A survey of the mite fauna associated with Amaranthus cruentus L. (amaranth), Solanum macrocarpon L. (Gboma) and S. aethiopicum L. (African eggplant), three major indigenous vegetables produced in Benin, was carried out from August to October 2004 both at IITA-Benin station and on a vegetable farm at Togba in Abomey-Calavi area. Thirty-three mite species belonging to 12 families were found on the three vegetables. These species included phytophagous mites, predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae, and another group whose feeding habits were not clear. The following phytophagous mites were found: Tetranychus urticae Koch and T. ludeni Zacher, in the family Tetranychidae; Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) and another unidentified mite species, in the family Tarsonemidae. The two Tetranychus species were present on all three vegetables whereas tarsonemids were found only on the two solanaceous plants. Polyphagotarsonemus latus was the most dominant pest during the course of the experiments. It is the major mite pest on solanaceous plants, especially on Gboma in vegetable farms, where broad-spectrum pesticides harmful to natural enemies are used. The phytoseiids group was the most diversified with 16 species out of the 33 identified and more predominant in IITA plots where no pesticides were applied, compared to Togba plots where pesticides were regularly applied on nearby plots. They seem to better control P. latus on Gboma than on African eggplant. Other mites identified on the three vegetables belong to the following families: Acaridae, Tydeidae, Erythraeidae, Cunaxidae, Anystidae, Ascidae, Bdellidae, Uropodidae and Oribatidae.
