Phytoseius amba Pritchard & Baker, 1962

Ueckermann, Eddie A., Zannou, Ignace D., De Moraes, Gilberto J., Oliveira, Anibal R., Hanna, Rachid & Yaninek, John S., 2007, Phytoseiid mites of the subfamily Phytoseiinae (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 1658 (1), pp. 1-20 : 4-6

Phytoseius amba Pritchard & Baker

( Fig. 2 )

Phytoseius (Pennaseius) amba Pritchard & Baker, 1962: 224 .

Phytoseius amba, Moraes et al., 2004: 232 .

Phytoseius (Phytoseius) amba , Denmark, 1966: 46.

Pennaseius amba, Matthysse & Denmark, 1981: 352 .

Typhlodromus (Phytoseius) amba, Van der Merwe, 1968: 101 .

FEMALE. ( Specimens measured. Burundi: 8; Cameroon: 1; Ghana: 2; Kenya: 5; Rwanda: 7; Sierra Leon: 1; South Africa: 4; Democratic Republic of Congo: 1 and holotype)

Dorsum. Dorsal shield 282(264–304) [283] long and 141(133–149) [165] wide, mostly smooth, with few lateral striae; a pair of notches at level of s4 and a pair of large pores connected to a triangular structure, posterior to, and in close proximity with z5. Idiosomal setal pattern 12A:5A/JV-3,4:ZV. Setae j1 22(19–27) [24], j3 49(40–56) [42], j4 4(3–5) [3], j5 4(3–5) [3], j6 5(3–6) [4], J2 6(5–8) [6], J5 10(8–13) [11], z2 7(5–10) [5], z3 23(16–27) [17], z4 8(5–11) [5], z5 4(3–5) [5], Z4 62(48–70) [64], Z5 76(59–86) [83], s4 81(53–102) [81], s6 77(48–96) [79], r3 40(34–46) [41], R1 13(10–16) [12]. Setae j1, j3, z3, Z4, Z5, s4, s6 and r3 thick and serrate, other setae small and smooth; Z4 and Z5 on tubercles; R1 on interscutal membrane.

Peritreme. Extending anterolateral to setae j1.

Venter. Sternal shield smooth, with posterior margin indistinct; distances between St1–St3 60(56–64) [60], St2–St2 69(64–72) [79]. Genital shield smooth; distance between St5–St5 67(62–74) [63]. Ventrianal shield vase-shaped, mostly smooth with few striae between setae Jv2, anterior margin slightly convex, 99(86– 106) [100] long, 55(50–64) [53] wide at level of Zv2 and 49(43–56) [46] wide at level of anus; preanal pores posterior to and longitudinally in line with Jv2. Caudoventral setae smooth, except for Jv5, thick and serrate.

Chelicera. Movable digit 25(23–26) [17] long, with 1 to 2 [1] teeth; fixed digit 25(23–26) [17] long, with 2 to 3 teeth and a pilus dentilis.

Spermatheca. Calyx slender and flaring strongly towards the vesicle, 13(8–19) [12] long; atrium at least 1.6 times as wide as the portion of calyx next to it; major duct strongly inflate near atrium.

Legs. Macrosetae irregularly expanded distally on genu, tibia and basitarsus and knobbed on telotarsus; Sge IV 25(19–32) [21], Sti IV 34(26–40) [31], Sbt (macroseta of basitarsus) IV 35(27–43) [39] and Stt (macroseta of telotarsus) IV 32(28–38) [36].

Specimens examined. Two females, Benin: Département de l’Atacora, Djougou, on Tectona grandis , 20- XI-1991, A. Onzo. Ten females, Burundi: 42 km NW Bujumbura, on unknown plant, 11-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 42 km NW Bujumbura, on Tylosema fassoglensis , 11-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 42 km NW Bujumbura, on unknown plant, 11-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 42 km N Bujumbura, on Annona senegalensis , 11-XII- 1989, J.S. Yaninek; 16 km NW Bujumbura, on Grevillea robusta , 11-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 53 km NE Bujumbura, on Misanteca camara , 12-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Kibiaba, on unknown plant, 12-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Rutana Province, 5 km S Gitega, on Acanthus pubescens , 13-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Rutana Province, 16 km S. Rutana, on Tithonia diversifolia , 14-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek. Two females, Cameroon: Central Province, 1 km SW Nkoteng, on Erigeron floribundus , 5-II-1991, A. Onzo. Holotype and 2 females, Democratic Republic of Congo (= Belgian Congo): Beni, on Tithonia speciosa , 11-V-1955, E.W. Baker; Bas- Congo, Kenge, 34 km E Matadi, on Urena lobata , 11-VII-1991, A. Onzo. Three females, Ghana: Kotoku, on Eriosema glomeratum , 7-XI-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Western Region, 28 km S Dunkwa, on Chromolaena odorata , 11-XI-1989, J.S. Yaninek. Seven females, Kenya: Nyanza Province, 16 km W Maseno, on Triumfetta sp. , 2-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Nyanza Province, 1 km N Siaya, on Aspilia mossambicensis , 2-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Nyanza Province, Kisumu District, Sondu, on unknown plant, 3-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Valley Province, Tea Hotel, on Spathodea campanulata , 4-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Valley Province, Tea Hotel, on unknown plant, 4-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek. Two females, Malawi: Northern Province, 18.7 km SE Mzuzu, on Conyza sumatrensis , 31-V-2002, I.D. Zannou; 11 km SE Mzuzu, on Erigeron floribundus , 1-VI-2002, A. Onzo. Eleven females, Rwanda: Kibuye, 35 km W Gitarama, on Triumphetta rhomboidea , 6-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; Kibuye, Home Saint Jean, on Clerodendrum sp. , 7-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; unknown location, on unknown plant, 7-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 5 km N Ruhengeri, on Ipomoea sp. , 8-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 13 km SE Kigali, on Triumphetta rhomboidea , 9-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; unknown location, on unknown plant, 9-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek; 6 km N Kibungo, Clerodendrum sp. , 9-XII-1989, J.S. Yaninek. Two females, South Africa: Pretoria, on Celtis african, 23-XI-1981, E.A. Ueckermann. One female, Tanzania: 17 km S Njombe, on Ethulia vernonioides , 18-VIII-1994, B. Pallangyo. One female, Zambia: 10.4 km S Samfya, on Annona senegalensis , 9-IV-2000, I.D. Zannou.

Remarks. Length of setae j1, j3, z3, Z4, Z5, s4, s6 and of the calyx of spermatheca is rather variable even between specimens from the same country. The presence of setae J2 and R 1 in this species places it in the plumifer species group ( Chant & Yoshida-Shaul 1992a; Chant & McMurtry 1994).

World distribution. Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Reunion Island, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Phytoseius amba Pritchard & Baker (female): A. Dorsal shield; B. Ventral surface; C. Spermatheca; D. Leg IV.