Seasonal abundance and diversity of astigmatic mites in storage facilities of Punjab, India

Stored-product mites cause economic loss by feeding on stored grain and imperil the human health by contamination of food by allergens. The present study has been carried out to access the mite fauna associated with warehouses and other grain storage facilities of Punjab. Samples were collected three times a year. The year was divided into three climatic classes i.e. summer CCL I, rainy CCL II and winter CCL III. Mites were found in 146 (83.90%) of 168 analyzed samples. A total of 2400 mites were isolated of which, 1326 (55.25%) mites were found in samples collected during rainy season, 747 (31.12%) during summer and 327 (13.63%) during winter season. A total 2400 mites were isolated of which 1364 (56.83%) mites were from order Astigmata. Among the collected specimens, 11 species of astigmatid mites were identified belonging to 7 genera of 4 families i.e. acaridae, glycyphagidae, pyroglyphidae and saproglyphidae. Tyrophagus putrescentiae (18.3%) was found to be the most abundant mite species followed by Glycyphagus domestics (17.48%).