Typhlodromips culmulus (Van der Merwe)

Kreiter, Serge, Payet, Rose-My, Abo-Shnaf, Reham & Douin, Martial, 2021, New Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) of Mascareignes and Comoros Archipelagos (Indian Ocean): one new record, three new species groups and description of six new species and of six unknown males, Acarologia 61 (4), pp. 845-889 : 851-852

Typhlodromips culmulus (Van der Merwe)

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) culmulus van der Merwe 1968: 132 ; Ueckermann & Loots 1988: 157.

Typhlodromips culmulus, Moraes et al. 1986: 139, 2004b: 210 ; Chant & McMurtry 2005c:

327, 2007: 61.

This species belongs to the culmulus species group of the genus Typhlodromips with nine other species. It is also probably a type III species ( McMurtry and Croft 1997 ; McMurtry et al. 2013), i.e., a polyphagous generalist predator. However, its biology remains totally unknown.

It was already recorded on Mauritius Island, but only one record based on a single female and a single location ( Kreiter et al. 2018a). It was also recorded in La Réunion Island, but with few specimens collected after intensive surveys (Kreiter et al. 2020b). This species seems rather rare.

Specimens examined. Two ♀♀ collected during this study. MAURITIUS ISLAND: Mare aux Vacoas (581 m aasl, 20°22′05″ S, 57°29′31″ E,), 2 ♀♀ on Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacquin) Raven (Onagraceae) , 5/XI/2018.

Previous Records. Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa.

Remarks. Measurements of the two adult female specimens agree very well with measurements of the literature, with only very slight differences in the Mauritius specimen: smaller Z4, JV5, SgeII and StiIV setae.