The mites Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) and Suidasia
pontifica Oudemans (Acari: Astigmata) are cosmopolitan species
commonly associated with stored products in Brazil (Moraes and
Flechtmann, 2008). These mites can infest many stored products,
including grains, cheeses, nuts, dried fruits, seeds, feed, tobacco, and
flours (Hughes, 1976; Sinha, 1979; Moraes and Flechtmann, 2008).
They are of particular importance in tropical regions (Sánchez-Ramos
and Castañera, 2005). Although these mites usually prefer stored
products already infested by fungi (Parkinson et al., 1991; Hubert
et al., 2003), their rapid reproduction can have economic consequences.
They also cause allergic reactions in humans (Kondreddi
et al., 2006) and disseminate toxigenic fungi (Hubert et al., 2004).
Mite control practices in warehouses usually include various
acaricides (Eaton and Kells, 2009), which have mixed results
(Stables, 1984; Collins, 2006). Another form of control is through
modified atmospheres (Conyers and Bell, 2003) and the fumigants
phosphine, methyl bromide, and sulfuryl fluoride (Bowley and Bel