Tenuipalpidae

Prostigmata (plant pests) • Arachnida (plant/storage pests) • other pests • pests-diseases-weeds

Raoiella indica (click on image to enlarge it)
Author(s): Eric Erbe - digital colorization by Chris Pooley
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Tenuipalpidae - (flat mites)

This family of plant parasitic mites contains more than 500 species which feed near the midrib or veins on the lower leaf surface, on stems, fruits and flowers. Some species also form galls. They are common in tropical and subtropical regions and crops attacked include citrus, coffee, rubber trees, coconut palms and bananas. The mites are often reddish and slow moving. The family is characterized by a flat body and the morphology of the chelicerae and claws.

The following genera and individual species of plant pests are currently entered under this family:

• Brevipalpus (genus)
• Raoiella indica
• Tenuipalpus (genus)