Euseius kenyae (Swirski & Ragusa)

El-Banhawy, E. M. & Knapp, M., 2011, Mites of the family Phytoseiidae Berlese from Kenya (Acari: Mesostigmata) 2945, Zootaxa 2945 (1), pp. 1-176 : 38-39

Euseius kenyae (Swirski & Ragusa)

( Fig. 59 )

Amblyseius kenyae Swirski & Ragusa, 1978: 398 .

Euseius kenyae .— Moraes et al., 2001: 26 .

Material examined. Kenya, 4 females, Mt . Kenya, Mweiga, Kenya Wildlife Services, altitude 1400 m; 2 females, the tree tops area, altitude 1500 m; 4 females, Naro Moru gate, altitude 2438 m; 3 females, Meru forest station, altitude 1774 m, July 2004; 3 females, Lake Bogoria National Park, altitude 1023 m; 7 females, Mt. Elgon National Park, altitude 2335 m; 6 females, Kaberwa, KWS, altitude 2148m, March, 2005; 1 female, Naivasha Lake , altitude 1712 m; 1 female and 1 male, Nyahururu ( Thompson Falls ), altitude 2500 m, May 2006; one female, Rusinga Island , altitude 1300 m; 2 females, Ndere Island , Nyanza Province , altitude 1300 m, December, 2005 (El-Banhawy) .

Female: Dorsal shield smooth with lateral striations, 315 long, 210 wide, with seven pairs of large pores. Measurements of dorsal setae: j1 35, j3 37, j4, j5, j6 21, J2 23, J5 5, z2, z4 34, z5 16, Z1 28, Z4 30, Z5 70, s4 48, S2 32, S4, S5 25, r3 16, R1 14, JV5 37. Seta Z 5 serrated, remaining setae smooth. Peritrematal shield fused anteriorly with dorsal shield, reaching level of j3. Sternal shield smooth, with tridentate posterior lobe, distances between St I-St III 58 , St II-St II 70 , St IV on platelets. Genital shield 83 wide. Ventri-anal shield 95 long, 70 wide at level of anus, with a pair of large crescentic pre-anal pores and three pairs of pre-anal setae (JV1, JV2, ZV2). Two pairs of metapodal platelets, a thin longitudinal sigillar sclerite and four pairs of setae surrounding ventri-anal shield. Fixed digit of chelicera with four small teeth clustered distally, movable digit with one tooth. Spermatheca calyx conicalshaped, 16 long, 12 wide distally, atrium incorporated in calyx, 5 long, major duct prominent. Macrosetae enlarged distally, Sge II 35 , Sge III 40 , Sti III 25 , Sge IV 55 , Sti IV 40 , St IV 70 . Chaetotaxy : 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 striated, 140 long, 80 wide, with a pair of crescentic pre-anal pores and three pairs of pre-anal setae. Spermatodactyl L-shaped, toe 7 long, shaft 16.

Remarks. The female holotype and male paratype were collected from Thika, Kenya, January 4, 1973, and 27 female paratypes were collected from the same locality, January 1, 1973 ( Swirski & Ragusa, 1978). This species was also reported from Nairobi in 1985 ( Moraes et al. 2001).

Figures

FIGURE 59. Euseius kenyae (Swirski & Ragusa) (Female). A. Dorsal shield; B. Ventral shields; C. Sternal shield; D. Chelicera; E. Spermatheca; F. Genu II G. leg III; H. Leg IV; (male). I. Ventri-anal shield; J. Spermatodactyl.