| Research Abstract |
Distribution and abundance of Japanese native phytoseiid mites were investigated during the seasons from 1999 to 2001. Surveys were mainly focused on geographical areas where mite fauna was little known such as Eastern Hokkaido, Tohoku, Shin'etsu, Chugoku, Shikoku, Southern Kyushu and Ishigaki Island. Numbers of species and specimens collected and identified from each area were as follows : Eastern Hokkaido(62 specimens of 5 species), Tohoku(903 specimens of 18 spp.), Shin'etsu(978 specimens of 21 spp.), Chugoku ＆ Shikoku(857 specimens of 21 spp.), Southern Kyushu(53 specimens of 6 spp.) and Ishigaki Island(111 specimens of 16 spp.). Mites from Ishigaki Is. included 1 new species and 2 new records in Japan. Based on these results as well as known distribution of each species, Japanese native fauna of predacious phytoseiid mites can be categorized into three groups : species with overall distribution(ex. A. womersleyi and P. nipponicus), species with northern origin(ex. A. tsugawai and A. finlandicus) and species with southern origin(ex. A. eharai and A. okinawanus).
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