Ácaros predadores associados a um sistema agroflorestal de açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart., Arecaeae) e cupuaçu [Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. Ex Spreng), Malvaceae] no sul do estado da Bahia

Aiming to verify the occurrence of predator mites in the Southern of Bahia State, we evaluate an agroforestry system (AFS) with açaí palm [Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Arecaceae)] intercropped with cupuaçu [Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. Ex Spreng.) K. Schum. (Malvaceae)] in the Fazenda Bom Sossego located in Porto Seguro municipality, Bahia. The samples were performed monthly at 15 plants of each species, from September 2019 to February 2020. We found a total of 458 predatory mites of 14 species and eight families, of which 295 were collected on açai and 163 on cupuaçu, with 13 species on each host, being Cheyletidae sp. unique on cupuaçu and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) sp. on açaí palm. From those, four species are new records for each host. Our results highlight that joint cultivation of açaí palm and cupuaçu as AFS is suitable and useful considering biological control practices, since the hosts share more than 90% of predator species, improving the total diversity of beneficial organisms in the AFS. Açaí palm was recently reported as host for red-palm-mite (Raoiella indica Hirst, 1924, Tenuipalpidae), with records of high population density and damage, so the implementation and maintenance of an AFS in which the hosts may share predators instead of phytophagous is an advisable strategy of Integrated pest management (IPM) increasing the effects of natural biological control and decreasing the damage by pests and use of chemical control.