Chaudhari Madhavikumari, Abhishek Shukla
An intensive field investigation was conducted during the year 2024-25 and 2025-26 to study the diversity of predatory mites associated with major agricultural and horticultural insect pests across South Gujarat. The predatory mite family Phytoseiidae emerged as the most dominant and ecologically significant group, represented by a high diversity of species belonging to the genus Amblyseius. During the study period, eight species from genus Amblyseius were identified: Amblyseius channabasavannai, A. largoensis, A. vasiformis, A. multidentatus, A. sacchari, A. gossypii, A. herbicolus and A. longispinosus. These predatory mites were predominantly associated with soft-bodied sucking pests, particularly the whiteflies Bemisia tabaci and Aleurolobus barodensis. The study establishes a critical taxonomic and ecological baseline for deploying these native phytoseiid predators within Integrated Pest Management (IPM) frameworks.