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''Raoiella indica'', commonly known as the red palm mite, is a species of
This species can be distinguished from most other mites by its colour, flat body, long spatulate 
Red palm mite eggs are 0.12 mm long and 0.09 wide. The eggs are smooth and can be found in groups attached to the underside of leaves.
The red palm mite forms colonies on the undersides of leaves. There, they feed on the contents of the cells of the leaves. This feeding can cause localized yellowing of the leaves.
Adults are usually visible to the naked eye.
Chemical control is considered impractical due to the large size of most palms. Some biological control agents have proven useful in the
''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Red Palm Mite)
* Etienne, J. and C.H.W. Flechtmann. 2006. First record of ''Raoiella indica'' (Hirst, 1924) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in Guadeloupe and Saint Martin, West Indies. International Journal of Acarology, 32(3): 331–332. * Flechtmann, C.H.W. and J. Etienne. 2004. The red palm mite, ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst, a threat to palms in the Americas (Acari: Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae). Systematic & Applied Acarology, 9: 109–110. * Flechtmann, C.H.W. and J. Etienne. 2005. Un nouvel acarien ravageur des palmiers. Phytoma 584: 10–11. * Gerson, U., A. Venezian & D. Blumberg. 1983. Phytophagous mites on date palms in Israel. Fruits, 38(2),133–135. * Gutiérrez, B., N. Nohelia & A. Garcia. 2007
* Hirst, S. 1924. On some new species of red spider. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Set. 9, vol. 14: 522–527. * Hoy, M.A., J. Peña and R. Nguyen. 2006
Red palm mite, ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Arácnida: Acari: Tenuipalpidae).
University of Florida IFAS Extension. * Kane, E.C., R. Ochoa, G. Mathurin, and E.F. Erbe. 2005
indica-Kane_et_al.pdf ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae): An island-hopping mite pest in the Caribbean.
Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting, Florida poster. * Kane, E., and R. Ochoa. 2006
Detection and identification of the red palm mite ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)
USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD, 6 pp. * Mendonga, R.S., D. Navia, and C.H.W. Flechtmann. 2006
''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae), o ácaro vermelho das palmeiras - uma ameaça para as Américas.
Brasilia: Embrapa Recursos Geneticos e Biotecnologia (Portuguese). * Nageshachandra, B.K. and G.P. Channabasavanna. 1984. Development and ecology of ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) on coconut. Griffiths, D. A. & Bowman, C.E. (eds.), Acarology VI. 2: 785–790. * Pena, J.E., C.M. Mannion, F.W. Howard and M.A. Hoy. 2006
''Raoiella indica'' (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae): The red palm mite: A potential invasive pest of palms and Bananas and other tropical crops in Florida.
University of Florida IFAS Extension, ENY-837. * Rodrigues, J. C.V., R. Ochoa and E. Kane. 2007. First report of ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) and its damage to coconut palms in Puerto Rico and Culebra Islands. International Journal of Acarology, 33(1): 3–5.
mite
Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...
belonging to the family Tenuipalpidae. A pest of several species of palm
Palm most commonly refers to:
* Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand
* Palm plants, of family Arecaceae
**List of Arecaceae genera
* Several other plants known as "palm"
Palm or Palms may also refer to:
Music
* Palm (ba ...
in the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and South East Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
, it is now becoming established throughout the Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. The invasion of this species is the biggest mite explosion ever observed in the Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
.
Distribution
This species is indigenous toEgypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
, Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
.
It is considered an invasive species in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, Saint Martin, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
, the US Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
, Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
, Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
and Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
.
In 2007, the red palm mite was discovered in Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. As of April, 2009, this pest has been found at almost 400 sites in five counties there.
Description
This species can be distinguished from most other mites by its colour, flat body, long spatulate seta
In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.
Animal setae
Protostomes
Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...
e, and droplets on the dorsal body setae. There is also a noticeable absence of the webbing associated with numerous other spider mites.Hoy MA, Peña J, Nguyen R. April 2010. http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/palms/red_palm_mite.htm
The red palm mite has a long, bright red, spatulate body. During all stages of life, this species is red, with adult females often showing black patches on their backs after feeding.
