Peacock mites on cocoa in Peru (Acari: Tuckerellidae: Tuckerella): Their economic importance and a key to species

Abstract

Seeds from the cocoa tree, Theobroma cacao L. (Malvaceae), make up the raw materials for cocoa which is used to produce chocolate. In Peru, cocoa is produced mainly by smallholder farmers under a small-scale agriculture model. During March and September 2020, surveys of organic smallholding farms were conducted in four Districts of the Department of Piura in northwestern Peru. Three species of the family Tuckerellidae (peacock mites) were collected and identified from this region in Peru: namely Tuckerella ornata (Tucker), Tu. pavoniformis (Ewing), and Tu. knorri Baker & Tuttle. In this article, we report the presence of peacock mites affecting cocoa crops in Peru for the first time. The populations of peacock mites found in the cocoa trees were considerable and causing significant fruit damage. A key to the species of Tuckerella found in cocoa is presented.