Introduction 1999 2000 2003 1996 Aceria guerreronis Neoseiulus baraki 2003 2004 N. paspalivorus 2003 N. baraki 2004 2004 2007 2004 Aceria tulipae N. baraki 1991 1991 1986 1986 1970 1981 1987 1987 2002 2003 N. baraki Materials and methods Perianth-fruit gap measurement 1 Fig. 1 Bract arrangement of the perianth on a coconut fruit. Longitudinal sections were taken along line A and B. OB-Outer bracts of the perianth, IB-Inner bracts of the perianth  2 2 2 Fig. 2 Longitudinal section of a coconut fruit showing position L1 at the edge of the bract touching the coconut fruit and position L2, 1 cm away from L1 along the surface of the coconut fruit  Mite census N. baraki A. guerreronis Size of the predatory mites c. N. baraki N. paspalivorus N. paspalivorus Statistical analysis N. baraki mean widest gap ® Results 3 1 3 4 1 1 3 Fig. 3 Mean (±SE) of the widest gap at L1 and L2 in infested and uninfested coconut fruits of three cultivars: SLT = ‘Sri Lanka Tall’ (white rectangles), DG = ‘Sri Lanka Dwarf Green’ (black rectangles), DGT = ‘Sri Lanka Dwarf Green × Sri Lanka Tall’ hybrid (grey rectangles)  Table 1 Analysis of variance of the gap (L1 and L2) between the perianth and the surface of the coconut fruit Sources of variance df MS F P At L1 Category 1 254,670 33.88 <0.001 Cultivar 2 5,908 0.79 0.457 Category × Cultivar 2 40,287 5.36 <0.01 Residual 265 7,516   At L2 Category 1 582,235 49.27 <0.001 Cultivar 2 56,586 6.87 0.001 Category × Cultivar 2 11,831 1.44 0.239 Residual 265 8,232   P Fig. 4 Frequency distribution of coconut fruits over classes of widest L1 gaps in infested (black rectangles) and uninfested (white rectangles) coconut fruits (all three cultivars together)  R 2 P 4 4 X 2 N. baraki n n n A. guerreronis 5 P F N. baraki 5 N. baraki P F Fig. 5 Mean (±SE) of the number of coconut mites (white rectangles) and predatory mites (black rectangles) per coconut fruit from three coconut cultivars (SLT, DG, DGT; see legend of Fig. 3)  Discussion 1977 1965 3 4 N. baraki c N. baraki N. baraki N. baraki 4 N. baraki 2004 A. tulipae Neoseiulus cucumeris 2004 2004 N. baraki Cocos nucifera A. guerreronis 2005 2007 N. baraki 2003 N. baraki Proctolaelaps bickleyi 2007 P. bickleyi 2007