Neoseiulus Hughes

Lofego, Antonio Carlos, Barbosa, Marina Ferraz De Camargo, Demite, Peterson Rodrigo & Moraes, Gilberto José De, 2024, Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) of the subfamily Amblyseiinae from Brazil, Zootaxa 5439 (1), pp. 1-306 : 193

Neoseiulus Hughes

Neoseiulus Hughes, 1948: 141 .

Neoseiulus . — Moraes et al., 1986: 66, 2004b: 98; Beard, 2001: 79; Chant & McMurtry, 2003a: 15, 2007: 22.

Type species. Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes, 1948: 141 .

Main distinguishing characteristics. Whitish to brownish. Dorsal shield varying from mostly smooth to reticulate, rarely ornamented with rounded elements. Idiosomal setal pattern usually 10A:9B/JV-3:ZV; in some species, 10A:10B/JV-3:ZV (J1 present), 10A:9B/JV-3,4:ZV (Jv4 absent), 10A:9B/JV-3:ZV-1 (Zv1 absent) or 10A:9B/JV-3: ZV-3 (Zv3 absent); dorsal shield setae of about uniform lengths, short to medium; rarely with r3 or R1 inserted on the shield. Sternal shield usually well sclerotised, occasionally shortened posteriorly, bearing only st1 and st2; varying from longer than wide to wider than long; posterior margin straight or concave (greatly concave posteriorly in N. letrauformis (Schicha & Corpuz-Raros)) . Ventrianal shield usually pentagonal or shield-shaped, but in some species, squared, rectangular, or elongate and narrow (almost vase-shaped). Peritreme usually reaching level between j1–j3, rarely reaching only level of r3. Spermathecal calyx bell-, cone-, cup-, disc-, horn-, trumpet-shaped or saccular, with or without constriction; atrium forked for at least half of its length in the barkeri species group (as indicated in Chant & McMurtry, 2003a). Fixed and movable cheliceral digits with 2–11 (most species with 3–4 teeth, distally located) and 0–6 teeth, respectively. Leg macrosetae absent or present only on leg IV (some species also on leg III and, more rarely, on leg II), sharp-tipped to capitate. Male ventrianal shield with 3–6 pairs of pre-anal setae (most commonly with three pairs arranged in a triangular pattern); spermadctyl type heel-and-toe, penile, T-, U- or wand-shaped.

Remarks. Twenty-three of the 372 species presently included in this genus have been reported from Brazil, of which the most common are N. idaeus and N. tunus , followed by N. anonymus . Species of this large genus have been reported mainly from plants and soil.