Neoseiulella novaezealandiae (Collyer), 1986

Kanouh, M., Kreiter, S., Douin, M. & Tixier, M. - S., 2012, Revision Of The Genus Neoseiulella Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Re-Description Of Species, Synonymy Assessment, Biogeography, Plant Supports And Key To Adult Females, Acarologia 52 (3), pp. 259-348 : 324-326

Neoseiulella novaezealandiae (Collyer)

( Figure 34 )

Typhlodromus novaezealandiae Collyer 1964: 635-637 ; Schicha 1980: 24-26; Collyer 1982: 188-189; Schicha 1987: 136-137; Chant and Yoshida-Shaul 1989: 1032- 1035. Neoseiulella novaezealandiae (Collyer) Moraes et al. 1986: 202 ; Moraes et al. 2004: 295; Chant and McMurtry 2007: 147. Neoseiulella (Neoseiulella) novaezealandiae (Collyer) Denmark and Rather 1996: 48-49.

Adult female ( Figure 34a – e )

Dorsal shield ( Figure 34a ) — Dorsal shield heavily reticulated: length 400; width 235 (at level of s4), 231 (at level of Z1), and 262 (at level of S2). Five pairs of solenostomes on the dorsal shield: gd2, gd4, gd5, gd6, and gd9. One pair of poroids. Chant and Yoshida-Shaul (1989) draw and mentioned only four pairs of solenostomes (gd5 absent). However, the present examination of type material shows the presence of gd5, like in the drawings of Schicha (1987). Sub-lateral setae (r3 and R1) on the lateral margin. Dorsal shield bearing 19 pairs of setae, all smooth, except Z4 and Z5 serrated: j1 24; j3 27; j4 17; j5 15; j6 18; J2 21; J5 12; z2 17; z3 24; z4 23; z5 17; Z1 22; Z4 40; Z5 59; s4 24; s6 22; S2 25; S4 23; S5 21; sublateral setae r3 21 and R1 17. Presence of very few visible muscles marks (sigilles) on the dorsal shield. Peritreme extending anteriorly to the level of j1.

Ventral shields ( Figure 34b ) — Sternal shield 85 long and 84 wide (at level of ST2), smooth, with three pairs of setae (ST1, ST2 and ST3) and two pairs of poroids. A pair of metasternal setae (ST4) on separate platelets accompanied by a pair of small poroids. Genital shield 121 long and 74 wide (at level of ST5), smooth. Four elongate platelets or genital sigilla separating genital and ventrianal shields not discernible in the specimen examined. No pair of poroids close to the genital shield (ST 5) and 2 pairs of poroids around the genital shield. Ventrianal shield 139 long and 110 wide (at level of ZV2), smooth, with three pairs of preanal setae (JV1, JV2 and ZV2; JV3 absent) and a pair of large solenostomes gv3 mediad to JV2. Four pairs of caudoventral setae (ZV1, ZV3, JV4 and JV5) on the integument surrounding the ventrianal shield. JV5 35 long, smooth. Primary metapodal plate or inguinal sigillum 30 long and 8 wide.

Spermatheca ( Figure 34c ) — Cervix 5 long, shallowly cup-shaped.

Chelicera ( Figure 34d ) — Nine teeth and a pilus dentilis on the fixed digit. Movable digit 33 (32 – 34) long, bearing three teeth.

Legs ( Figure 34e ) — Measurements of legs: leg I 320; leg II 286; leg III 286; leg IV 391.. Seven setae (2- 2/0, 2/0-1) on the genu II. Three thick and pointed macrosetae, 30, 33 and 45 long, on the genu, tibia and basitarsus IV, respectively.

Material examined — One female paralectotype deposited in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection ( NZAC), Landcare Research , Auckland, New Zealand .

Adult male

Described by Collyer (1964) and Schicha (1980) and Denmark and Rather (1996). We were not able to borrow male type specimens of this species.

Previous reports — N. novaezealandiae is only known from the Australasian area. The type specimens (30 females and 5 males) were collected at Kawau Island ( New Zealand), on Metrosideros excelsa Gaertn ( Myrtaceae ). Collyer (1964, 1982,) reported that this species is distributed throughout New Zealand, on a wide range of native plants. Additional collections of this species have been reported from New South Wales and Queensland ( Australia) ( Schicha 1987; Walter 1999). Plants on which this species was collected are: Brachyglottis repanda (Asteraceae) ; Pseudopanax sp. ( Araliaceae ); Callicoma serratifolia Andrews (Cunoniaceae) ; Elaeocarpus dentatus (Elaeocarpaceae) ; Nothofagus sp., Quercus sp., Sophora tetraptera J.F.Mill. (Fagaceae) ; Eucalyptus sp., Leptospermum scoparium (Myrtaceae) ; Tacsonia mollissima Kunth , Passiflora sp. ( Passifloraceae ); Dacrydium cupressinum Sol. ex Lamb. , Podocarpus sp. ( Podocarpaceae ); Eriobotrya sp., Malus domestica , Pyrus communis (Rosaceae) ; Elatostema rugosum A.Cunn. (Urticaceae) ; Lantana camara L., Vitex lucens T. Kirk (Verbenaceae) .

Remarks — N. novaezealandiae is very similar to N. nesbitti in setal and body measurements. However, differences are observed for the ornementation of dorsal shield (lightly reticulated on N. nesbitti , heavily reticulated on N. novaezealandiae ) and the position and size of prenanal solenostomes (small and posterior to JV 2 in N. nesbitti , large and mediad to JV 2 in N. novaezealandiae ). As several authors have showed the importance of such characters for species identification (Shicha 1980; Chant and Mc- Murtry 1994; Swirski et al. 1998; Chant and Mc- Murtry 2007; Okassa et al. 2009), we consider that these two species are separate specific entities.

Figures

FIGURE 34: Neoseiulella novaezealandiae (Collyer). Female (paratype): a – dorsal shield; b – ventral shields; c – spermatheca; d – chelicera; e – leg IV.