Feeding habits of the Tydeidae with evidence ofHomeopronematus anconai(Acari: Tydeidae) predation onAculops lycopersici(Acari: Eriophyidae)

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Abstract
A literature review of the Tydeidae indicated that feeding habits include predation, phytophagy, fungivory, and scavenging. In the current study, evidence for predation of Homeopronematus anconai (Baker) on Aculops lycopersici (Massee) is presented. The tydeid was able to reproduce after feeding on various life stages of the eriophyid mite. In laboratory experiments, significantly lower population densities of A. lycopersici developed on individual tomato leaflets and seedlings that had H. anconai present, compared to leaflets and seedlings void of H. anconai. In addition, H. anconai phytophagy (on pollen and leaf tissue) and fungivory (on Cladosporium cladosporoides) were observed.