Euseius natalensis (Van der Merwe)

El-Banhawy, E. M. & Knapp, M., 2011, Mites of the family Phytoseiidae Berlese from Kenya (Acari: Mesostigmata) 2945, Zootaxa 2945 (1), pp. 1-176 : 40-41

Euseius natalensis (Van der Merwe)

( Fig. 63 )

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) natalensis Van der Merwe, 1965: 65 .

Amblyseius natalensis .— Ueckermann & Loots, 1992: 153.

Euseius natalensis .— Moraes et al., 2001: 33 .

Material examined. Kenya, 1 female, Kiamuguongo , Central Province, altitude 1500 m, July 12, 2004; 3 females, Mt . Kenya, Chogoria gate, altitude 2985 m, July 16, 2004; 1 female, Nyahururu ( Thompson Falls ), altitude 2500 m, May 6, 2006; 1 female, Mfangano Island, Nyanza Province, altitude 1300 m, December 10, 2005 (El-Banhawy) .

Female: Dorsal shield 310 long, 210 wide, with anterior striations and five pairs of pores. Measurements of dorsal setae: j1 25, j3 23, j4, j 5 13, j6 17, J2 16, J5 5, z2 25, z4 28, z5 16, Z1 21, Z4 20, Z5 30, s4 32, S2 23, S4, S5 21, r3, R118, JV5 46. Peritrematal shield fused anteriorly with dorsal shield, reaching level of z2. Sternal shield smooth, distances between St I-St III 70 and St II-St II 60 , St IV on platelets. Genital shield 85 wide. Ventri-anal shield 112 long, 74 wide with a pair of crescentic 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 three small teeth clustered distally, movable digit with one tooth. Spermatheca calyx tubular, 24 long, 2.5 wide, atrium conspicuous, 4 long. Macrosetae, Sge II 20 , Sge III 25 , Sti III 20 , Sge IV 32 , Sti IV 30 , St IV 48 . Chaetotaxy: genu II 2 , 2 / 0, 2/0, 1, genu III 1 , 2 /1, 2/0, 1.

Remarks. The female holotype was collected from Munster, Natal, South Africa, April 19, 1955 ( Van der Merwe, 1965) and a male was collected from Nairobi, Kenya, December 30, 1972 (Swirksi & Ragusa, 1978).

Figures

FIGURE 63. Euseius natalensis (Van der Merwe) (Female). A. Dorsal shield; B. Ventral shields; C. Chelicera; D. Spermatheca; E. Genu II; F. Leg III; G. Leg IV.