TY  - JOUR
JF  - Acarologia
T1  - Distribution and abundance of Tuckerella japonica (Acari: Tuckerellidae) in tea gardens in Türkiye
VL  - 66
IS  - 4
SP  - 1098
EP  - 1108
PY  - 2026
SN  - 0044-586X
SN  - 2107-7207
PB  - Les Amis d'Acarologia
AU  - Özen Yazıcı, Burcu
AU  - Akyazı, Rana
UR  - https://doi.org/10.24349/6uwv-tbl0
DO  - 10.24349/6uwv-tbl0
DA  - 2026-11-09
ET  - 2026-11-09
KW  - Camellia sinensis
KW  - density
KW  - Eastern Black Sea region
KW  - occurrence
KW  - peacock mites
AB  - Tea gardens in the Eastern Black Sea provinces of Artvin, Giresun, Ordu, Rize, and Trabzon represent Türkiye’s main tea cultivation areas. Between 2021 and 2023, surveys were conducted in 205 gardens across 32 districts to assess the presence, distribution, and abundance of Tuckerella japonica Ehara (Acari: Tuckerellidae) in this region. From each garden, 45 shoots, 60 leaves, 25 flowers (if present), and 25 fruits (if present) were sampled from three plant levels: lower, middle, and upper, from lateral shoots. The eggs and active stages (larvae, nymphs, and adults) of T. japonica present on the samples were counted and recorded separately. During the study, a total of 8,065 mites from different biological stages were collected from tea gardens in Türkiye. Of these, 6,026 were active stages (larvae, nymphs, and adults), while 2,039 were eggs. The average density of T. japonica in infested gardens was 0.13 active stages/cm of stem, 0.003 active stages/leaf, 0.27 active stages/fruit, and 0.05 eggs/cm of stem. Tuckerella japonica was detected in all sampled provinces except Ordu. This is the first study on the distribution and abundance of T. japonica in tea gardens in Türkiye. The cryptic habits and small size of this mite suggest that its presence may be underestimated. Our study highlights key findings for accurately detecting its presence and abundance.
ER -