Euseius rubicolus (Van der Merwe & Ryke)

Ueckermann, E. A., Situngu, Sivuyisiwe & Barker, Nigel P., 2021, Checklist of Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) species from plants bearing leaf domatia, from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, with the description of a new species, Journal of Natural History 55 (11 - 12), pp. 683-697 : 688-689

Euseius rubicolus (Van der Merwe & Ryke)

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) rubicolus Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964:266

Amblyseius addoensis rubicolus (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , McMurtry 1980: 152

Euseius rubicolus (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , De Moraes et al. 2004: 80.

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) annecki Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964:268

Euseius annecki (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , De Moraes et al. 2004: 80.

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) raptor Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964:270

Euseius raptor (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , De Moraes et al. 2004: 80.

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) addoensis Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964:275

Amblyseius addoensis addoensis (van der Merwe & Ryke) , McMurtry 1980: 151

Euseius addoensis (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , De Moraes et al. 2004: 80.

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) undulatus Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964:278

Euseius undulatus (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , De Moraes et al. 2004: 80.

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) capensis Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964:281

Euseius capensis (Van der Merwe & Ryke) , De Moraes et al. 2004: 80.

Seven closely related species described by Van der Merwe and Ryke (1964) from Grabouw (Western Cape Province), Addo (Eastern Cape Province) and Rustenburg (North- West Province) were separated into two subspecies, Amblyseius addoensis rubicolus (Van der Merwe & Ryke) and Amblyseius addoensis addoensis (Van der Merwe & Ryke) and one other species, Amblyseius citri ( Van der Merwe & Ryke, 1964, p. 273) by McMurtry (1980) based on hybridisation tests. Ueckermann and Loots (1988) ignored the subspecies a status kept since then. Because of page priority de Moraes et al. (2004) changed the name addoensis to rubicolus , under the genus Euseius Wainstein. Only two species are now recognised, namely E. rubicolus and E. citri . These two species are similar in all respects and can only be distinguished by the length of setae Z4, 14– 22 in E. rubicolus and 23–30 in E. citri . However, this species can be defined by the following combination of characters: All dorsal setae short and smooth, except for setae j1, j3, s4 and Z5 which are longer with the latter serrate, 3 pairs of pre-anal setae (JV1, JV2 and ZV2) on the ventrianal shield are almost aligned transversely, peritremes are shorter usually not extending to setae j1, the teeth on the chelicerae are reduced with only 3 teeth apically on the fixed digit; calyx of spermatheca slightly bulged adjacent to atrium, then narrows to suddenly flares towards vesicle.

World distribution: South Africa. This species can be considered as one of the dominant species in South Africa because it is regularly present in samples from the Eastern- and Western Cape Provinces.

Specimens examined: 15 ♀♀, 5♂♂

Alexandria Forest, on Ehretia rigida (Thunb.) Druce (Boraginaceae) , 28 August 2014; Grahamstown Botanical Garden, on Gardenia thunbergia L.f. ( Rubiaceae ), 4 September 2014; Gonubie, East London, Grewia occidentalis L. ( Malvaceae ), 26 September 2014; Stellenbosch, Kiggelaria africana (Thunb.) Spach (Bigoniaceae) , 11 November 2014, Tecoma capensis (Thunb.) Spach , 11 November 2014; Bedford, on Grewia occidentals L., 9 October 2014, Canthium ciliatum (Klotzsch) Kuntze (Rubiaceae) , 9 October 2014; Kambi Forest, on Gardenia thunbergia L.f. ( Rubiaceae ), 14 October 2014; Langeni Forest, on Psychotria capensis (Eckl.) Vatke (Rubiaceae) , 13 October 2014, on Ocotea sp. (Lauraceae) , 13 October 2014; Pirie Forest, on Canthium ciliatum (Klotzsch) Kuntze (Rubiaceae) , 10 October 2014, on Gardein sp. ( Rubiaceae ), 10 October 2014; Maidan dam, King-Williams Town, on Rhoicissus tomentosa (Lam.) Wild & R.B.Drumm (Vitaceae) , 11 October 2014; Hogsback, on Burchellia bubalina (L.f.) Sims ( Rubiaceae ), 10 October 2014; Grahamstown, on Gardenia thunbergia L.f. ( Rubiaceae ), October 2014.