Biodiversity of predatory mites of super families of Raphignathoidea, Bdelloidea and Erythraeoidea in pomefruit orchards in Mashhad, Torghabe and Shandiz regions

The predatory mites of suborder prostigmata are important natural enemies of spider mites. In this study abundance and biodiversity of predatory mites of Super families of Raphignathoidea, Bdelloidea and Erythraeoidea in pomefruit orchards of Mashhad) Educational orchard of Agricultural College of Ferdowsi Unuversity of Mashhad, Agricultural Research Centre of Torogh and Laeen, Torghabe and Shandiz regions were evaluated. In each sampling site and during 12-sampling dates, two samples each including one Kg of apple, pear and quince foliages and soil were taken randomly throughout different seasons of year 2009. Biodiversity of predatory mites were measured using biodiversity indices and were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. As a result, a total of 20 species from 15 genera and six families of predatory mites were collected and identified. There was a significant difference in Shannon-Wiener indices of predatory mites among sampling sites. The highest and least values of Shannon-Wiener index for predatory mites were estimated in Laeen (1.92±0.02) and Torogh (1.26±0.06), respectively. In terms of species richness, the highest value of Margalef’s index was measured for Laeen (2.49±0.02) which was significantly higher than those of other sites. The value of evenness of Torghabe-Shandiz was the highest and that of Torogh was the least. The dominant predator species in pomefruit orchards of Mashhad and Torghabe-Shandiz regions were Eustigmaeus anauniensis and Stigmaeus elongatus with relative abundance of 33.5% and 17.6 %, respectively.