of the collected mites, Uroobovella (Fascuropoda) marginata (Koch)(Uropodidae: Gamasida) inhabits the snail leading to the snail death within about 2 weeks also, the mite Galumna flabillifera Hammer (Galumnidae:  Oribatida) penetrate the eggs of the same snail leading to a secondary infection with some pathogenic fungi which rapidly developed and finally leads to the death of those eggs. 

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