Neoparaphytoseius Chant & McMurtry

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 : 183-184

Neoparaphytoseius Chant & McMurtry

Neoparaphytoseius Chant & McMurtry, 2003b: 215 .

Neoparaphytoseius .— Moraes et al., 2004b: 97; Chant & McMurtry, 2007: 49; Jiménez et al., 2014: 299 .

Type species. Amblyseius sooretamus El-Banhawy, 1984: 128 .

Main distinguishing characteristics. Dorsal shield mostly areolate or smooth. Idiosomal setal pattern 10A:8C/JV- 3:ZV (S4 absent); setae j3, s4, Z4 and Z5 stout, serrate and elongate (but not whip-shaped), inserted in tubercles; Z4 and Z5 not close together (distance Z4-Z5 distinctly larger than distance J5-J5); seta j1 the largest among the remaining setae, serrate or not. Posterior margin of sternal shield straight or slightly concave. Ventrianal shield elongate, vase-shaped to about pentagonal; Jv 1 next to anterior shield margin. Spermathecal calyx cup-, disc- or funnel-shaped. Fixed and movable cheliceral digits bearing respectively 8–13 and 3–5 teeth. Macrosetae present only on leg IV, of various shapes, but at least one long and stout. Male ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae; spermadactyl type hell-and-toe .

Remarks. All four species presently included in this genus have been reported from Brazil, suggesting this country to contain or be part of the center of diversity of Neoparaphytoseius . Neoparaphytoseius sooretamus (El-Banhawy) , the first species to be described, has been reported more frequently than others. Worldwide, species of this genus have been reported from plants.