A new method for studying aerial dispersal behaviour of eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea)

Abstract

It is believed that the current method of using sticky glass slides or plates to monitor airborne eriophyoids is inefficient and inappropriate. A new method of sampling airborne mites using shallow pan traps with soapy water and vacuum-filtration on microfilter paper proved far superior to previous methods and resulted in perfect specimens. The method is about five times more effective for trapping mites and 20 times more labor efficient for processing samples. It is a powerful tool for investigation of airborne activity and taxonomic study of eriophyoids and other minute arthropods.