Feeding behaviors of the Tydeid Mites

Tydeidae feed largely on fungi and decaying materyals, although some are known to be predacious on insects and mites and a few have been reported to damage plants. some species are facultative predators and others can be important bio-control agents of plant parasitic mites. the feeding behavior of tydeid mites is highly diverse and species have been identified as being predacious e.g. homeopronematus anconai (baker). some species feeds on honeydew such as lorryia formosa cooreman and other species can be fungivorous and feed on conidia and mycelia of fungi such as orthotydeus lambi (baker) on erysiphe necator schwein (causal agent of grape powdery mildew). because of the many possible food habits of the tydeidae, it is necessary to evaluate feeding behaviors of tydeid at species level.