Notes on the Occurrence and Morphology of Bryobia lagodechiana Reck in British Columbia (Acarina: Tetranychidae)

Bryobia lagodechiana Reck, 1953, was originally found on bedstraw, or cleavers, Galium sp., growing at an elevation of about 6,890 to 7,220 feet above sea level in the Lagodekhsky reserve of the Armenian S.S.R. (Reck, 1953; Bagdasarian, 1957). A mite believed, on the basis of illustrations and descriptions only, to be the same species was found by the author in one locality in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. It was first observed on June 6, 1958, when about 10 female mites were noticed feeding on common horsetail, Equisetum arvense L., growing at an elevation of 3,300 to 3,500 feet near Orofino Creek on Mount McCaig, known locally as Orofino Mountain. The site, which was partially shaded by fairly heavy stands of tall coniferous trees, was somewhat boggy, and would undoubtedly be flooded during the spring run-off of Orofino Creek. Luxurious pure stands of this horsetail are common in such sites and, except for moss, it is often the predominant plant in many creek-bottom areas. An additional 20 female mites were collected at the same site on June 12, 1958. No males, or immature stages, were seen on either date. This is the first record outside southern Russia of the occurrence of a mite closely resembling B. lagodechiana, and the first report of the occurrence of any species of Bryobia on plants of the family Equisetaceae. The slide-mounted specimens are in the Canadian National Collection.