Neoseiulus californicus ( McGregor, 1954 ) sensu Athias-Henriot, 1977

Ferragut, Francisco & Navia, Denise, 2022, The genus Neoseiulus Hughes (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) in the Espinhaço Range, a great reservoir of biodiversity in Brazil, Zootaxa 5120 (4), pp. 523-542 : 526

Neoseiulus californicus ( McGregor, 1954) sensu Athias-Henriot, 1977

Typhlodromus californicus McGregor, 1954: 89 .

Typhlodromus chilenensis Dosse, 1958: 55 . Synonymy by El-Banhawy (1979); McMurtry & Badii (1989); Chant & McMurtry (2003) and Beaulieu & Beard (2018) (types examined)

Cydnodromus californicus .— Athias-Henriot, 1977: 61.

Amblyseius wearnei Schicha, 1987: 103 . Synonymy by Tixier et al. (2014) and Beaulieu & Beard (2018) (types examined)

Specimens examined. Two females on Andropogon leucostachyus (Poaceae) ; pedestrian grasslands, Mucugê, Chapada Diamantina, 12º53’49”S, 41º18’58”W, 1125 m asl; 19 January 2012.

Geographical distribution. Subcosmopolitan species, probably originated from Mediterranean-climate countries. Now widely distributed in agricultural areas around the world as biological control agent.

Additional description (two females). Ranges in the measurements of setae and sclerotised shields were: dorsal shield 353–361 long, 163–164 wide. Setae j1 18–23, j3 25–36, j4 18–23, j5 18–22, j6 21–31, J2 28–33, J5 11, z2 24–31, z4 26–36, z5 19–20, Z1 27–36, Z4 50–52, Z5 63–66, s4 29 –40, S2 40 –44, S4 36 –41, S5 26 –30. Sublateral setae r3 23–25, R1 22–25. Sternal shield 70–72 long and 74–75 wide; distance setae st1–st3 60–61, st2– st2 60–63. Epigynal shield 115–126 long, distance st5–st5 64–69. Ventrianal shield 119–122 long, 96–100 wide at level of setae ZV2, 74–79 wide at level of anus. Distance between pre-anal solenostomes 23–25. Posterior (primary) metapodal shield 27–30 long. Setae JV5 52–54. Macrosetae on genu IV 20–24, on tibia IV 25–30, on basitarsus IV 55–58 long.

Remarks. Neoseiulus californicus has been recently redescribed in detail by Tixier et al. (2008), Xu et al. (2013) and Beaulieu & Beard (2018). The taxonomical identity of this species has suffered a rocambolesque story. Originally described by McGregor in 1954 from a single male, the type was lost for a very long time. Recently, the original male was found and examined revealing that the name Typhlodromus californicus proposed by McGregor does not match with the present concept of the species not with the identity of the species commercialized under the name Amblyseius or Neoseiulus californicus for biological control purposes ( Beaulieu & Beard, 2018). Although it is clear that the specimen used by McGregor to describe the species belongs, in fact, to another previously described taxon, ( Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes ), a proposal was sent to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ( Beaulieu et al. 2019) requiring the conservation of the name californicus by the designation of a neotype which is compatible with the species concept of Athias-Henriot (1977), with the current common usage of the name in the literature and with the populations produced by commercial companies and released in the field to control spider mites and other small arthropods.

Setal measurements and other morphological traits of the females collected match with the data provided in the most recent redescription by Beaulieu & Beard (2018).