Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant)

El-Banhawy, E. M. & Knapp, M., 2011, Mites of the family Phytoseiidae Berlese from Kenya (Acari: Mesostigmata) 2945, Zootaxa 2945 (1), pp. 1-176 : 26

Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant)

( Fig. 33 )

Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) herbicolus Chant, 1959: 84 .

Amblyseius herbicolus .— Moraes et al., 1989b: 79; Chant & McMurtry, 2004: 208, Moraes et al., 2004: 27.

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) herbicolus .— Muma, 1961: 287.

Typhlodromus herbicolus . — Hirschmann, 1962: 23.

Amblyseius deleoni Muma & Denmark, Muma et al., 1970: 287 .

Amblyseius giganticus Gupta, 1981: 33 .

Amblyseius impactus Chaudhri, 1968: 553 .

Amblyseius thermophilus Karg, 1991: 12 .

Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) amita e Bhattacharyya, 1968: 677.

Material examined. Kenya, 10 females, 1 male, Mt . Kenya, Mogotio, altitude 1993m July 17, 2004 (El-Banhawy); 1 female, Kilifi; 2 females, Lamu Island; 4 females, Pate Island ; 7 females, Wasini Island ; 3 females, Funzi Island ; 3 females, Moana , Diani Beach , Mombasa, Coast Province, July 2005; 1 female, Nyahururu (Thompson Falls), altitude 2500 m, May 6, 2006; 1 female Taita Hills, altitude 1600 m, July 1, 2006; 2 females, Kisii, July 22, 2006; 18 females, 1 male, Kakamega rain forest altitude 1600 m, July , 2006 ( El-Banhawy ) .

Female: Dorsal shield smooth, 335 long, 190 wide. Measurements of dorsal setae: j1 32, j3 37, j4, j5, j6, J2, J5 4–6, z2, z4, z5 6, Z1 10, Z4 90, Z5 232, s4 92, S2, S4, S5 10, r3, R1 10, JV5 52. Setae Z 4, Z5 serrated, remaining setae smooth. Peritrematal shield fused anteriorly with dorsal shield, reaching level of j1. Sternal shield smooth, distances between St I-St III 62 , St II-St II 69 , St IV on platelets. Genital shield 65 wide. Ventri-anal shield constricted, 108 long, 48 wide at level of ZV2, 69 at level of anus, with a pair of elliptical pre-anal pores, and three pairs of pre-anal setae (JV1, JV2, ZV2). Two pairs of metapodal platelets, two pairs of sigillar sclerites and four pairs of setae surrounding ventri-anal shield. Fixed digit of chelicera with eight teeth, movable digit with three teeth. Spermatheca calyx tubular, gradually flared toward vesicle, 28 long, with differentiated atrium as wide as calyx anteriorly. Macrosetae sharp, Sge II 52 , Sge III 41 , Sti III 35 , Sge IV 110 , Sti IV 76 , St IV 65 . Chaetaotaxy : genu II 2 , 2 / 0, 2/0, 1, genu III 1 , 2 /1, 2/0, 1.

Male: Chaetotaxy of dorsal shield as in female. Ventri-anal shield 105 long, 140 wide with anterior striations, a pair of round pre-anal pores, and three pairs of pre-anal setae,. Spermatodactyl L-shaped, foot 5 long, toe 2–5 long, shaft 16 long.

Remarks. The female holotype was intercepted from bromelias imported from Portugal at Boston, Massachusetts, USA, August 13, 1955, Mr. J. D. Crump (Chant, 1959) and is deposited in the Arthropod collection of the United States National Museum. This species has a worldwide distribution. In the Kenyan specimens the calyx of spermatheca is as wide as the atrium, and the fixed digit of chelicera has eight teeth rather than 11–12 ( Denmark & Muma, 1989).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant) (Female). A. Dorsal shield; B. Ventral shields; C. Chelicera; D. Spermatheca; E. Genu II; F. Leg III; G. Leg IV; (Male). H. Ventri-anal shield; I. Spermatodactyl.