Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) athiasae Porath & Swirski

Abo-Shnaf, Reham I. A. & De, Gilberto J., 2014, Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt, with new records, descriptions of new species, and a key to species, Zootaxa 3865 (1), pp. 1-71 : 52-54

Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) athiasae Porath & Swirski

Typhlodromus athiasae Porath & Swirski, 1965: 90 ; Swirski & Amitai, 1965: 135; McMurtry, 1977: 22; Ragusa, 1977: 383; Swirski & Ragusa; 1977: 78; Swirski & Amitai,1985: 184; Moraes et al., 1986: 241; Zaher, 1986: 126; Çobanoǧlu, 1989b: 172; Denmark, 1992b: 21; Swirski et al., 1998: 118.

Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) athiasae . — Ehara, 1966: 19; Moraes et al., 2004: 360; Papadoulis et al., 2009: 147; Barbar et al., 2013: 255.

Typhlodromus perbibus Wainstein & Arutunjan, 1968: 1242 . (synonymy by Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1792; Denmark, 1992b: 21).

Typhlodromus pelargonicus El-Badry, 1968b: 142 . (synonymy by Abbasova, 1972: 18; Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1792; Denmark, 1992b: 21).

Typhlodromus hellenicus Swirski & Ragusa, 1977: 75 . (synonymy by Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1792; Denmark, 1992b: 21).

Typhlodromus athiasae athiasae . — Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1791; Karg, 1989b: 279.

Typhlodromus athiasae perbibus . — Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1792; Karg, 1989b: 279; 1991: 35; 1993: 218; Swirski et al., 1998: 118.

Typhlodromus siwa El-Badry, 1967a: 183 . (synonymy by Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1791; Denmark, 1992b: 21).

Female (holotype female of Typhlodromus pelargonicus and five additional females).

Dorsal shield reticulate; 344 (327–371) [329] long and 176 (164–190) [163] wide, with 17 pairs of setae. Setae j1 27 (25–28) [26], j3 34 (33–35) [33], j4 21 (20–22) [22], j5 21 (20–23) [20], j6 24 (22–25) [23], J2 27 (26–28) [27], J5 6 (6–7) [6], z2 21 (21–22) [21], z3 30 (29–32) [29], z4 29 (29–31) [30], z5 21 (18–23) [21], Z4 52 (51–54) [50], Z5 74 (71–78) [70], s4 33 (31–36) [32], s6 40 (38–42) [38], S2 40 (30–44) [40], S4 44 (42–45) [40], r3 32 (29–33) [28], R1 31 (29–32) [30]. Dorsal setae smooth, except Z4 and Z 5, slightly serrate. Peritreme extending to region between j3 and z2.

Venter. Sternal shield smooth, with two pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures. Distances between st1–st1 57 (56–61) [57], st2–st2 60 (56–64) [57], st3–st3 77 (69–90) [68], st4–st4 84 (77–88) [69]. Genital shield smooth, with lateral extentions; distance between st5–st5 61 (50–68) [64]. Ventrianal shield subpentagonal, with transverse striae; 111 (104–124) [107] long, 97 (91–106) [100] wide at ZV2 level and 90 (86–94) [94] wide at level of anus; with four pairs of pre-anal setae and no pores. Seta JV5 62 (60–65) [65]. Ventral setae smooth. Two pairs of metapodal plates.

Spermatheca. Calyx of spermatheca tubular 21 (19–22) [21] long; atrium indistinct.

Gnathosoma. Corniculi parallel to each other; basal width of corniculus 5, distance between bases of corniculi 9. Movable cheliceral digit 29 (28–30) [29] long, with 1[1] tooth; fixed digit 29 (28–29) [28] long, with 3 [3] teeth.

Legs. Macrosetae blunt or with tiny distal knobs ( Fig. 79 ): Sge IV 25 (22–27) [28], Sti IV 27 (26–28) [30], St IV 55 (52–60) [53]; chaetotaxy of genu II 2, 2/0, 2/0, 1; genu III 1, 2/1, 2/0, 1.

Male (one specimen).

