Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot)

Abo-Shnaf, Reham I. A. & De, Gilberto J., 2014, Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt, with new records, descriptions of new species, and a key to species, Zootaxa 3865 (1), pp. 1-71 : 17-18

Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot)

Typhlodromus scutalis Athias-Henriot, 1958: 183 ; Hirschmann, 1962: 3.

Amblyseius gossipi El-Badry, 1967a: 177 . (synonymy by Wysoki & Bolland, 1983: 92). Amblyseius scutalis .— Athias-Henriot, 1960a: 297; 1966: 221; Ueckermann, 1992: 149. Amblyseius (Amblyseius) scutalis . — Ueckermann & Loots, 1988: 109.

Amblyseius libanesi Dosse, 1967: 30 . (synonymy by Wysoki & Bolland, 1983: 92). Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) scutalis .— Muma, 1961: 288.

Euseius plumerii Abo-Shnaf & Romeih , in Romeih et al. (2010a): 28 (new synonymy).

Euseius scutalis . — Çobanoǧlu, 1989b: 164; Moraes et al., 1986: 52; Ferragut & Escudero, 1997: 233; Swirski et al., 1998: 107; Moraes et al., 2001: 54 ; 2004: 82; Papadoulis et al., 2009: 28; Barbar et al., 2013: 251.

Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) delhiensis Narayanan & Kaur, 1960: 5 . (synonymy by Wysoki & Bolland, 1983: 92). Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) finlandicus rubini Swirski & Amitai, 1961: 196 . (synonymy by Wysoki & Bolland, 1983: 92).

Female (holotype and one paratype female of E. plumerii and nine additional females).

Dorsal shield mostly smooth, with few lateral striae; 338 (324–350) [369, 358] long and 218 (183–237) [231] wide, with 17 pairs of setae. Setae j1 38 (35–45) [43, 38], j3 42 (39–46) [45, 43], j4 21 (15–26) [24, 17], j5 21 (17–26) [25, 17], j6 34 (23–40) [33, 27], J2 43 (36–48) [48, 39], J5 6 (5–6) [6], z2 40 (35–44) [47, 40], z4 51 (45–56) [62, 52], z5 16 (12–19) [20, 15], Z1 36 (26–44) [40, 32], Z4 36 (24–40) [35, 34], Z5 67 (62–71) [73, 66], s4 68 (62–72) [66, 72], S2 43 (38–55) [42, 40], S4 30 (26–33) [31, 21], S5 36 (32–38) [39, 33], r3 25 (23–27) [30, 23], R1 17 (15–25) [20, 16]. All setae smooth, except Z5, slightly serrate. Peritreme extending to region between z2 and z4.

Venter. Sternal shield smooth, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures. Distances between st1–st1 64 (61–66) [70, 65], st2–st2 69 (68–72) [73], st3–st3 85 (82–88) [91, 82], st4–st4 102 (88–126) [96, 75]. Genital shield smooth; distance between st5–st5 81 (73–88) [79, 81]. Ventrianal shield vase-shaped, smooth; 114 (108–119) [121, 111] long, 58 (53–63) [65, 55] wide at ZV2 level and 75 (70–80) [82, 71] wide at level of anus; with three pairs of pre-anal setae and a pair of pre-anal pores. Seta JV5 43 (36–49) [49, 47]. Ventral setae smooth. Two pairs of metapodal plates.

Spermatheca. Calyx of spermatheca tubular 27 (18–46) [37, 36] long; atrium distinct.

Gnathosoma. Corniculi parallel to each other; adjacent to internal malae. Movable cheliceral digit 25 (24–26) [26] long, with 1 [1] tooth; fixed digit 26 (25–28) [29, 27] long, with 2–6 [6, 2] teeth.

Legs. Macrosetae of legs II and III sharp-tipped; macrosetae of leg IV with hyaline tip, usually blunt and often curved: Sge II 31 (28–32) [35, 32], Sge III 36 (34–39) [40, 37], Sti III 33 (31–35) [35], Sge IV 62 (57–68) [66], Sti IV 47 (43–52) [52, 46], St IV 82 (77–92) [89, 82]; chaetotaxy of genu II 2, 2/0, 2/0, 1; genu III 1, 2/1, 2/0, 1.

