The clover mite, Bryobia praetiosa Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) as a nuisance inside a human habitation in Israel

Abstract

The clover mite, Bryobia praetiosa Koch is a member of the family Tetranychidae and is a cosmopolitan pest of plants. When their number increases around human habitations, they have the tendency to enter homes and buildings and once inside quickly move around, becoming a nuisance. We report the case of seven family members living in Maale Michmash, a rural settlement in the Benjamin Mountain region, north of Jerusalem. Since March 2012, the inhabitants saw numerous small arthropods walking quickly on the walls, cupboards and beds and they were annoyed visually by the presence of these creatures.\n Outside the house, large numbers of mites were seen on the walls and windows of the house as well as on plants adjacent to the house. Several specimens were collected inside and outside the house and were identified as belonging to the species B. praetiosa. The infestation lasted for ca. 3 months, and disappeared spontaneously, when the grass and the plants around the house wilted.