Neoseiulus melinis Lofego & Moraes

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 : 214

Neoseiulus melinis Lofego & Moraes ( Figure 149)

Neoseiulus melinis Lofego & Moraes, 2003: 113 .

Neoseiulus melinis . — Moraes et al., 2004b: 133; Chant & McMurtry, 2006c: 13, 2007: 29; Lofego et al., 2009: 49 ; Ferragut & Navia, 2022b: 536 .

Specimen measured. The holotype.

Dorsal shield of female mostly smooth, with scant anterolateral striae, 355 long and 216 wide. Setal lengths: j1 25, j3 34, j4 34, j5 11, j6 21, J2 20, J5 10, z2 35, z4 50, z5 30, Z1 47, Z4 56, Z5 67, s4 62, S2 53, S4 32, S5 29, r3 47 and R1 29. Peritreme extending to level of j1. Distances between st1–st3 68, st2–st2 70, st5–st5 65. Ventrianal shield 123 long, 100 wide at level of Zv2 and 83 wide at anus level. Spermathecal calyx saccular, 25 long; atrium bifurcate at junction with major duct. Fixed cheliceral digit 26 long, with five teeth; movable digit 32 long, with two teeth. Macrosetae only on leg IV, sharp-tipped; SgeIV 33, StiIV 28 and StIV 38 .

Distribution in Brazil. Bahia ( Ferragut & Navia, 2022b), Goiás ( Rezende & Lofego, 2011) and São Paulo ( Lofego & Moraes, 2003; Lofego et al., 2009; Castro & Moraes, 2010; Moraes et al., 2013).

Distribution elsewhere. Not reported.

Remarks. Species described from S„o Paulo state, Brazil. Differently from what was mentioned and illustrated in the original description, in the spermatheca of the holotype and of three paratypes examined (all deposited at Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”), the atrium is bifurcate, as now shown in this publication. Our measurements of the holotype of this species are similar to what was reported in the original description.