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Disclosing Hemolymph Collection and Inoculation of Metarhizium Blastospores into Rhipicephalus Microplus Ticks Towards Invertebrate Pathology Studies
Published on: June 1, 2019
Interactions between phoretic mites and the Arabian rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes agamemnon arabicus
Mohammad Ali Al-Deeb1, Sabir Bin Muzaffar, Eyas Mohammad Sharif
1Biology Department, Faculty of Science, UAE University, PO Box 17551, Al-Ain, UAE. m_aldeeb@uaeu.ac.ae
Abstract:
Oryctes agamemnon arabicus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is one of the main pests on date palm trees in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two mite species were found associated with this beetle: Sancassania sp. (Acari: Astigmata: Acaridae) and Hypoaspis rhinocerotis Oudemans (Acari: Mesostigmata: Laelapidae). Sancassania deutonymphs (hypopi) were phoretic on O. a. arabicus adults and larvae. However, they were also necromenic, because once the host dies they feed on its carcass. The highest deutonymph load was found in the subelytral space of O. a. arabicus adult. The phoretic and necromenic interactions between Sancassania sp. and O. a. arabicus need to be investigated in more detail. H. rhinocerotis was recorded for the first time in UAE. Its role has not yet been studied in the date palm agricultural ecosystem.
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