Neoseiulus micmac ( Chant & Hansell, 1971 )

Kolodochka, L. A., 2018, Two New Species Of The Genus Neoseiulus (Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae) With Redescriptions Of N. Bicaudus And N. Micmac Based On Holotypes, Vestnik Zoologii (Vestn. Zool.) 52 (4), pp. 295-306 : 299-300

Neoseiulus micmac ( Chant & Hansell, 1971) ( fig. 3 )

Amblyseius micmac Chant, Hansell, 1971: 7194 .

T y p e m a t e r i a l. Holotype ♀: [ Canada:] “ Nova Scotia, Lakeville , Lawrence orchard , Benzenchexachloride plot , on Apple leaves ”, [45°06´N, 64°36´W], unnumbered, 18.08.1942, [coll. unknown, later mounted by June Herbert (Eiko Shaul, personal communication)] ( CNC).

4 See more details in Demite et al. (2016).

D e s c r i p t i o n. Female. Dorsal shield ( fig. 3 , A) elongated, with constrictions at level of R1, weakly sclerotized, with net-like sculpture on posterior part of shield, 6 pairs of small solenostomes (gd1, gd4, gd5, gd6, gd8, gd9), 16 pairs of poroids, and 17 pairs of setae acute, thin, short and slightly different in length except elongated Z5. Dorsal setae smooth except S4, S5, Z4, Z5 weakly serrated. Setae Z5 much longer than others, setae S4, S5, Z4 longer than setae on anterior part of shield. Seta j3 reaches to base of seta z2 but not extend out of it Setae z2 and z4 one third of distance to bases of next setae. Seta Z4 longer than distance to solenostome gd9 and equal to distance to base of seta S5. Setae of pair J5 short, one smooth and other with one barb ( fig. 3 , B). All ventral setae thin, acute, and smooth (seta JV5 included). Sternal shield with 3 pairs of setae (St1–St3) and 2 pairs of lyrifissures; setae St4 placed on separate metasternal platelets with small pore on each ( fig. 3 , C). Genital shield with pair of seta Ge. Narrow transversal sclerotized stria between genital and ventrianal shields. One pair narrow straight-line plates, semi-separate because partly fused with ventrianal shield, posteroparaxially to setae ZV1 ( fig. 3 , C). Ventrianal shield elongated, wider than genital shield, with convex anterior margin, subtriangular with lateral constrictions feebly marked, finely striated. Ventrianal shield with three pairs of short setae JV1, JV2 and ZV2. Pre-anal solenostomes gv3 very small, round and disposed posteroparaxially of setae JV2 ( fig. 3 , C). Ventrianal shield surrounded by four pairs of setae, ZV1, ZV3, JV4 and JV5, and 4 pairs of small oval platelets on the integument. Chelicerae normal in size. Fixed digit with 9 denticles (2 large distal and 7 smaller in separate medial row), movable digit with 1 tooth ( figs 3 , D 1 , D 2 ). Metapodal plates elongated, anterior platelet smaller and narrower than posterior platelet ( fig. 3 , E). Infundibulum of spermatheca cup-shaped and thicken-walled, atrium on thickened cervix ( fig. 3 , F). Peritremes long, extending to level of bases of setae j1 ( fig. 3 ). Posterior part of peritremal shield curved and acuminate ( fig. 3 , G). Leg IV with three smooth acute macrosetae: longest on basitarsus, short on tibia and genu ( fig. 3 , H). Macrosetae on other legs absent. Genu II with 7 setae (2 al –2 ad, 2 pd / 0 av, 0 pv –1 pl) (according to original description).

Measurements. Length of dorsal shield from j1 to end of shield, Lds 405; width of dorsal shield at R1 level, Wds 188; length of ventrianal shield, Lvas 142; max width of ventrianal shield, Wvas 117; distance between pre-anal solenostomes gv3, Lgv3 43; length of tarsus of leg IV, Ltar IV 113. Length of setae: j1 22, j3 29, j4 12, j5 12, j6 14, J2 14, J5 13, s4 36, z2 20, z4 20, z5 12, S2 30, S4 32, S5 36, Z1 22, Z4 38, Z5 86, r3 30, R1 25, JV5 61; macrosetae on leg IV: ge 29, ti 27, tar 77.

Male from type locality of the species unknown.

Study of the holotype of N. micmac gave possibility to solve several taxonomic questions in this two mites. Neoseiulus micmac has many characters, which do it similar to N. bicaudus , so Congdon (2002) considered it to be a synonym of N. bicaudus . Chant & McMurtry (2003) restored N. micmac as a valid species name, but Denmark & Evans (2011) supported Congdon´s opinion. However, detailed comparison of N. micmac and N. bicaudus holotypes reveals significant differences between them. Actually, N. bicaudus has 7 pairs of dorsal solenostomes (gd2 present), 6 or 7 large teeth on fixed digit of chelicera, smooth J5, and serrated JV5 setae, whereas N. micmac has only 6 pairs of dorsal solenostomes (gd2 absent), 9 teeth (2 distal large teeth and 7 tiny denticles) on Df, seta J5 serrated with 1 jag and seta JV5 smooth. Besides that, infundibulum of spermatheca of N. micmac U-form and thick-walled, whereas infundibulum of N. bicaudus cup-shaped and thin-walled. Thus, these morphological differences convincingly indicated that N. micmac should considered a valid name.

Figures

Fig. 3. Neoseiulus micmac (Chant et Hansell). Female: A— dorsal shield; B — setae J5; C — fragment of ventral body surface; D 13–14, chelicerae (D — moveable digit; D — fixed digit); E — metapodal plates; F — spermatheca; G — caudal part of peritremal shield; H — fragment of leg IV.

Fig. 1. Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein). Female:A — dorsal shield; B — setae J5; C — fragment of ventral body surface; D —chelicera; E — metapodal plates; F — spermatheca; G — caudal part of peritremal shield; H — fragment of leg IV; I, genu II (setal abbreviation: ad — antero-dorsal, pd — post-dorsal; al — antero-lateral, pl — post-lateral; av — antero-ventral).

Fig. 2. Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein). Male: A — chelicera; B — ventrianal shield.