Typhloseiopsis De

Ferragut, Francisco, Moraes, Gilberto Jose & Navia, Denise, 2011, Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) of the Dominican Republic, with a re-definition of the genus Typhloseiopsis De Leon, Zootaxa 2997, pp. 37-53 : 47-48

Genus Typhloseiopsis De Leon

Typhloseiopsis De Leon, 1959a : 150.

Typhloseiopsis De Leon sensu McMurtry, 1983: 249. theodoliticus species group, Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1983a: 1036. Typhloseiopsis Chant & McMurtry, 1994: 258 .

De Leon (1959a) originally created Typhloseiopsis to accommodate the type species Typhloseiopsis theodoliticus De Leon, giving as characteristics of the genus the smooth or almost smooth dorsal shield, with at least [sic] five pairs of anterolateral setae, setae j4-J5 minute, presence of anal shield in female and separated ventral and anal shields in male, and macrosetae on genua of all legs as well as on tibia and tarsus IV. Chant (1959) recognized this genus, also mentioning the existence of only five pairs of anterolateral setae on podoscutum. This interpretation was related to the medial insertion of z 4 in relation to the alignment of z3 and s4 ( Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1983a). Later, McMurtry (1983) redefined the genus including species with 16 pairs of dorsal setae, only setae J2, J5, Z4, Z5 and S5 present on posterior part of dorsal shield, seta z4 posterior to or slightly mediad to z3, dorsal setae minute except j1, j3, s4, Z4 and Z5 and macrosetae present on genua I–IV, tiIV and tIV. Chant & Yoshida-Shaul (1983a) classified T. theodoliticus and two related species within a species group ( theodoliticus species group) in the genus Typhlodromus . Subsequently, Chant & McMurtry (1994; 2007) raised the group again to the genus level, redefining it more precisely to accommodate other four species that had been described after its original description. In addition to the type species, they considered the following species to belong to this genus: T. pritchardi (Chant & Baker) , T. funiculatus De Leon, T. maryae McMurtry and T. neopritchardi Moraes & Mesa.

Among the material collected in the Dominican Republic a species resembling the habitus of Typhloseiopsis was collected on Cecropia peltata L. ( Cecropiaceae ) leaves on the mountains of the center of the country. This species has dorsal idiosomal setal pattern ( Chant & Yoshida-Shaul, 1992) 12A:7B, that is, with S2 present and inserted on the dorsal shield of males and females. According to this pattern, the species would resemble the species of Meyerius van der Merwe. However, in respect to other characteristics, it resembles much more closely the species of Typhloseiopsis ; additionally, Meyerius species have only been found in southern Africa, differently from Typhloseiopsis species, which have only been reported so far from the Neotropical region. The presence of S2 could suggest the establishment of a new genus for the species collected in this study. However, given its great similarity to Typhloseiopsis in relation to other morphological characteristics, it was decided to expand the concept of that genus to accommodate this new species instead of creating a new one. Thus, based on Chant & McMurtry (1994, 2007), the presence of S 2 in the new species subsequently described and a reappraisal of the species placed in it, Typhloseiopsis is redefined according to the following characteristics.

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield smooth with a few anterolateral striae, usually rounded anteriorly and subtruncate posteriorly. Adult female idiosomal pattern 12A:6B (S2 absent) or 12A:7B (S2 present). Most of dorsal shield setae short or very short; setae j1, j3 and Z5, and in some cases s4 and Z4 distinctly longer. All dorsal setae smooth except Z4 and Z5, smooth or serrated. Dorsal shield with 5 or 6 pairs of solenostomes. Peritreme extending to bases of seta j1. Sternal shield about as long as wide or slightly longer than wide, with 3 pairs of setae. Female either with ventrianal shield, separate ventral and anal shields or only with anal shield; known males always with separate ventral and anal shields; with a pair of large preanal pores inserted on ventrianal shield or on unsclerotized cuticle. Fixed cheliceral digit with 4 to 8 teeth, movable cheliceral digit with 1 to 3 teeth. Macrosetae always present on genua II–IV, tibia IV and basitarsus IV; genu I with or without macroseta. Calyx of spermatheca tubular, saccular or funnel-shaped. Spermatodactyl of males generally L-shaped with foot elongate and heel reduced. Reported only from Mexico, the Caribbean area, Central America and northern part of South America.