Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) ilicis Athias-Henriot, 1960

Tixier, Marie-Stéphane, Dennj, Principato, Douin, Martial, Kreiter, Serge & Haralabos, Tsolakis, 2019, Mites of the genus Typhlodromus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Southern France: combined morphological and molecular approaches for species identification, Zootaxa 4604 (2), pp. 242-280 : 252

Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) ilicis Athias-Henriot, 1960

Typhlodromus ilicis Athias-Henriot, 1960: 95 .

Amblydromella ilicis — Moraes et al., 1986: 164.

Specimens collected. Five females on Quercus pubescens Willdenow (Fagaceae) , 12 females on Quercus ilex L. ( Fagaceae ), one female on Cedrus atlantica (Manetti ex Endl) Carrière (Pinaceae) in Parc des Cévennes, France (44°05’17.2”N, 3°34’51.9”E; 44°04’54.6”N, 3°37’12.0”E; 44°05’17.2”N, 3°34’51.9”E), on 14/09/2017.

Known distribution. Algeria, France, Morocco.

Measurements (6 females)

Dorsum. Dorsal shield 309 (306–312) long, 150 (147–155) wide at level of s4 and S2, 143 at level of waist, slightly reticulated, with three solenostomes (gd2, gd6, gd9); poroids and sigilla clearly visible; 18 pairs of dorsal setae and two pairs of sub-lateral setae: j1 23 (19–27); j3 27 (20–31); j4 17 (16–18); j5 18 (17–19); j6 21 (20–23); J2 24 (24–25); J5 6 (5, 7); z2 18 (15–20); z3 22 (18–24); z4 24 (22–26); z5 16 (15–18); Z4 33 (30–36); Z5 55 (54–57); s4 30 (28– 33); s6 32 (29–35); S2 35 (31–37); S4 24 (22–27); S5 10 (9–11); r3 23 (21–24); R1 20 (19–21). All setae smooth, except Z5, serrated. Peritreme extending forwards between the bases of setae z2–z3 or z3–z4.

Ventral idiosoma. Sternal shield with two pairs of setae (st1, st2). Distances between setae st1–st1 57 (55–59), st2–st2 70 (67–71), st1–st2 35 (33–37). Poroids iv2 on the posterior margin of the sternal shield. Setae st3 and st4 tylochorous (on platelets). Genital shield smooth. Genital sigilla (1–3 pairs) visible. The 4 th and 5 th pairs of genital sigilla between or antero-paraxial to the bases of the setae ZV1. The 6 th pair of sigilla thin, elongated, at level of the bases of the setae JV1. Ventrianal shield with two pairs of pre-anal setae (JV2, JV3) and a pair of gv3 (in most of the specimens). We also observed specimens with three setae (one pair of JV2 and a single JV3) and one pair of gv3 on the ventrianal shield (one specimen measured), and specimens with three setae (one pair of JV2 and a single JV3) and one gv3 on the ventrianal shield (1 specimen measured). Setae JV5 43 (42–44) long.

Chelicera. Fixed digit 27 (27–28) long with three teeth between the pilus dentilis and the apical tooth. Movable digit 27 (26–28) long, with one tooth.

Legs. Genu II with eight setae, 2 2/0 2/0 2; Leg IV with a macroseta on the basitarsus, StIV 42 (39–43).

Insemination apparatus. Major duct very short (5), calyx bell-shaped 16 long and 9 wide; atrium differentiated, included in the calyx. Embolus visible, as well as the minor duct.

Remarks. As in other surveys, T. (A.) ilicis is herein reported on Q. ilex . However, it is the first time that this species is reported on Q. pubescens and C. atlantica .

Three morphotypes were observed among the specimens collected: (i) specimens bearing two pairs of setae (JV2 and JV3) and one pair of gv3 on the ventrianal shield, (ii) specimens with three setae (one pair of JV2 and a single JV3) and one pair of gv3 on the ventrianal shield, and (iii) specimens with three setae (one pair of JV2 and a single JV3) and one gv3 on the ventrianal shield. Because of this variability, we also examined the specimens identified as T. (A.) ilicis collected in Morocco ( Tixier et al., 2016). Two kinds of specimens were found there, all identified as T. (A.) ilicis : (i) specimens with three setae (one pair of JV2 and one JV3) and one gv3 on the ventrianal shield and (ii) specimens with three setae and no gv3 on the ventrianal shield. We thus question the identity of the specimens collected in this survey ( Table 2 ). Except for the gv3 pores (one, two or none) and the number of setae on the ventrianal shield (four or three), no difference was observed between the morphotypes ( Table 2 ).

When performing the identification of the specimens herein collected, we compared them to the two species within the sub-genus Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) having two pairs of setae on the ventrianal shield: T. (A.) creticus Stathakis & Papadoulis and T. (A.) ilicis . These two species are very similar and Ferragut (2018) suggested a potential synonymy. Table 2 reports the seta measurements and other morphological features of T. (A.) creticus (retrieved from the original description) and of T. (A.) ilicis (re-description of Ferragut, 2018). In both publications, the specimens have two pairs of pre-anal setae and a pair of gv3 always present. In the original description of T. (A.) ilicis (in Athias-Henriot, 1960) , the ventrianal shield bears two pre-anal setae but nothing is mentioned about the pores gv 3 in the text or the drawings (gv3 not drawn). At that stage, two hypotheses can be proposed: (i) T. (A.) ilicis and T. (A.) creticus are two valid species and the only diagnosic character is the presence or absence of gv3 or (ii) T. (A.) ilicis and T. (A.) creticus are synonyms and the presence of gv3 is variable within a same species. To test these two hypotheses, molecular experiments were carried out (see below).