Red palm mite eggs are 0.12 mm long and 0.09 wide. The eggs are smooth and can be found in groups attached to the underside of leaves.
Larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e are 0.18–.020 mm in length and only have three pairs of legs. Nymphs are 0.18–0.25 mm long.
Adults are approximately 0.32 mm long. Females are larger than males and have a triangular body.
Life cycle
The egg stage ranges from 6 to 9 days. Development from egg to adult ranges from 23 to 28 days for females, and 20 to 22 days for males. The red palm mite lives for about 26 days.Hosts
This mite has been found on 32 different palm species. In the Caribbean, this species also infestsbanana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
plants, heliconia
''Heliconia'', derived from the Greek word (), is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the ca 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the we ...
s and ginger
Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...
s.
Survey, detection and damage
The red palm mite forms colonies on the undersides of leaves. There, they feed on the contents of the cells of the leaves. This feeding can cause localized yellowing of the leaves.
Adults are usually visible to the naked eye.
Dispersal
Like most other plant feeding mites, this species disperses on the wind. Tropical storms and hurricanes can distribute this mite over wide areas.Management
Chemical control is considered impractical due to the large size of most palms. Some biological control agents have proven useful in the Eastern Hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth which is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean and relatively little land from pole to pol ...
, including predatory mites, beetles
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
, lacewing
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in t ...
s and other mite predators.
See also
*Invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
* Parasite
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* CariPestNet. 2006''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Red Palm Mite)
* Etienne, J. and C.H.W. Flechtmann. 2006. First record of ''Raoiella indica'' (Hirst, 1924) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in Guadeloupe and Saint Martin, West Indies. International Journal of Acarology, 32(3): 331–332. * Flechtmann, C.H.W. and J. Etienne. 2004. The red palm mite, ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst, a threat to palms in the Americas (Acari: Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae). Systematic & Applied Acarology, 9: 109–110. * Flechtmann, C.H.W. and J. Etienne. 2005. Un nouvel acarien ravageur des palmiers. Phytoma 584: 10–11. * Gerson, U., A. Venezian & D. Blumberg. 1983. Phytophagous mites on date palms in Israel. Fruits, 38(2),133–135. * Gutiérrez, B., N. Nohelia & A. Garcia. 2007
* Hirst, S. 1924. On some new species of red spider. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Set. 9, vol. 14: 522–527. * Hoy, M.A., J. Peña and R. Nguyen. 2006
Red palm mite, ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Arácnida: Acari: Tenuipalpidae).
University of Florida IFAS Extension. * Kane, E.C., R. Ochoa, G. Mathurin, and E.F. Erbe. 2005
indica-Kane_et_al.pdf ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae): An island-hopping mite pest in the Caribbean.
Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting, Florida poster. * Kane, E., and R. Ochoa. 2006
Detection and identification of the red palm mite ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae)
USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD, 6 pp. * Mendonga, R.S., D. Navia, and C.H.W. Flechtmann. 2006
''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae), o ácaro vermelho das palmeiras - uma ameaça para as Américas.
Brasilia: Embrapa Recursos Geneticos e Biotecnologia (Portuguese). * Nageshachandra, B.K. and G.P. Channabasavanna. 1984. Development and ecology of ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) on coconut. Griffiths, D. A. & Bowman, C.E. (eds.), Acarology VI. 2: 785–790. * Pena, J.E., C.M. Mannion, F.W. Howard and M.A. Hoy. 2006
''Raoiella indica'' (Prostigmata: Tenuipalpidae): The red palm mite: A potential invasive pest of palms and Bananas and other tropical crops in Florida.
University of Florida IFAS Extension, ENY-837. * Rodrigues, J. C.V., R. Ochoa and E. Kane. 2007. First report of ''Raoiella indica'' Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) and its damage to coconut palms in Puerto Rico and Culebra Islands. International Journal of Acarology, 33(1): 3–5.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Palm Mite Trombidiformes Animals described in 1924 Arachnids of Asia