A new method for mite extraction from leaf samples.
Debris often hampers the detection of mites in washed leaf samples. We describe in detail a method for the extraction of mites from leaf samples, based on the adherence of mite cuticles to liquid paraffin, at the interface of paraffin and ethanol in a so-called mite-counting channel. We demonstrate its efficacy by comparing the mite numbers in samples before and after extraction. We illustrate the method's reliability by extracting known numbers of a taxonomic variety of plant-inhabiting mites, manually added to mite-free debris: for 13 of the 15 taxa all mites were retrieved. This method can also be used to extract small non-mite arthropods such as scales, whiteflies, thrips, cicadellids, hymenopteran parasitoids and psyllids.
Faraji
Farid
F
MITOX Consultants, P.O. Box 92260, 1090 AG Amsterdam, The Netherlands. farid.faraji@mitox.org
Bruin
Jan
J
Bakker
Frank
F
D000818:Animals; D008925:Mites; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000469:parasitology*