Integrated Pest Management Guide

MITES

Pest Status: The mites found on cranberries in British Columbia do not feed on the plants and are not pests.

Description and feeding habits: Mites are not insects. They are closely related to spiders and ticks. They are extremely small and cannot be seen without magnification. Mites have four pairs of legs whereas all adult insects have three pairs. Mites are abundant in soil and organic debris. Many are parasitic, while others are free-living and predaceous (killing other animals), or phytophagous (plant-feeding), or scavengers (feeding on decaying organic matter).

Detection: Examination of cranberry uprights and buds in spring may reveal two species of mites. One species, Latilamellobates balogi (Mahunka), is also known to inhabit moss in forests of central Europe (Behan-Pelletier, 2000). The other species, Humerobates arborea (Banks), is an arboreal mite that probably feeds on fungi and algae.

Reference:

Behan-Pelletier, V.M. 2000. Ceratozetidae (Acari: Oribatida) of arboreal habitats. The Canadian Entomologist 132: 153-182.
 

Mite

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