Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot)

Kreiter, Serge, Douin, Martial & Tixier, Marie Stephane, 2021, New records of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Madeira Island, Acarologia 61 (2), pp. 217-240 : 223-224

Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot)

Typhlodromus scutalis Athias­Henriot 1958 a: 183 .

Amblyseius scutalis Athias­Henriot 1960a: 297 .

Amblyseius (Typhlodromalus) scutalis, Muma 1961: 288 .

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) scutalis, Ueckermann & Loots 1988: 109 .

Euseius scutalis, Moraes et al. 1986: 52, 2004b: 82 , Chant & McMurtry 2005: 216, 2007: 123.

The 200 species of the genus Euseius are considered as Type IV species that are pollen feeding generalists predators ( McMurtry and Croft 1997 ; McMurtry et al. 2013). Euseius scutalis can be reared on pollen and was recorded as a predator Panonychus of citri (McGregor)

in citrus orchards ( McMurtry 1977 ; Kasap and Sekeroglu 2004); it is also reported as a biological control agent of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) ( Nomikou et al. 2003) . Euseius scutalis was observed in high numbers on olive trees in late spring ( Chatti et al. 2017). The biology of E. scutalis , however, remains poorly known. This species was recently recorded from Madeira Island by Ferragut and Baumann (2020). Recorded from Maghreb and South of Spain ( Kreiter et al. 2004, Ferragut and Baumann 2020), it was probably introduced in the Madeira Island by commercial exchanges with Morocco.

World distribution: Algeria, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Ghana, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Turkey.

Specimens examined: 4 specimens (2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ and 1 imm.) collected during this study. Punta do Sol, City center (249 m aasl, 32°40 ′ 18 ″ N, 17°4 ′ 00 ″ W), 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ and 1 imm. on Rosa canina L. ( Rosaceae ), 18/V/2019.

Remarks: this species is very common in Maghreb and South of Spain (Kreiter and al. 2004, Ferragut and Baumann 2020). It is also widespread in the Tunisian orchards ( Kreiter et al. 2010, Sahraoui et al. 2012).