Tetranychus lombardinii Baker & Pritchard, 1960

Aedeagus curves dorsad, forming a knob about one fourth to one fifth length of dorsal margin of shaft; knob and shaft axes almost parallel; posterior projection small and acute; anterior projection rounded (Figure 5 B) male empodium I with 2 proximoventral spurs and a minute mediodorsal spur; empodium II with 3 pairs of proximoventral hairs and a tiny mediodorsal spur; female striae between third (e1) and fourth (f1) pairs of dorsocentral setae longitudinal, a diamond-shaped figure formed between these setae; dorsal lobes narrow, triangular, mostly taller than broad and well separated at their bases; in some specimens ventral lobes weak or absent but usually low, semicircular, broad and extend from genital opening to near gnathosoma; lobes on prodorsum very broad and hardly more than an occasional incision of striae.

Specimens examined: Five males and several females collected on Morus sp. ( Moraceae) from ICIPE compound, Nairobi (S01°13.140'; E036°53.440').

Remark: This species has been reported from the Tropics, Australia and Oriental Indian regions. It has a wide host range and occurs as a pest of several agricultural crops (Meyer, 1974). The first record of this species in Kenya was on Spinacia oleraceae (Amaranthaceae) from Ruiru, Thika district (Baker and Pritchard, 1960). It appears uniformly red in colour in the field.