Amblyseiulus messor ( Wainstein, 1960 )

Kolodochka, L. A., 2024, Predatory Mites (Phytoseiidae, Parasitiformes) Of The Fauna Of Ukraine: Redescriptions Of The Species Of Amblyseiella And Chelaseius, With Resurrection Of The Genus Status For Amblyseiulus, Zoodiversity 58 (2), pp. 103-128 : 117-119

Amblyseiulus messor ( Wainstein, 1960) ( fig. 6 )

Typhlodromus messor Wainstein, 1960: 688 .

Amblyseius messor : Athias-Henriot, 1961: 426; Athias-Henriot, 1966: 190; Karg, 1971: 200; Livschitz and Kuznetzov, 1972; 21: Papadoulis and Emmanouel, 1990: 14; Papadoulis, 1993: 92;

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) messor : Ehara, 1966: 22; Arutunjan, 1977: 34; Ueckermann & Loots, 1988: 66; Amblyseius messor : Ghiliarov et al., 1977: 238;

Proprioseiopsis (Amblyseiulus) messor : Karg, 1989: 212;

Proprioseiopsis messor : Moraes, de et al., 1986: 117; Karg, 1993: 176; Moraes et al., 2004: 180; Chant & McMurtry, 2005: 15; Chant & McMurtry, 2007: 89.

Amblyseius obtusus (Koch) : Womersley, 1954: 188 (missidentification) (note in: Papadoulis et al., 2009: 69).

Material. Type. Syntypes 23 ♀, eastern Georgia, semi-steppe, grass, June 1953 and May 1955. Non-type. 25 specimens (24 ♀, 1 Ơ) . Ukraine: Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Southern coast: Yalta,

Main mountain range and Karadag), Donetsk, Odesa, Poltava, Kharkiv Regions .

Redescription. Female. Dorsal shield ( fig. 6 , 1 ) strongly sclerotized, with dark marginal border, smooth, broadly oval, without lateral emarginations; 7 pairs of solenostomes (it, iv, id, isc, il, is, ic). Dorsal setae sharp, smooth, and vary considerably in length, PM 3 and PM 4 slightly serrate. Seta PM 4 1.5 times as long as PM 3 and exceeds distance between theca of PM 4 pair. Seta AL4 shorter than PM 3 and PM 4, others much shorter up to miniature 3–5 µm. Seta AL1 1.5 times shorter than AM 1 and 2 times as long as noticeably thinner AL3 (length and arrangement of setae AL1 and AL3 may vary slightly). Seta AL3 is displaced toward the axis of the shield from the commonly observed common arc of setae AL ( AM 1–AL1–AL3–AL4). Peritremes reach the theca of setae AD1. The shields on the ventral side of the body are also strongly sclerotized. Ventrianal shield ( fig. 6 , 2 ) somewhat wider than genital shield, rounded pentagonal, sometimes rather triangular with rounded margins and concave anterior margin, narrowing caudally, transversely striated; anal pores round, distinct, spaced. The posterior metapodal shield is wide, asymmetrical, larger than the elongated anterior one ( fig. 6 , 3 ). Posterior part of peritremal shield narrow, curved, pointed with terminal pore ( fig. 6 , 4 ). There are 4 teeth on Df and 1 on Dm ( fig. 6 , 5 ). Spermatheca with thick-walled bell-shaped funnel and massive sessile atrium sunk into the base of the funnel ( fig. 6, 6 ). Leg IV has 3 long macrochaetes: nearly equal on genu and basitarsus, somewhat shorter on tibia ( figs 6 , 7 ). Genu III and II with short macrosetae.

Measurements. Lds 400, Wds 250; Lvas 115, Wvas 110, Lian 52; Lt 140; setae length: AD1 30; AD2 3; AD3 3; AD4 5; PD 4 6 9; AM 1 48; AM 2 5; AL1 30; AL3 15; AL4 93; PL 1 8; PL 2 9; PL 3 16; PM 1 7; PM 3 120; PM 4 188; AS 20; PS 12; PV 86; MCh IV: ge 72, ti 57, ta 70, MCh III: ge 41; MCh II: ge 32.

Male. Preanal setae 3 pairs; anal pores distinct, spaced ( fig. 6 , 8 ). Spermatodactyl curved ( fig. 6 , 9 ). Lds – 340.

D i s t r i b u t i o n, h a b i t a t, o c c u r r e n c e. Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia; Middle East, Central Asia, America; Africa, Canary Islands; Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania Island. In Ukraine: Steppe zone, Wood-and-Steppe zone, Crimea — grasses, litter, on wheat roots, stump dust, on small rodents and in their nests; ordinary.

Diagnosis. A. messor is distinguished from species of the genus having long dorsal setae AL4, PL 3 and PL 4 in several features: seta AL1 reaches theca AL3; seta PL 3 equal to distance from its theca to theca PM 4; Df with 4 teeth, Dm with 1; funnel of spermatheca with moderately thickened wall and narrow in general, sharp expands towards the sacculus in the last third.

Note. There were 23 females of Amblyseiulus messor in collection by labeled as syntypes of this species according to information in original description. The revision revealed 15 females are present now in the collection by B. A. Wainstein ( SIZK), which informed in original description that material was taken in East Georgia. The location of the rest specimens is unknown .

Figures

Fig. 6. Amblyseiulus messor (Wainstein, 1960) ♀ (1–7), Ơ (8, 9): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV; 8 — ventrianal shield; 9 — chelicera with spermatodactyl.

Fig. 1. Amblyseiella antonii Kolodochka & Omeri, 2010 ♀ (1–9): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — genu; 8 — tibia; 9 — tarsus (fragment).

Fig. 2. Chelaseius valliculosus Kolodochka, 1987 ♀ (1–7), Ơ (8, 9): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV; 8 — ventrianal shield; 9 — chelicera with spermatodactyl; 10 — distitarsus of leg I.

Fig. 3. Amblyseiulus bregetovae (Abbasova, 1970) ♀ (1–7): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV.

Fig. 4. Amblyseiulus jugortus (Athias-Henriot, 1966) (fig. 4) ♀ (1–7), Ơ (8, 9): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV; 8 — ventrianal shield; 9 — chelicera with spermatodactyl.

Fig. 5. Amblyseiulus mauiensis (Prasad, 1968) ♀ (1–7): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV.

Fig. 7. Amblyseiulus okanagensis (Chant, 1957) ♀ (1–7), Ơ (8, 9): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV; 8 — ventrianal shield; 9 — chelicera with spermatodactyl.

Fig. 8. Amblyseiulus ovicinctus (Athias-Henriot, 1961) ♀ (1–7): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV.

Fig. 9. Amblyseiulus sororculus (Wainstein, I960) ♀ (1–7), Ơ (8, 9): 1 — dorsal shield; 2 — ventral body surface; 3 — metapodal plates; 4 — posterior part of peritremal schield; 5 — chelicera; 6 — spermatheca; 7 — fragment of leg IV; 8 — ventrianal shield; 9 — chelicera with spermatodactyl.