Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ragusa, 1977

Tixier, Marie-Stephane, Allam, Latifa, Douin, Martial & Kreiter, Serge, 2016, Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) of Morocco: new records, descriptions of five new species, re-descriptions of two species, and key for identification, Zootaxa 4067 (5), pp. 501-551 : 524-525

Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ragusa, 1977

Typhlodromus exhilaratus Ragusa, 1977: 380 .

Typhlodromus exhilaratus exhilaratus .—Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1795. Typhlodromus exhilaratus americanus .—Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1987: 1795. Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus .—Mores et al., 2004: 371; Chant & McMurtry, 2007: 157.

Typhlodromus (T.) exhilaratus has been considered as a synonym of T. tiliae Oudemans by Denmark (1992).

This species has been mainly reported in the Mediterranean basin. It is quite common in some vineyards in France and Italy (Tixier et al., 2006; Castagnoli et al., 2009). Liguori & Guidi (1990) have shown its ability to feed on the main mite pest in South European vineyards, E. carpini . Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus was already known from Morocco, it was reported by Tixier et al. (2003) from vineyards in the region of Meknes. With 449 specimens found, this species was the most frequently collected in the present survey; it has been observed on various plants and locations.

Specimens examined: 2002, Agourai on Vitis vinifera (Vitaceae) (4 females, 2 males), Damon Oum Er Bia River on Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) (2 females), Lonicera periclimum (Caprifoliaceae) (4 females), Lantana sp. ( Verbenaceae ) (2 females), Malva sp. ( Malvaceae ) (2 females), Convolvulus altheoides (Convolvulaceae) (1 female), Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae) (2 females), between Sidi Bettache and Rommani on Quercus suber (Fagaceae) (2 females), Cistus sp. ( Cistaceae ) (30 females, 9 males), Meknes University on Ficus carica (Moraceae) (1 female), Acer negundo (Sapindaceae) (4 females, 2 males), Beni Slimane on Cistus mumbyi (Cistaceae) (18 females, 8 males), Convolvulus sp. ( Convolvulaceae ) (3 females), Thuya sp. ( Cupressaceae ) (2 females), Aïoun Asserdoun Spring on Rubus sp. ( Rosaceae ) (5 females, 2 males), Hyoscyamus albus (Solanaceae) (1 female), Galium aparine (Rubiaceae) (4 females, 2 males); 2003, near Larache on Erica arborea (Ericaceae) (4 females, 3 males), Chamaerops humilis (Arecaceae) (6 females), Calycotome villosa (Fabaceae) (22 females), Asphodelus fistulosus (Xanthorrhoeaceae) (1 female, 1 male), Daphne gnidium (Thymelaeaceae) (5 females, 2 males), Knautia purpurea (Caprifoliaceae) (1 female), Cistus parviflorus (Cistaceae) (25 females), Cistus salveafolius (Cistaceae) (10 females, 6 males), Lavandula stoechas (Lamiaceae) (15 females, 6 males), Myrtus communis (Myrtaceae) (1 female), Neatostema apulum (Boraginaceae) (27 females, 7 males), Rumex bicephalophorus (Polygonaceae) (4 females, 2 males), Bab Bou Idir on Knautia purpurea (Caprifoliaceae) (1 female), Mazari Cape on Cistus libanotis (Cistaceae) (15 females, 5 males), Centaurium erythraea (Gentianaceae) (3 females), Andryala sp. ( Asteraceae ) (6 females), Dittrichia viscosa (Asteraceae) (3 females), Echium vulgare (Boraginaceae) (6 females), Hypericum sp. ( Hypericaceae ) (1 female), Lavendula dentata (Lamiaceae) (4 females, 2 males), Lavatera maritima (Malvaceae) (1 female), Verbascum sinuatum (Scropulariaceae) (5 females, 1 male), Spartel Cape on Geranium molle (Geraniaceae) (1 female), Vinca major (Apocynaceae) (3 females), Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) (3 females), Dittrichia viscosa (Asteraceae) (1 female), Gorges of Zegzel on Ficus carica (Moraceae) (3 females), Punica granatum (Lythraceae) (7 females), Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae) (2 females), Tamarix communis (Tamaricaceae) (1 female), Althaea sp. ( Malvaceae ) (3 females), Dittrichia viscosa (Asteraceae) (1 female), Echium sp. ( Boraginaceae ) (8 females), Euphorbia sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ) (1 female), Lavendula dentata (Lamiaceae) (2 females), Marrubium vulgare (Lamiaceae) (2 females), Izemmouren on Echium vulgare (Boraginaceae) (3 females), Marrubium alysson (Lamiaceae) (8 females), Convolvulus altheoides (Convulaceae) (1 female), Mechra Bel Ksiri on Vitex agnus -castus ( Lamiaceae ) (4 females, 2 males), Mentha pulegium (Lamiaceae) (4 females), Meknes on Catalpa bignonioides (Bignoniaceae) (4 females), Road to Souk El Arba on Cistus libanotis (Cistaceae) (40 females), Pistacia lentiscus (Anacardiaceae) (4 females), Quercus suber (Fagaceae) (3 females), Cistus crispus (Cistaceae) (4 females), Cistus salvifolius (Cistaceae) (5 females, 2 males), Coleostephus myconis (Asteraceae) (1 female), Dittrichia viscosa (Asteraceae) (1 female), Ebenus criticus (Fabaceae) (1 female), Lavendula stoechas (Lamiaceae) (5 females, 1 male), Saïdia on Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae) (1 female), Linaria arvensis (Plantaginaceae) (2 females), Oued Nja on Echium sp. ( Boraginaceae ) (1 female).

Previous records: Austria, Cyprus, Egypt (Abo-Shnaf & Moraes, 2014), France, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, USA.