Amblyseiinae, Muma, 1961

Sahraoui, H., Lebdi Grissa, K., Kreiter, S., Douin, M. & Tixier, M. - S., 2012, Phytoseiid Mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) Of Tunisian Citrus Orchards: Catalogue, Biogeography And Key For Identification, Acarologia 52 (4), pp. 433-452 : 435-440

Sub-family Amblyseiinae

1. Graminaseius graminis (Chant)

Amblyseius graminis Chant 1956: 34 . Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) graminis Chant 1959: 89 . Amblyseius (Typhlodromus) graminis (Chant) Muma 1961: 287 . Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) graminis (Chant) Westerboer and Bernhard 1963: 636 . Amblyseius (Amblyseius) graminis (Chant) Wainstein 1973: 178 ; Wainstein 1975: 920; Wainstein 1977: 1415; Ueckermann and Loots 1988: 132. Neoseiulus graminis (Chant) Moraes et al. 1986: 81 . Graminaseius graminis (Chant) Chant and McMurtry 2007: 85 .

Distribution — Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Moldova, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and USA.

Previous records from Tunisia — Cap Bon region – July 2006 on Citrus sp. (lemon, navel and orange).

characters are new for the Tunisian fauna).

Additional records from Tunisia — Takelsa (Cap Bon): December – 1♀ on Citrus sp. ; March – 1♀ on Malva sp. ; June and July – 7♀ on Hordeum murinum .

2. Amblyseius obtusus (Koch)

Zercon obtusus Koch 1839: 13 ; Canestrini and Fanzago 1876: 130-141; Oudemans 1930: 71. Seius obtusus (Koch) Berlese 1889: 7 . Amblyseius obtusus (Koch) Berlese 1914: 144 ; Athias-Henriot 1957: 340; Livshitz and Kuznetsov 1972: 23, Wainstein and Shcherbak 1972: 35; Moraes et al. 1986: 24; Papadoulis and Emmanuel 1997: 22; Chant and Mc- Murtry 2007: 80. Typhlodromus obtusus (Koch) Chant 1957a: 306 ; Karg 1960: 443. Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) obtusus (Koch) Chant 1959: 90 . Amblyseius (Amblyseius) obtustus (Koch) Muma 1961: 287 ; Ehara 1966: 22; Wainstein 1973: 178; Wainstein 1975: 916; Ueckermann and Loots 1988: 68; Denmark and Muma 1989: 7.

Distribution — Algeria, Armenia, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Greece, Germany, Hawaii, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Morocco, Norway, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, USA, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Specimens examined — Takelsa (Cap Bon): March – 1♀ on Malva sp. ; April – 2♀ and 1♂ on H. murinum . This is the first record of this species in Tunisia .

3. Amblyseius meridionalis (Berlese)

Amblyseius obtustus var. meridionalis Berlese 1914: 144 . Amblyseius meridionalis Berlese ; Athias-Henriot 1958b: 32; Athias-Henriot 1966: 203; Wainstein and Shcherbak 1972: 35; Livshitz and Kuznetsov 1972: 22; Chant and Yoshida-Shaul 1978: 1062; Kolodochka and Sklyar 1981: 103; Moraes et al. 1986: 21; Papadoulis and Emmanouel 1993: 321; Moraes et al. 2004: 37; Chant and McMurtry 2007: 80. Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) meridionalis (Berlese) Chant 1959: 85 . Amblyseius (Amblyseius) meridionalis (Berlese) Muma 1962: 23 . Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) meridionalis (Berlese) Westerboer and Bernhard 1963: 690 . Amblyseius (Pauciseius) meridionalis (Berlese) Denmark and Muma 1989: 131.

Distribution — Algeria, Azerbaijan, Canada, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Specimens examined — Boumhal (Tunis): June 2011 – 1♀ on Convolvulus sp. This is the first record of this species in Tunisia .

4. Proprioseiopsis bordjelaini (Athias-Henriot)

Amblyseius bordjelaini Athias-Henriot 1966:193 .

Distribution — Spain, Canary Islands, Algeria and Morocco.

Specimens examined — Takelsa (Cap Bon), December – 1♀ on Citrus sp. This is the first record of this species in Tunisia .

5. Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot)

Typhlodromus scutalis Athias-Henriot 1958a: 183 . Amblyseius scutalis Athias-Henriot 1960a: 297 . Amblyseius (Amblyseius) scutalis Muma 1961: 288 . Amblyseius (Typhlodromus) scutalis Ueckermann and Loots 1988: 109 .

