Phytoseiidae
Guides
Amblyseius
Amblyseius is a large genus of predatory mites in the family Phytoseiidae. Species in this genus are generalist predators that feed on pest mites, thrips, whiteflies, and other small arthropods. Several species, particularly A. swirskii and A. andersoni, are widely used as biological control agents in integrated pest management programs for agricultural crops. The genus exhibits considerable ecological versatility, with many species capable of surviving on alternative food sources such as pollen and fungal secretions when prey is scarce.
Amblyseius andersoni
Amblyseius andersoni is a generalist predatory mite in the family Phytoseiidae, widely distributed across Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. It is commercially available and employed as a biological control agent against spider mites, eriophyid mites, and other small arthropod pests in orchards, greenhouses, and open-field crops. The species exhibits broad dietary flexibility, feeding on plant-feeding mites, thrips, whiteflies, and various pollens. Laboratory studies demonstrate that it can be mass-reared on alternative diets such as cattail pollen and the stored product mite Carpoglyphus lactis without loss of predatory efficiency on natural prey.
predatory-mitebiological-controlgeneralist-predatorintegrated-pest-managementspider-mite-controleriophyid-mite-controlorchard-pest-managementgreenhouse-biocontrolmass-rearingpollen-feedingalternative-diettemperature-dependent-developmentPhytoseiidaeAcariEuropeNorth-AmericaChinaapplecitrusconiferous-plantsTyphlodromus
Typhlodromus is a genus of predatory mites in the family Phytoseiidae. The genus contains over 200 described species distributed across diverse geographic regions. Multiple species have been developed as commercial biological control agents for agricultural pest management.
Typhlodromus occidentalis
Typhlodromus occidentalis is a phytoseiid mite species specialized as an oligophagous predator of spider mites, particularly the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Laboratory studies indicate it has an obligate feeding requirement during the larval stage—all larvae die without prey. The species exhibits distinctive behavioral patterns including high larval walking activity compared to related species, but the lowest deutonymphal activity among studied phytoseiids. Formerly classified under the genera Metaseiulus and Galendromus, this species has been subject to taxonomic revision. Its life history traits differ from polyphagous phytoseiid species, with longer larval stages and shorter deutonymphal stages.