Checklist of the mesostigmatic mites of the Netherlands (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Most of the predatory mites belong to the order Mesostigmata, although not all mesostigmatic mites are predators. Quite a number of species are parasites and some feed on fungal material. Mesostigmata occur in a wide variety of habitats. Agricultural areas have been sampled extensively in the Netherlands, both on soil dwelling as well as on vegetation dwelling species. A number of more natural habitats are undersampled and more species for the Netherlands may be expected there. The current checklist contains 458 species, which are listed with their synonyms and occurrence records for the country. Some mesostigmatid mites are used in biological control and an additional table with native and non-native species admitted for this use is presented.