Phytoseiulus

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Taxonomy

Diagnostic characters of adult female

• Dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield ca. 0.320–0.330 mm long
• Dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield setae j5 and S5 both present, j5 short and not reaching insertion of j6; j6 simplesimple:
  unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
  and shorter than Z1; R1 and r3 simplesimple:
  unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
  , similar in length.
• Peritrematalperitrematal:
  (peritrematic) of or referring to the peritreme; adjectival form of peritreme.
  shield fused to dorsaldorsal:
  relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
  shield anteriorly
• Fixed digitfixed digit:
  the distal extension of the middle article of the chelicera; usually bearing teeth and a distal hook and opposed to the movable digit in chelate-dentate forms, but often regressed; in Mesostigmata the fixed digit may bear the pilus dentilis.
  of chelicerachelicera:
  a limb on the presumed first body segment in chelicerate arthropods, the primary mouthparts.  In mites the chelicerae are primitively chelate-dentate, but may be modified into almost unrecognizable forms.  In Acariformes, the chelicerae are usually 2-segmented, but in other mites and some basal acariforms they have three segments.  Rarely, in some Uropodoidea (Mesostigmata), a subdivision makes them appear 4-segmented.
  elongate and with row of 7–9 teeth
• Calyxcalyx:
  (= cervix) in phytoseioid Mesostigmata (Phytoseiidae, Blattisociidae, Otopheidomenidae, Podocinidae), a collar-like structure of the sperm access system which surrounds the base of the vesicle.
  of spermathecaspermatheca:
  a structure in the female for storing sperm, typically sac-like.
  funnel-shaped
• Sternal shieldsternal shield:
  a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
  with 3 pairs of setae; st4 on small platelets.
• Anal opening on ventrianal shieldventrianal shield:
  in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening, circum anal setae, and one or more pairs of ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see anal shield]; maybe rather narrow or very broad and covering most of the gaster.
  with 5 setae
• Setae JV2 on subpentagonal to subcordate ventrianal shieldventrianal shield:
  in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening, circum anal setae, and one or more pairs of ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see anal shield]; maybe rather narrow or very broad and covering most of the gaster.
  and JV4 in soft cuticle
• Genugenu:
  (pl. genua) (= patella) the 4th leg segment, between the femur and tibia.
  IV with simplesimple:
  unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
  macroseta (ca. 0.060 mm long); macroseta on basitarsusbasitarsus:
  a basal subdivision of the tarsus.
  IV simplesimple:
  unadorned; simple setae are needle-like and without hairs or pectins.
  (ca. 0.086 mm long)

Similar species

Phytoseiulus longipes has a sternal shieldsternal shield:
a shield in the anterior intercoxal region of parasitiform mites that bears one or more pairs of sternal setae.
with only 2 pairs of setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
(st1–2) and lacks dorsaldorsal:
relating to the upper or back side; opposed to ventral.
shield setae j5 and S5. Phytoseiulus macropilis usually has an irregular ventrianal shieldventrianal shield:
in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening, circum anal setae, and one or more pairs of ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see anal shield]; maybe rather narrow or very broad and covering most of the gaster.
with 4–5 setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
(rarely an anal shieldanal shield:
in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening and circumanal setae (po, pa), but without any ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see ventrianal shield].
with 3 setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
), a long and barbed seta j6, and a barbed macroseta on basitarsusbasitarsus:
a basal subdivision of the tarsus.
IV. Phytoseiulus persimilispersimilis:
the phytoseiid mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, a commercially available and extremely efficient predator of spider mites.  Also called the Chilean predatory mite or the predatory mite.
 has an anal shieldanal shield:
in Mesostigmata, a ventral shield bearing the anal opening and circumanal setae (po, pa), but without any ventral setae or pores (lyrifissures) [see ventrianal shield].
with only 3 setaeseta:
(pl. setae, from L. = bristle) cuticular process composed of a hollow shaft (sometimes filled with a refractive material) produced from a membranous socket (the alveolus); the hair-like, spine-like, branched or variously expanded structures on the surfaces of the legs and body.  Most setae function as mechanoreceptors, but others (e.g., solenidia) are chemoreceptors or have unknown or ambiguous functions.
, a long and barbed seta j6, and a barbed macroseta on basitarsusbasitarsus:
a basal subdivision of the tarsus.
IV. Both P. macropilis and P. persimilis have vase-shaped spermathecae with distinct necks and basalbasal:
towards the base of a structure; on a limb, towards the insertion on the body.
swellings.

Ecology and distribution

Phytoseiulus fragariae is known only from Brazil in South America.

References

• Denmark and Schicha 1983Denmark and Schicha 1983:
  Denmark HA, Schicha E. 1983. Revision of the genus Phytoseiulus Evans (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). International Journal of Acarology 9: 27–35.
• Evans 1958Evans 1958:
  Evans GO. 1958. A new mite of the genus Phytoseiulus Evans (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) from Southern Rhodesia. Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa 21: 306–308.
• Schuster and Pritchard 1963Schuster and Pritchard 1963:
  Schuster RO, Pritchard EA. 1963. Phytoseiid mites of California. Hilgardia 43 (7): 191–285.
• Takahashi and Chant 1993Takahashi and Chant 1993:
  Takahashi F, Chant DA. 1993. Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Phytoseiulus Evans (Acari: Phytoseiidae). II. Taxonomic Review. International Journal of Acarology 19: 23–37.
• Tseng 1976Tseng 1976:
  Tseng YH. 1976. Systematics of the mite family Phytoseiidae from Taiwan, with a revised key to the genera of the world (II). Journal of the Agricultural Association of China 94: 86–128.