Spider Mites Web: A comprehensive database for the Tetranychidae

Abstract

Online databases are becoming a standard tool to study taxonomy, biodiversity, and ecology. We have developed a comprehensive database for the family Tetranychidae (spider mites). The Tetranychidae is one of the most important families of the Acari in terms of economic impact, because it comprises several agricultural pest species of major relevance, such as the cosmopolitan Tetranychus urticae. The aim of the web site is to gather information on all described spider mites in the world. The main goal is to provide a synthetic view of the biodiversity of this mite family. 1,280 literature references are included, from 1758 to present. 1,257 species, more than 11,745 host plants, and 5,380 geographical data are recorded in 17 tables. The database includes taxonomic data relating the history of nomenclature, geographical distribution, and host plants for all species examined. Three types of query are available to retrieve this information: (1) 'By Species' allows to search on species names and synonyms; (2) 'Advanced' performs a cross search including taxonomical, geographical, and host-plant information; and (3) 'Bibliography' allows searching references combining one, two, or three authors, and it displays all nomenclatural, host plant, and geographical data for the selected reference.