Iphiseius degenerans (Berlese)

Kreiter, Serge, Payet, Rose-My, Mouigni, Hadji, Douin, Martial, Tixier, Marie-Stéphane & Azali, Hamza Abdou, 2021, New records of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) of Grande Comore Island (Comoros Archipelago), Acarologia 61 (2), pp. 241-273 : 256

Iphiseius degenerans (Berlese)

Seius degenerans Berlese 1889: 9 .

Amblyseius (Iphiseius) degenerans, Muma 1961: 288 .

Typhlodromus degenerans, Hirschmann 1962: 2 .

Iphiseius (Iphiseius) degenerans, Pritchard & Baker 1962: 299 .

Amblyseius degenerans, Zaher 1986: 99 , Northcraft 1987: 521, Papadoulis & Emmanouel

1991: 36.

Iphiseius degenerans, Berlese 1921: 95 , Evans 1954: 518, Moraes et al. 1986: 61, 2004b: 92, Chant & McMurtry 2005b: 215, 2007: 125.

Iphiseius martigellus El­Badry 1968: 325 (synonymy according to Chant & McMurtry 2005b).

The biological characteristics of this Ethiopian species have been well documented because of its use in controlling thrips on various cultivated plants in greenhouses. Iphiseius degenerans is a commercially available biological control agent of thrips and spider mites in greenhouse crops. It is able to feed on a variety of foods, but thrips’ larvae and sweet pepper pollen are unfavourable food for immature development. This could compromise the establishment of this biological control agent when used against thrips in sweet pepper crops. According to the classification by McMurtry et al. (2013), I. degenerans is a type­III generalist predator.

It is one of the most common native phytoseiid mite species on cassava in southern Africa ( Zannou et al. 2005) and feeds on Mononychellus tanajoa (Bondar) ( Nwilene and Nachman 1996) , a widely distributed neotropical mite pest of cassava in Africa, insect larvae and pollen of many plants ( Vantornhout et al. 2005). Another study concluded that I. degenerans can be considered a suitable biological control candidate based on its preference Eutetranychus for orientalis (Klein) in the Mediterranean region ( Fantinou et al. 2012). Iphiseius degenerans preys on Oligonychus perseae Tuttle, Baker & Abbatiello outside the webbed nests. Although I. degenerans contributed towards the control of O. perseae , it is limited and needs further investigation, considering the inclusion of alternative food (e.g. Castor oil pollen) for predator population growth ( Zappala et al. 2015).

World distribution: numerous countries in Northern and Southern Africa ( Demite et al. 2021), Mediterranean area ( Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal), Near East or Middle East ( Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen), in Europe (Georgia), South America ( Brazil) and in North America ( USA in California, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire). It was recorded only in Grande Comore Island in the Indian Ocean ( Kreiter et al. 2018b).

Specimens examined: four specimens (1 ♂ and 3 ♀♀) collected during this study. Mvouni, University of Comoros (434 m aasl, lat. 11°43 ′ 11 ″ S, long. 43°16 ′ 31 ″ E), 1 ♀ on Ricinus communis L. ( Euphorbiaceae ) and 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ on Bidens pilosa L. ( Asteraceae ), 6/XII/2018 ; Ivembeni, Banda Samlini (791 m aasl, lat. 11°29 ′ 22 ″ S, long. 43°19 ′ 36 ″ E), 1 ♀ on Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg (Moraceae) , 7/XII/2018.

Remarks: measurements of the 3 ♀♀ + 1 ♂ fit well with measurements of specimens reported in the literature, but especially with those specimens previously collected in Grande Comore at Moroni ( Kreiter et al. 2018b).

Sub-tribe Typhlodromalina Chant & McMurtry

Typhlodromalina Chant & McMurtry 2005b: 195 .