Abstract
Mesostigmata are known to be the most diverse group of predatory mites within soil ecosystems, involved in maintaining the soil health. Biodiversity of Mesostigmata can be used to access the soil health within a geographical region. Family richness, diversity, abundance and evenness of soil inhabiting Mesostigmata mites in cultivated and undisturbed soil were estimated from five different localities of Punjab, Pakistan in 2014. Family richness, abundance and Shannon diversity indexes were higher in undisturbed soil as compared to the cultivated soil in all the localities, while low variability in evenness had been found. The highest diversity of soil inhabiting Mesostigmata (H'=1.93) was recorded in undisturbed soil in April at Dera Ghazi Khan locality and lowest diversity (H'=0.50) in cultivated soils in August at Gujranwala. The highest family richness (S=10) was reported in undisturbed soil at D.G.Khan and the lowest (S=3) was found in cultivated soils in Gujranwala, Chakwal and Bhakkar.