Male (one paratype male of E. plumerii and one additional specimen).

Dorsal shield pattern as in female; 235 [254] long and 187 [175] wide. Setae j1 26 [31], j3 34 [36], j4 14 [17], j5 17 [18], j6 23 [30], J2 27 [25], J5 5 [5], z2 29 [31], z4 36 [36], z5 10 [15], Z1 19 [21], Z4 25 [26], Z5 40 [49], s4 50 [51], S2 26 [31], S4 20 [20], S5 23 [27], r3 22 [22], R1 13 [22]. All setae smooth, except Z5, slightly serrate. Peritreme extending to region between z2 and z4.

Venter. Distances between st1–st1 51 [48], st2–st2 56 [54], st3–st3 53 [59], st4–st4 51 [56], st5–st5 40 [46]. Ventrianal shield subtriangular, smooth; 103 [105] long and 144 [147] wide at anterior corners; with three pairs of pre-anal setae and a pair of pre-anal pores. Seta JV5 29 [31].

Gnathosoma. Movable cheliceral digit 20 [21] long, with 1 [1] tooth; fixed digit 21 [21] long, with 2–3 [3] teeth. Shaft of spermatodactyl 30 [32] long.

Legs. Shape of macrosetae as in female: Sge II 25 [25], Sge III 28 [31], Sti III 26 [27], Sge IV 45 [49], Sti IV 37 [36], St IV 62 [61]; chaetotaxy of genua II and III as in female.

Specimens examined. Holotype female and one paratype male of E. plumerii from P. alba leaves, at the Faculty of Agriculture Farm, Cairo University, Giza governorate, February 2006 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one paratype female from rose leaves, at Orman Botanical Garden, Giza governorate, November 2006 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female from soil under apricot tree, at Fedemeine village, Senuris, Fayoum governorate, July 1965 (coll. M.A. Zaher); one female from D. erecta , at the Faculty of Agriculture Farm, Cairo University, Giza governorate, December 1984 (coll. M.A. Zaher); two females from common bean plant, at Dokii, Giza governorate, February 2009 (coll. M.M. Ghallab); one female from leaves of castor bean plant at same locality, November 2012 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); four females from rose leaves, at the Faculty of Agriculture Farm, Cairo University, Giza governorate, January 2013 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female from soil under castor bean plant, at Monufia governorate, July 2012 (coll. A.K. Nasr); one female and one male from okra plant, at Qualyubia governorate, August–October 2006 (coll. A.K. Nasr).

Previous records from Egypt. as E. scutalis —Asyut, Beni Suef, Damietta, Monufia and Qualyubia governorates ( Nasr et al., 2011); as A. gossipi —Kafr el-Sheikh governorate ( El-Badry, 1967a); Qualyubia governorate ( Kandeel & Nassar, 1986); unspecified governorate ( Yousef et al., 1976; Hoda et al., 1986; Zaher, 1986); as E. plumerii —Giza governorate ( Romeih et al. 2010a, b).

Remarks. In contrast to what was reported by Zaher (1986), and similarly to what was reported by Moraes et al. (2001), the specimens examined in this study do not have macroseta on genu I and have a distinct macroseta on tibia III. Euseius scutalis was originally described from the holotype female, four paratype females and three paratype males collected in Algeria. The original description was rather detailed, with illustrations and setal measurements. Amblyseius gossipi was originally described from the holotype female and an unstated number of paratype females collected in Sakha, Kafr el-Sheikh governorate, Egypt (mentioned as Sakha, Giza in the original description). The original description was reasonably detailed, with illustrations, but only with measurements of the idiosoma. Euseius plumerii was originally described from the holotype female and an unstated number of paratype females and males collected in the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University and Orman Botanical Garden, Giza governorate, Egypt. The original description was rather detailed, with illustrations and setal measurements. Measurements of the specimens examined are close to those provided by Barbar (2013), except S4 (38 according to that author).