Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) neobakeri Prasad, 1968

K, Ismail Döker, KhaustovK, Vladimir A. & JoharchiK, Omid, 2022, First report of plant inhabiting predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Maldives, Acarologia 62 (4), pp. 865-878 : 868-871

Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) neobakeri Prasad

Typhlodromus neobakeri Prasad, 1968: 1369 .

( Figure 4)

Material examined — Five females collected from Maafushi Island, Maldives, 3°56′40.5″ N 73°29′35.2″ E, Terminalia catappa L. ( Combretaceae ) in 25 December 2021.

Measurements — Female (n = 5) – Length of dorsal shield, 333 (330–334), width at level of s4 163 (160–166), width at level of S2 173 (172–174) ( Figure 4a). Five pairs of solenostomes (gd2, gd4, gd6, gd8 and gd9). Setae measurements as follows: j1 18 (16–21), j3 14 (14–15),

j4 11 (11–12), j5 12 (11–12), j6 12 (12–13), J2 14 (13–14), J5 10 (10–11), z2 13 (12–14), z3

13 (12–14), z4 14 (14–15), z5 13 (12–14), Z4 19 (18–21), Z5 34 (31–36), s4 16 (15–17), s6

17 (16–18), S2 19 (17–20), S4 22 (22–23), S5 22 (21–24), r3 15 (15–16), R1 17 (16–18) and JV5 31 (28–33). Distance between st1-st2 60 (59–62), st2-st2 55 (55–56) ( Figure 4d), st5-st5

54 (53–54); length of ventrianal shield 115 (112–118), width at level of setae ZV2 90 (88–93), distance between preanal pores (gv3-gv3) 15 (15–16) ( Figure 4b). Fixed cheliceral digit with four teeth and pilus dentilis, movable digit with two teeth ( Figure 4c). Calyx of spermatheca 21 (20–22) long ( Figure 4e). Chaetotaxy as follows: Leg I; coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 1/1

0/2 1, femur 2 3/1 2/2 2, genu 2 2/1 2/1 2, tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2. Leg II; coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter

1 0/1 0/2 1, femur 2 3/1 2/1 1, genu 2 2/0 2/0 1, tibia 1 2/1 1/1 1. Leg III: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 1/1 0/2 0, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1, genu 1 2/1 2/0 1, tibia 1 1/1 2/1 1. Leg IV: coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0, trochanter 1 1/1 0/2 0, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1, genu 1 2/0 2/1 1, tibia 1 1/0 2/1 1. Leg IV with one knobbed macroseta, StIV 20 (18–21) in length ( Figure 4f).

World Distribution — Australia ( Schicha and McMurtry 1986), Brazil ( Lofego et al. 2009), Hawaii ( Pritchard and Baker 1962), Philippines ( Schicha and Corpuz-Raros 1992), USA ( Denmark and Evans 2011) and Maldives (this study).

Remarks — Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) neobakeri was described by Prasad in 1968 based on the material collected from grass in Waimanalo, Oahu, Hawaii. Morphological characters and measurements of the current specimens almost identical to those of the original description and the re-descriptions ( Prasad 1968 ; Schicha and McMurtry 1986 ; Schicha and Corpuz-Raros 1992). However, measurements of setae Z4, Z5 and S 5 in the Maldivian material are slightly shorter than those provided in the original description, 19 (18–21) versus 24, 34 (31–36) versus 41 and 22 (21–24) versus 26, respectively ( Prasad 1968). We considered these differences as intraspecific variations as these measurements fit well with those provided in the redescriptions ( Schicha and McMurtry 1986 ; Lofego et al. 2009). In addition, Schicha and McMurtry (1986) and Schicha (1987) illustrated calyx of spermatheca as tube-like with basal part less sclerotized, based on the material collected from Australia. However, our examinations showed that Maldivian specimens have a nodular atrium which connect a bell-shaped calyx with a neck, as illustrated by Schicha and Corpuz-Raros (1992).