Neoseiulus houstoni (Schicha)

Lofego, Antonio Carlos, Barbosa, Marina Ferraz De Camargo, Demite, Peterson Rodrigo & Moraes, Gilberto José De, 2024, Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) of the subfamily Amblyseiinae from Brazil, Zootaxa 5439 (1), pp. 1-306 : 210-211

Neoseiulus houstoni (Schicha) ( Figure 146)

Amblyseius houstoni Schicha, 1987: 111 .

Phytodromus houstoni .— Denmark, 1993: 115.

Neoseiulus houstoni .— Beard, 2001: 102; Chant & McMurtry, 2003a: 23, 2007: 29; Moraes et al., 2004b: 123; Kreiter et al., 2020b: 121 ; D̂ker et al., 2022a: 868.

Neoseiulus recifensis Gondim Jr. & Moraes, 2001: 77 ; Chant & McMurtry, 2003a: 23, 2007: 29; Moraes et al., 2004b: 140 (synonymy according to Kreiter et al., 2020b: 121).

Neoseiulus barreti Kreiter , in Furtado et al., 2005: 135 (synonymy according to Kreiter et al., 2020b: 121).

Specimens measured. CE, PE (1, 3).

Dorsal shield of female with striae along lateral margins and laterad J2, smooth elsewhere, 291 (268–298) long and 150 (142–160) wide. Setal lengths: j1 23 (19–25), j3 35 (32–38), j4 16 (15–18), j5 17 (15–18), j6 21 (19–23), J2 24 (21–25), J5 8 (6–8), z2 33 (30–35), z4 35 (32–38), z5 18 (16–19), Z1 26 (22–30), Z4 47 (44–50), Z5 52 (47–55), s4 46 (43–48), S2 44 (41–48), S4 23 (21–25), S5 22 (19–23), r3 31 (30–34) and R1 30 (26–33). Peritreme extending forward almost to level of j1. Distances between st1–st3 54 (49–55), st2–st2 60 (64–63), st5–st5 59 (57–60). Ventrianal shield 97 (89–103) long, 71 (68–73) wide at level of Zv2 and 64 (59–68) wide at anus level. Spermathecal calyx trumpet- to bell-shaped, 16 (12–18) long; atrium elongate. Fixed cheliceral digit 27 (26–27) long, with two teeth; movable digit 28 (26–29) long, with 0–1 tooth. Macrosetae only on leg IV; SgeIV and StIV with a small knob and StiIV sharp-tipped; SgeIV 19 (15–21), StiIV 16 (15–19) and StIV 53 (51–55) .

Distribution in Brazil. Alagoas ( Fiaboe et al., 2007; Lawson-Balagbo et al., 2008), Ceará ( Furtado et al., 2005; Lawson-Balagbo et al., 2008; Barros et al., 2020), Paraíba ( Lawson-Balagbo et al., 2008), Pernambuco (Gondim Jr. & Moraes, 2001; Vasconcelos et al., 2006; Fiaboe et al., 2007; Lawson-Balagbo et al., 2008; Melo et al., 2023) and Rio Grande do Norte ( Lawson-Balagbo et al., 2008).

Distribution elsewhere. Australia, Maldives, Mauritius, Reunion Island and Rodrigues Island.

Remarks. The measurements of the specimens examined are similar to those of the redescription of N. houstoni by Kreiter et al. (2020b).