Distribution — Algeria, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Ghana, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Turkey.

Previous records from Tunisia — this is a wide spread species in Tunisia, recorded in several orchards (citrus, vineyards, ornamental plants, fruit trees, wild cover).

Additional records from Tunisia — INAT (Tunis) ( Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie), June – 1♀ on Citrus sp .

Biology — Euseius scutalis was described from Algeria by Athias-Henriot (1958). This species can be reared on pollen (Alshammeri, 2011) and was recorded as a predator of Panonychus citri (Mc Gregor) in citrus orchards ( McMurtry, 1969, 1977; Kasap and Ekerog, 2004). Euseius scutalis has also been reported as a biological control agent of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) ( Nomikou et al., 2003; Dale and Donald, 1986).

6. Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot)

Amblyseius stipulatus Athias-Henriot 1960a: 294 . Amblyseius (Amblyseius) stipulatus Ueckermann and Loots 1988: 110 . Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) Ferragut et al. 1985: 225 ; Chant and McMurtry 2005: 216; 2007: 123

Distribution — Algeria, Canary Islands ( Spain), France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia, Turkey, and former Yugoslavia

Previous records from Tunisia — recorded in many regions in the Cap Bon, Mateur (North region), Sousse (Sahel region), on Citrus sp. and M. domestica and in Degache (South), July 2005 on Olea europea .

Additional records from Tunisia — Tekelsa ( Cap Bon ): all the year – 343♀ and 39♂ on Citrus sp. ; February, April and June – 129♀ and 60♂ on Acalypha rhomboidea ; March – 2♀ and 3♂ on Mercurialis annua ; April – 2♀ and 5♂ on U. dioica; April, May and June – 9♀ on Solanum nigrum ; April – 5♀ on Conyza canadensis ; May and July – 3♀ on Cupressus sp. ; March – 1♀ on Chrysanthemum sp. , June – 3♀ on H. murinum , April – 13♀ and 1♂ on Convolvulus sp. ; March – 3♀ and 4♂ on Amaranthus retroflexus ; Alia and Ras ejbal (Bizerte): March, April and May – 80♀ and 28♂ on Citrus sp. ; April – 7♀ and 1♂ on A. retroflexus ; March – 1♀ on M. annua ; May – 1♀ on S. nigrum ; May – 2♀ and 2♂ on Cupressus sp. ; March – 1♀ on Nerium oleander ; April – 2♀ and 2♂ on Malva sp. ; Grombalia (Cap Bon): February, March, April, and June – 96♀ and 13♂ on Citrus sp. , April and May – 2♀ and 1♂ on A. rhomboidea ; April – 2♀ on Malva sp. ; May – 1♀ on S. nigrum ; April – 7♀ on Convolvulus sp. ; Mornag (Tunis): December, March and April – 29♀ and 9♂ on Citrus sp. ; March – 2♀ on M. annua .; April – 1♀ on U. dioica; April – 2♀ and 1♂ on Hedera helix .

Biology — Euseius stipulatus was classified by McMurtry and Croft (1997) as a specialized pollen feeder. This species feeds also on pest mites such as P. citri ( Ferragut et al. 1988, 1992), Tetranychus urticae Koch ( Moyano et al., 2009) and eriophyid mites ( Ferragut et al., 1987).

7. Iphiseius degenerans (Berlese)

Seiulus degenerans Berlese 1887: 9 . Iphiseius degenerans (Berlese) Berlese 1921: 95 . Amblyseius (Iphiseius) degenerans (Berlese) Muma 1961: 288 . Iphiseius (Iphiseius) degenerans (Berlese) Prichard and Baker 1962: 299 .

Distribution — Algeria, Benin, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, China (Hong-Kong), Congo, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Madeira Islands, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Rwanda, South-Africa, Canary Islands, Tanzania, Turkey, Yemen, Zaire and Zimbabwe.

Previous records from Tunisia — Sousse (Sahel region): April 2000 on Citrus sp. and Hibiscus syriacus near citrus orchard; Cap Bon Region: May 2006 on Citrus sp. (Thomson, Navel and oranges).

Additional records from Tunisia — Sidi Thabet (Tunis): March – 1♀ on Citrus sp. ; Alia (Bizerte): March and April – 2♀ and 1♂ on Citrus sp .

