D.M. Tuttle Mite and Thrips Collections
In 1952, Donald Tuttle was hired by crop growers in Yuma to help control spider mite infestations. In 1953 he became the third scientist and the first research entomologist hired by the UA Department of Entomology. For the next 31 years he studied arthropod pests at the Yuma Agricultural Experiment Station. Tuttle pioneered new methods of collecting plant mites and host plant data. His collection grew to more than 50,000 microscope slides that were deposited at the Smithsonian (types), the USDA in Maryland, and approximately 25,000 slides were deposited at the UAIC.
Caeculidae, Rake-legged Mite
Photo Mike Quinn, TexasEnto.Net
Spider mites
Tuttle published numerous papers on spider mites (Tetranychidae) and false spider mites (Tenuipalpidae). In total, he published over 180 scientific papers and two books:
The Spider Mites of the Southwestern United States (1967)
A Guide to the Spider Mites of the United States (1994, with Ed Baker)
The second was a general review of mite biology and included 76 new species descriptions and 5 new genera. The UAIC houses the voucher material for this work.
The UAIC also houses Tuttle’s thrips collection containing over 300 microscope slides.
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