New species of murucizeiro mite is found in Pará

In a survey of the muricizeiro acarofauna, a native Amazonian fruit with a striking flavor and odor, much appreciated in the region, researchers found a new species of mite. The discovery was described in the article ‘A new species of Eustigmaeus Berlese (Acari: Stigmaeidae) from Brazil’, published in the journal Acarologia. The new arachnid was named Eustigmaeus crassifolius Bizarro & Johann, in reference to the host plant Byrsonima crassifolia, the scientific name of the murucizeiro, as explained by Embrapa Eastern Amazon researcher, Aloyséia Noronha, who is part of the group responsible for the discovery and description of the species.

The species was collected in clones of murucizeiro, in experimental areas of Embrapa in the capital of Pará, Belém, as an activity of the project Technologies for the sustainable cultivation of bacurizeiro, camucamuzeiro, cajazeira and murucizeiro (MelhorFruta-phase 3).

Researcher Walnice Oliveira do Nascimento, project leader, celebrates the advances in knowledge about the most diverse aspects of native fruits and explains that the project aims to sustainably cultivate these fruit plants and, with this, offer new cultivars to the market, with more efficient methods. efficient propagation and productivity, and this also includes agronomic management, with various recommendations such as fertilization and pest and disease control. “These are activities that guarantee greater security for the farmer who wants to invest in planting these fruit trees and for the market as a whole, with the possibility of regularity and a greater supply of fruit and pulp, as currently, the majority of production is extractive”, explains the researcher .

Amazonian fruits are demanded by several markets

Amazonian fruits are increasingly attracting the interest of producers with an eye on the national and even foreign markets. The leader of the MelhorFruta project, Walnice Nascimento, says that until now very little was known about these fruit trees and that this misinformation results in the absence of rational plantings, and consequently, the scale of production, which affects the price, food security and even research that reveals the full gastronomic potential, but also agro-industrial, as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

She adds that the project is in the process of finalizing at least four cultivars of bacurizeiro, camucamuzeiro, cajazeira (taperebazeiro) and of course, murucizeiro, the mite's host species. “We hope with these launches to stimulate rational planting, the local economy and even the emergence of new products”, emphasizes Nascimento.

Studies of regional acarofauna record advances

The article ‘A new species of Eustigmaeus Berlese (Acari: Stigmaeidae) from Brazil’, which introduced the Eustigmaeus crassifolius Bizarro & Johann to the world, was the second publication released this year on the acarofauna found in Amazonian fruit species studied by the MelhorFruta project.

Aloyséia Noronha emphasized that the group of researchers published a scientific note on the topic in Entomological Communications, an international magazine dedicated to research in the field of Entomology. Under the title 'Mites associated with Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth (Malpighiaceae) in the state of Pará, Brazil', she dealt with the mite fauna, with the report of species associated with the murucizeiro, B. crassifolia (L.) Kunth . The researcher mentioned that thirty-one species of mites are new records in muruci, with two species reported for the first time in Brazil.

The research was conducted with the participation of taxonomists from the Instituto Biológico de Campinas, Univates-Universidade do Vale do Taquari, Universidade Estadual de Roraima-Rorainópolis and UNESP de São José do Rio Preto.