Biology — Described in Italy during the 19th century ( Berlese, 1887), this species has a wide distribution in Africa and around the Mediterranean Sea ( Moraes et al., 2004). Iphiseius degenerans is described by McMurtry and Croft (1997) as a generalist (type III predator), able to feed on a wide range of foods such as thrips larvae ( Messelink et al., 2005), spider mites ( Nwilene and Nachman, 1996; Vantornhout et al., 2004) and pollen ( van Rijn et al., 1999). This species is commercialised for the biological control of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) in greenhouses ( Vantornhout et al., 2005).

8. Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes

Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes 1948: 142 ; 1976: 343. Typhlodromus barkeri Nesbitt 1951: 35 ; Chant 1959: 61. Amblyseius barkeri Athias-Henriot 1961: 440 . Amblyseius mckenziei Schuster and Pritchard 1963: 268 .

Distribution — Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, China, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Hawaï, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Madagascar, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Reunion Island, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, West Bank and Yemen.

Previous records from Tunisia — Beni Khiar (Cap Bon region): October 1995 on Oxalis sp. in citrus orchard; Palmeraie Ibn Chabbat (South): July 2000 on C. dactylon ; Segdoud: January 2006 on Ph. dactylifera cv. Alig.

Additional records from Tunisia — Takelsa (Cap Bon): May – 1♀ on S. nigrum ; April – 1♀ on Conyza canadensis ; Alia (Bizerte): July – 1♀ on C. canadensis .

Biology — Various studies have shown its ability to control F. occidentalis ( Rodriguez-Reina et al., 1992) , Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) ( Hansen, 1988; Bonde, 1989; Dsgaard et al., 1992) and T. urticae in cucumber ( Yuqing and Petitt, 1994). Fan and Petitt (1994) showed that augmentative releases of N. barkeri provided control of broad mite [ Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) ] on peppers.

9. Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor)

Typhlodromus californicus McGregor 1954: 89 . Amblyseius californicus Schuster and Pritchard 1963: 271 . Cydnodromus californicus Athias-Henriot 1977: 62 . Amblyseius (Amblyseius) californicus Ueckermann and Loots 1988: 150 ; Ehara et al. 1994: 126. Amblyseius (Neoseiulus) californicus Ehara and Amano 1998: 33 . Neoseiulus californicus Moraes et al. 1986: 73 ; Moraes et al. 2004: 109.

Distribution — Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, France, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Korea, Spain, Taïwan, Uruguay, USA (California) and Venezuela.

Previous records from Tunisia — Sousse (Sahel Region): April 2000 on Lycopersicon esculentum in greenhouses; Mateur (North Region): July 2000 on M. domestica ; Chekmo oasis (South): June 2005 on Malva sp. ; Hammamet, Mraïssa, Grombalia, Menzel Bou Zelfa (Cap Bon Region): July 2006 on Citrus sp. (lemon, clementine and maltaise).

Additional records from Tunisia — Grombalia (Cap Bon): July – 1♀ on Citrus sp. , April – 6♀ on Malva sp. ; Takelsa (Cap bon): December, Junuary, February, March and April – 47♀ and 16♂ on Citrus sp. ; May, April – 3♀ on S. nigrum ; July – 1♀ on Fubus sp.; April, May – 73♀ and 5♂ on M. annua , August – 1♀ on P. persica ; March, April – 76♀ and 1♂ on Malva sp. , May – 1♀ on Cupressus sp. ; July – 2♀ and 1♂ on Tamarix sp. ; July – 1♀ on F. carica ; Alia (Bizerte): August – 1♀ on Citrus sp. ; March – 1♀ on N. oleander , July – 8♀ and 1♂ on Phaseolus vulgaris ; August – 9♀ and 2♂ on S. nigrum ; July – 3♀ and 3♂ on A. rhomboidea ; July – 5♀ and 1♀ on C. canadensis ; August – 1♀ and 1♀ Salvia officinalis ; August – 6♀ and 1♂ on Malva sp. ; August – 5♀ and 1♂ on A. retroflexus ; July – 6♀ and 1♂ on Cupressus sp. ; March – 13♀ on M. annua ; Morneg (Tunis): April – 1♀ on Citrus sp. ; August – 1♀ on Convolvulus sp. ; August – 1♀ on Malus sp. ; April – 1♀ on U. dioica .

