Typhlodromalus peregrinus (Muma)

Kreiter, Serge, Zriki, Ghais, Ryckewaert, Philippe, Pancarte, Clovel, Douin, Martial & Tixier, Marie-Stéphane, 2018, Phytoseiid mites of Martinique, with redescription of four species and new records (Acari: Mesostigmata), Acarologia 58 (2), pp. 366-407 : 386-389

Typhlodromalus peregrinus (Muma)

Typhlodromus peregrinus Muma, 1955: 270 ;

Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) peregrinus Chant, 1959: 97 .

Typhlodromalus peregrinus, Muma & Denmark, 1970: 88 ; Moraes et al., 1986: 132; Moraes et al., 2004b: 202; Zacarias & Moraes, 2001: 582; Chant & McMurtry, 2005a: 199; Chant & McMurtry, 2007: 111. Amblyseius peregrinus, McMurtry, 1983: 255 . Moraes et al., 1991:

130;

Typhlodromu s ( Amblyseius ) robineae Chant, 1959: 98;

Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) evansi Chant, 1959: 99 ;

Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) primulae Chant, 1959: 99 (synonymies, according to Muma, 1964).

This species is very common on citrus ( Muma 1955, 1967; Peña, 1992; Childers 1994; Villanueva and Childers 2004, 2005; Fadamiro et al. 2008, 2009) and solanaceous plants ( McMurtry 1983; Fiaboe et al. 2007) in several countries and is very often reported as the most abundant species. Typhlodromalus peregrinus can be found at the underside of mature citrus leaves, inside tree canopy, under empty scale armour, clump and dead scale insects, whitefly exuvia, sooty mould and mines of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton ( Muma 1967; Childers 1994; Villanueva and Childers 2011). Muma (1969) reported that T. peregrinus was able to reproduce and develop on Panonychus citri (McGregor) but perform better on eggs and crawlers of Parlatoria pergandii Comstock , and Eotetranychus sexmaculatus (Riley) . This phytoseiid was also reported to feed on Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) , with at least partial rust mite suppression on lime ( Peña, 1992). Thus, T. peregrinus seems to be a generalist species with the ability to reproduce and develop on the two key pests of Guadeloupe and Martinique citrus, P. citri and P. oleivora and probably several occasional pests. Its optimal preys were evaluated as Aleyrodidae , Coccidae , and Tetranychidae by Muma (1971).

The following organisms were evaluated by Fouly et al. (1995) as suitable diet in the laboratory at 26°C: all stages of T. urticae ; immature stages of P. citri ; pollens of Malephora crocea (Jacquemin) Schwant. , Quercus virginiana Miller , and Typha latifolia L.

The occurrence of high densities of this species on ground cover vegetation (weeds) of Alabama citrus orchards ( Fadamiro et al. 2008, 2009) can be explained by the possibility that grasses may serve as overwintering sites and alternative food sources, which is probably the most important factors in French West Indies citrus orchards as there is no overwintering in citrus crop in this tropical area.

Typhlodromalus peregrinus was collected from 64 ground cover plants in Florida citrus fields ( Childers and Denmark, 2011) with highest numbers found on the following plants: Bidens alba (L.) DC., Solanum americanum Miller (one plant of the ground cover on which T. peregrinus was collected previously in Guadeloupe), Amaranthus spinosus L., Gnaphalium pensylvanicum (Willdenow) Cabrera , Lantana camara L. and Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants.

In Florida, the highest numbers of T. peregrinus in ground cover corresponded with peaks in thrips numbers, suggesting possible predation on one or more species of thrips occurring. Childers and Denmark (2011) suggest that this species should therefore be evaluated as a predator of thrips larvae and/or adults. Significant increases in numbers T of. peregrinus were also correlated with increased levels of several pollen species on citrus leaves ( Villanueva and Childers 2004).

Thus, considering all these elements, it is possible that T. peregrinus may constitute a key species in citrus orchards in French West Indies: in Guadeloupe where it is abundant on companion plants in citrus orchard ( Kreiter et al. 2013) and in Martinique apparently in the same way in the case of this study.

Specimens examined — 75 ♀♀ + 9 ♂♂ in total (13 ♀♀ + 6 ♂♂ measured). Lamentin, CIRAD-CAEC station (long. 14°37′N, lat. 60°58′O, alt. 25 m), 44 ♀♀ + 4 ♂♂ on N. wightii ,

23 ♀♀ + 5 ♂♂ on P. phaseoloides , 6 ♀♀ on M. atropurpureum and 1 ♀ on P. notatum collected between 20-08-2012 and 18-09-2013; Le Lorrain, Mr. Trepon’s farm (long. 14°49′N, lat. 61°50′O, alt. 117 m), 1♀ on various weeds in a citrus orchard, 25-11-2012.

We have also examined: one holotype and four paratype ♀♀ (all measured) and one paratype ♂ and six paratype immatures (not measured) of Typhlodromalus peregrinus (Muma) in one slide with label: Minneola, Florida, 23-01-1952, on scaly orange leaves, M.H. Muma coll., borrowed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, USA; one holotype ♀ (measured) of Typhlodromalus aripo (De Leon) borrowed at the Museum of Comparative Zoology in the University of Harvard, Cambridge, USA; and one paratype ♀ (measured) and one paratype nymph (not measured) of T. aripo , holotype and paratypes in three slides with the same label: Trinidad, Upper Aripo Valley , 6-10-1963 on Solanum stromonifolium, Bennett and De Leon (n° 2435-1c), for comparison with T. peregrinus .

Previous Records — Argentina, Brazil (Pernambuco, São Paulo), Colombia, Costa Rica,

Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Hawaii, Honduras,

Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, USA (District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma,

Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia), Venezuela.

Remarks — Measurements in the Table 7 show low variations. Measurements of the

13 females fit very well with all those of all other specimens from all other locations. The maximum divergence is observed with measurements of the holotype especially with the longer Z5 and StIV in the holotype and the longer j6, z4, Z1, s4, S2 and S 4 in specimens from Martinique. All measurements obtained for males ( Table 8) are very close. Muma and Denmark (1962) pointed out that T. peregrinus is a highly variable species in relation to dorsal setal lengths, shape of the ventrianal shield and leg macrosetae. McMurtry (1983) stated that T. peregrinus is very close to T. aripo (De Leon) and that detailed comparative studies were necessary in order to determine if these species are both valid or not. In the study of Moraes and Mesa (1988), T. peregrinus was separated from T. aripo based only on some differences in setal lengths. In T. peregrinus , z4 is nearly 20 % longer than z2, whereas in T. aripo z4 is nearly twice longer than z2. These authors considered that T. peregrinus showed generally shorter setae j3,

z4, Z4, Z5 and longer j4, j5, j6 and J2. Looking at the table 9, j3 is equal for both species, Z5

is longer in T. peregrinus and not shorter, and all setae j-J mentioned as longer in T. peregrinus are actually shorter. If we compare our measurements to measurements of type material of both species, if more lengths correspond to T. peregrinus , some data are very confusing as they are closer to T. aripo . The synonymy between these two species is consequently suspected. Data from this study for Martinique, from Kreiter et al. (2013) for Guadeloupe, from Muma and Denmark (1962) for Florida without any setae length, from Guanilo et al. (2008a) for

Peru.