Scapulaseius reptans (Blommers)

Kreiter, Serge & Ferragut, Francisco, 2021, Scapulaseius asiaticus (Evans) andS. reptans (Blommers) (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae): one or two species?, Acarologia 61 (3), pp. 747-757 : 750-751

Scapulaseius reptans (Blommers)

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) reptans Blommers 1974: 145 .

Typhlodromips reptans, Moraes et al. 1986: 146 ; Moraes et al. 2004b: 222.

Scapulaseius reptans, Chant & McMurtry 2005: 335 ; Chant & McMurtry 2007: 68.

Scapulaseius reptans appears to belong to the ficilocus species group of the genus Scapulaseius as the setae R1 are inserted on lateral integument of adult female and not on dorsal shield ( Chant and McMurtry 2005). This species group contains 40 species.

This species is mentioned only from the Indian Ocean area, Madagascar (Blommers 1974), La Réunion ( Quilici et al. 2000) and recently Mauritius ( Kreiter et al. 2018a). Species of this genus Scapulaseius are supposed to be of type III ( McMurtry and Croft 1997 ; McMurtry et al. 2013), i.e. polyphagous generalist predators. However, the biology of S. reptans remains unknown.

World distribution La Réunion Island, Madagascar, Mauritius Island.

Specimens examined 26 ♀♀ and 9 ♂♂ in total. LA RÉUNION ISLAND (2 ♀♀, 1 ♂ and

1 imm.): Ravine Langevin, Grand-Galet Waterfall (aasl 850 m, 55°21′33″ E, 21°17′47″ S),

1 ♀ and 1 ♂ on Desmodium incanum De Candolle (Fabaceae) , 11/12/2016 ; Petite Île, Piton Bloc, Yébo Luguy farm (aasl 973 m, 55°34′64″ E, 21°18′64″ S), 1 ♀ and 1 imm. on Lantana camara L. ( Verbenaceae ), 9/1/2017. MADAGASCAR (22 ♀♀ and 7 ♂♂): Tamatave city, 1 ♀ (holotype), 4 ♀♀ and 3 ♂♂ (paratypes), and 8 ♀♀ and 4 ♂♂ additional (material) on Psidium guajava L. ( Myrtaceae ), 28/VII/1972 ; Tamatave Ivoloina, 3 ♀♀ (additional material) on Rubus sp. , 25/VII/1972, 1 ♀ (additional material) on Pueraria phaseoloides (= javanica) (Roxburgh) Bentham ( Fabaceae ), 1/VIII/1972 ; 3 ♀♀ (additional material) on Passiflora foetida L. ( Passifloraceae ), 5/VII/1972 (2 ♀♀) and 24/VII/1972 (1 ♀), 2 ♀♀ (additional material) on Phaseolus lunatus L. ( Fabaceae ), 11/II/1972. MAURITIUS ISLAND (2 ♀♀ and

1 ♂): Chamouny (aasl 128 m, 57°27′58.00″ E, 20°28′55.99″ S), 2 ♀♀ and 1 ♂ on an unknown host plant, 21/IX/2017.

Discussion on the possible synonymy

Scapulaseius asiaticus was described by Evans (1953) under the name Typhlodromus asiaticus from specimens collected in Java Island, Indonesia, on cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. ( Malvaceae ) as indicated on slides of the type material. One female was added from Malaysia, Kwala Lumpur, to this type material ( Evans 1953).

The closely related Scapulaseius reptans (Blommers) was described by Blommers in 1974 from Tamatave ( Madagascar) under the name Amblyseius (Amblyseius) reptans from specimens collected on Psidium guajava L. ( Myrtaceae ).