Proprioseiopsis mexicanus (Garman)

Kreiter, Serge, Payet, Rose-My, Douin, Martial, Fontaine, Olivier, Jacques, Fillâtre & Bellec, Fabrice Le, 2020, Phytoseiidae of La Réunion Island (Acari: Mesostigmata): three new species and two males described, new synonymies, and new records, Acarologia 60 (1), pp. 111-195 : 161-163

Proprioseiopsis mexicanus (Garman)

Amblyseiopsis mexicanus Garman 1958: 75 .

Amblyseius mexicanus, Moraes & McMurtry 1983: 134 .

Proprioseiopsis mexicanus, Muma & Denmark 1970: 48 ; Denmark & Muma 1973: 237;

Moraes et al. 1986: 118; Kreiter & Moraes 1997: 379; Moraes et al. 2004a: 181; Chant & McMurtry 2005a: 13, 2007: 89.

Proprioseiopsis amotus (Zack) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011). Proprioseiopsis asetus (Chant) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011). Proprioseiopsis clausae (Muma) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011). Proprioseiopsis kogi (Chant & Hansell) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011). Proprioseiopsis putmani (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011).

Proprioseiopsis temperellus ( Denmark & Muma) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011); Proprioseiopsis tropicanus (Garman) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011). Proprioseiopsis tulearensis (Blommers) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011). Proprioseiopsis versutus (Zack) (Synonymy according to Denmark & Evans 2011).

Proprioseiopsis mexicanus belongs to the belizensis species group as genu I have no macrosetae. As the spermathecal of that species has a short calyx, cup-shaped, it belongs to the asetus species subgroup ( Chant and McMurtry 2005a).

This species is known from all islands of French West Indies ( Kreiter and Moraes 1997; Moraes et al. 2000, Kreiter et al. 2006; Mailloux et al. 2010; Kreiter et al. 2018c) but it was found only in very large number during a previous study on companion plant in Guadeloupe ( Mailloux et al. 2010) and in an actual study in La Réunion (Le Bellec, unpub. data). This species seems to be very abundant on weeds in the lower vegetation. Phytoseiid mites of the genus Proprioseiopsis have been found mainly in ground surface, humus, litter, soil, moss or on grass ( Muma and Denmark 1970; McMurtry et al. 2015).

Proprioseiopsis mexicanus population increase when fed T. urticae eggs ( Megevand et al. 1993) and this species seems to be a good predator of thrips (Kreiter, unpub. data). It is one of the prevailing phytoseiid species on citrus orchards in Alabama ( Fadamiro et al. 2009). Denmark and Evans (2011) mentioned that the species can be reared on T. urticae and Oligonychus pratensis (Banks) and is associated with Bryobia praetiosa Koch , Bryobia sp. and P. ulmi . It was also found in association with Tetranychus evansi Baker and Pritchard ( Furtado et al. 2014) but mentioned as a poor predator of that species. The biology of this species is however almost unknown.

Proprioseiopsis mexicanus was already recorded by Quilici et al. (2000) and all details of collections were provided but measurements of specimens collected and identified were not published. Measurements of specimens collected during this study are provided in table 23.

Specimens examined: 194 ♀♀ + + 2 ♂♂ + 9 im. in total, 13 ♀♀ + 1 ♂ measured (1 ♂ in bad shape). Petite Île – Les bas, Doris Morel farm (aasl 230 m, Long 55°34’1” E, Lat 21°21’22” S), 1 ♀ on C. farinosus , 12/12/2015; Montvert-les-Hauts – EARL Le Mont Vert farm (aasl 582 m, Long 55°32’19” E, Lat 21°19’42” S), 4 ♀♀ on Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv., 14/12/2015, 16 ♀♀ on Capsicum annuum L., 19/5/2015, 10 ♀♀ on C. annuum , 4/8/2015, 21 ♀♀ on C. annuum , 23/08/2016, 8 ♀♀ on C. annuum , 15/12/2016, 13 ♀♀ on C. annuum , 11/1/2017, and 5 ♀♀ C. annuum , 11/6/2017 ; Saint-Pierre – Armeflor Station (aasl 450 m, Long 55°31’9” E, Lat 21°18’14” S), 1 ♀ on Cosmos sulphureus Cav. , 15/12/2015 ; Saint-Paul – Savannah (aasl 61 m, Long 55°29’43” E, Lat 21°20’41” S), 2 ♀♀ on C. annuum , 22/9/2016 ; Vincendo – Delaunay Jean-Max , Jacques Payet farm (aasl 110 m, Long 55°67’14” E, Lat 21°38” S), 10 ♀♀ + 2 ♂♂ on C. annuum , 15/12/2016; Petite Île – Les Bas, Doris Morel farm (aasl 230 m, Long 55°34’1” E, Lat 21°21’22” S), 1 ♀ on S. nodiflora , 31/5/2016; 5 ♀♀ + 1 im. on P. lanceolata , 2 ♀♀ on C. dactylon , and 1 ♀ on S. nodiflora , 1/12/2016; 8 ♀♀ on M. coromandelianum , 10/1/2017; Petite Île – Piton Bloc, Yébo Luguy farm (aasl 973 m, Long 55°34’6” E, Lat 21°18’64” S), 1 ♀ on A. conyzoides , 5 ♀♀ on R. raphanistrum , 3 ♀♀ on Ipomoea indica (Burm.) Merr. , 1 ♀ on P. lanceolata , 1 ♀ on Veronica persica Poir. , 28/4/2016; 1 ♀ on B. catharticus , 10 ♀♀ + 1 im. on P. lanceolata , 9 ♀♀ + 1 im. on R. raphanistrum , 18/10/2016; 14 ♀♀ + 2 im. on Citrus sp., 6 ♀♀ + 2 im. on S. mauritianum , 29/11/2016, 4 ♀♀ + 3 im. on L. camara , 5 ♀♀ on A. dealbata , 5 ♀♀ on P. aquilinum , 9/1/2017; Le Tampon – Grand Tampon, Janick Bénard farm (aasl 861 m, Long 55°32’90” E, Lat 21°12’80” S), 1 ♀ on P. lanceolata , 1 ♀ on A. conyzoides , 1 ♀ on Poa sp., 2 ♀♀ on B. pilosa , and 4 ♀♀ on R. raphanistrum , 24/5/2016; Saint-Pierre – Bassin-Plat CIRAD Research Station (aasl 153 m, Long 55°29’18” E, Lat 21°19’25” S), 3 ♀♀ + 1 im. on A. hispidum , 17/2/2017; 2 ♀♀ on Datura innoxia Mill. , 1 ♀ on Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf , 27/2/2017; 1 ♀ on P. hysterophorus , 30/3/2017; 5 ♀♀ in plot CC, 6/4/2017.

Remarks: measurement values of female and male specimens from La Réunion (Table 23) fit well with all those indicated in Kreiter et al. (2018c) for various countries. All setae and dimensions of specimens of this study have however slightly longer in females and males compared to specimens from other countries.