Dorsal shield pattern as in female; 244 long and 146 wide. Setae j1 20, j3 27, j4 17, j5 17, j6 19, J2 18, J5 7, z2 17, z3 21, z4 20, z5 16, Z4 40, Z5 50, s4 25, s6 29, S2 30, S4 25, r3 22, R1 20. Dorsal setae smooth, except Z4 and Z 5, slightly serrate. Peritreme extending to region between z2 and z3.

Venter. Distances between st1–st1 44, st2–st2 51, st3–st3 55, st4–st4 43, st5–st5 41. Ventrianal shield subtriangular, strongly reticulate; 100 long and 144 wide at anterior corners; with four pairs of pre-anal setae and no pores. Seta JV5 31.

Gnathosoma. Movable cheliceral digit 23 long, with one tooth; fixed digit 24 long, with three teeth. Shaft of spermatodactyl 23 long.

Legs. Macrosetae blunt or with tiny distal knobs: Sge IV 18, Sti IV 20, St IV 36; chaetotaxy of genua II and III as in female.

Specimens examined. Holotype female of T. pelargonicus from P. zonale leaves, at Shubra, Cairo governorate, October 1965 (coll. E.A. El-Badry); one female from eggplant leaves, at Damietta governorate, March 2006 (coll. M.A. El-Borolossy); one female from eggplant leaves, at Demu Village, Senuris, Fayoum governorate, July 2006 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female and one male from okra leaves, at same locality, October 2006 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female from mango leaves at same locality, June 2012 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); seven females from soil under cucumber plant, at Giza governorate, April-May 2005 (coll. A.A. Mohamed); one female from soil under eggplant, at Qualyubia governorate, August 2006 (coll. A.K. Nasr); one female from eggplant leaves, at Sharkia governorate, July 2006 (coll. A.K. Nasr); one female from mango leaves, at the Faculty of Agriculture Farm, Cairo University, Giza governorate, July 2012 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female from soil under A. graveolens plant, at Orman Botanical Garden, Giza governorate, August 2012 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female from soil under Ocimum basilicum L. ( Lamiaceae ) plant, at same locality, November 2012 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf); one female from O. majorana leaves, at same locality, November 2012 (coll. R.I.A. Abo-Shnaf).

Previous records from Egypt. as T. athiasae —Giza and Monufia governorates ( Zaher, 1986); Nile Delta region (Rasmy & Abou-Awad, 1972); unspecified governorate (Zaher & Shehata, 1969); as T. pelargonicus —Giza governorate ( Zaher, 1986); Cairo governorate ( El-Badry, 1968b); Qualyubia governorate ( Zaher, 1986); as T. siwa —Fayoum and Giza governorates ( Romeih et al., 2010b); Siwa Oasis ( El-Badry, 1967a; Zaher, 1986); unspecified governorate (Zaher & Shehata, 1969).

Remarks. Typhlodromus athiasae was originally described from the holotype female, eight paratype females and two paratype males collected in Israel. The original description was reasonably detailed, with illustrations and setal measurements; complementary descriptions were listed by Demite et al. (2014). Typhlodromus siwa was originally described from the holotype female and a paratype female collected in Siwa Oasis , Egypt. The original description was brief, with illustrations but without setal measurements. Typhlodromus pelargonicus was originally described only from the holotype female collected in Shubra, Cairo governorate, Egypt. The original description was reasonably detailed, with illustrations and setal measurements.

Measurements of the examined specimens are close to those provided in the original description of T. athiasae , for both females and males, and those provided by Chant & Yoshida-Shaul (1987) for females. However, the type specimens of T. athiasae are mentioned to have a single macroseta, on basitarsus of leg IV. Measurements of the specimens examined are close to those reported by Zaher (1986) for a single female of T. pelargonicus .

Figures

FIGURES 77 – 79. Typhlodromus spp. 77. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) transvaalensis, spermatodactyl; 78. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) transvaalensis, male ventrianal shield; 79. Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) athiasae, genu, tibia and basitarsus of female leg IV.