As spider mites become increasing resistant to chemical acaricides, interest in establishing biological control programs using natural enemies has also risen, requiring verification of spider-mite predators. Although some phytoseiid mites are considered effective predators in agro-ecosystems, their small size makes it difficult to confirm predation through field observation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be an effective detection technique and has been used commonly in studies on microfaunal predator-prey interactions. However, preliminary data revealed that ordinary agarose gel electrophoresis cannot detect PCR products from phytoseiid mites that consumed spider-mite eggs. In this study, I used fluorescent-labeled primers and genetic analyzers to successfully amplify the gut contents of phytoseiid mites and confirmed they were derived from spider-mite eggs based on fragment analysis. The results indicated that spider-mite eggs can be detected ≥24 h post-oviposition, but not within 3 h. Thus, fluorescent PCR is an effective tool for elucidating predator-prey interactions among microfaunal food chains.

One new genus Subductophyes gen. nov. and two new species of eriophyoid mites viz. Subductophyes digitariae sp. nov. infesting Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler (Poaceae) and Mesalox mutica sp. nov. infesting Apluda mutica L. (Poaceae) are described in the tribe Phyllocoptini and Anthocoptini (Eriophyidae: Phyllocoptinae) respectively, from West Bengal, India. Relationship of the new genus and species with other related eriophyoid taxa are discussed.

For this paper, I investigated whole past records of skin mites and fur mites (Acariformes: Sarcoptoidea) in Japan. As a result, I discovered a total 17 records related to 11 species belonging to Myocoptidae, Listrophoridae, Chirodiscidae, and Atopomelidae.

Until today, Myocoptes japonensis japonensis, Trichoecius tenax, Afrolistrophorus apodemi, Metalistrophorus pagenstecheri, Metalistrophorus sciuricola, Pteromychirus lukoschusi, and Alabidocarpus fujii have been noted in wild mammals. In addition, Leporacarus gibbus and Lynxacarus radovskyi have been found in companion mammals. Furthermore, Myocoptes musculinus, L. gibbus, and Chirodiscoides caviae have been gathered from laboratory mammals.