Biology — This is a very widespread species ( Moraes et al., 2004). Neoseiulus californicus has characteristics of both specialist and generalist predatory mites ( Castagnoli and Simoni, 2003). It prefers to feed on Tetranychidae mites ( Escudero et al., 2004, 2005; Greco et al., 2005; Katayama et al., 2006; Fraulo et al., 2008; Gomez et al., 2009), but can also consume other mite species like tarsonemid mites [ Phytonemus pallidus (Banks) ] ( Easterbrook et al., 2001), small insects, such as thrips (Rodriguez et al., 1992) and even pollen when the primary prey is unavailable ( Rhodes and Liburd, 2005).

10. Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans)

Typhlodromus cucumeris Oudemans 1930: 69 . Amblyseius cucumeris Athias-Henriot 1957: 336 . Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) cucumeris Chant 1959: 78 . Amblyseius (Neoseiulus) cucumeris (Oudemans) De Leon 1965: 23 . Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans) Moraes et al. 1986: 76 ; Chant and McMurtry 2007: 25.

Distribution — Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Byelorussia, Canada, Canary Islands, Caucasus Region, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, USA and West Bank.

Previous records from Tunisia — recorded in several palmeraies in the south of Tunisia on C. dactylon , Sorghum vulgare , Setaria sp. , Digitaria communata and Ph. dactilifera .

Additional records from Tunisia — Sidi Thabet (Tunis): June – 6♀ on Elytrigia repens .

Biology — The biological characteristics of this species have been well documented because of its ability to control thrips on various cultivated plants in greenhouses ( McMurtry and Croft, 1997; Messelink et al., 2005).

11. Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein)

Amblyseius bicaudus Wainstein 1962a: 146 . Typhlodromus bicaudus (Wainstein) Hirshmann 1962a: 250 . Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein) Moraes et al. 1986: 72 ; Chant and McMurtry 2007: 25.

Distribution — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Caucasus region, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kasakhstan, Moldova, Norway, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and USA (Washington).

Specimens examined — Takelsa (Cap Bon): July – 1♀ on Cupressus sp. This is the first record of this species in Tunisia .

12. Neoseiulus longilaterus Athias-Henriot

Neoseiulus longilaterus Athias-Henriot 1957: 218 . Cydnodromus longilaterus Muma 1961: 290 .

Distribution — Algeria, Israel.

Specimens examined — Manzel Bouzelfa (Cap Bon): August – 1♀ on Convolvulus sp. , Sidi ThabŁt (Tunis): 1♀ on C. dactylon . This is the first record of this species in Tunisia .

13. Neoseiulus alpinus Athias-Henriot

Amblyseius obtustus var. alpinus Schweizer 1922: 41 . Amblyseius alpinus Schweizer 1949: 79 . Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) alpinus (Schweizer) Chant 1959: 105 . Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) alpinus (Schweizer) Westerboer and Bernhard 1963: 651 . Amblyseius (Neoseiulus) alpinus (Schweizer) Karg 1993: 189 . Neoseiulus alpinus (Schweizer) Evans 1987: 1461 ; Chant and McMurtry 2007: 25. Neoseiulus aurescens (Athias-Henriot) Tuttle and Muma 1973: 20 .

Distribution — Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Cuba, Czech Republic, England, France, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and USA (Arizona, California, Washington). Specimens examined — Mjaz el Bab (BØja): May

– 1♀ on M. annua ; Takelsa (Cap Bon) : 1♀ on S. nigrum , 1♀ on H. murinum . This is the first record of this species in Tunisia .

14. Neoseiulus paspalivorus (De Leon)

Typhlodromus paspalivorus De Leon, 1957: 143 Neoseiulus paspalivorus Muma and Denmark, 1971: 110 Amblyseius paspalivorus Schicha, 1981: 210 .

Distribution — Guadeloupe, India, Jamaica,

Philippines, USA (Florida).

Previous Records in Tunisia — Palmeraie M’Rah

Lahouara, on C. dactylon , July 2000.

Additional records from Tunisia — Sidi ThabŁt:

June 2011 – 1♀ on Chenopodium murale .

Biology — Neoseiulus paspalivorus was found only on coconut and on fruits, in association with A. guerreronis ( Moraes et al., 2004) . This species is a promising candidate for the biological control of the coconut eriophyid ( Lawson-Balagbo et al., 2008).

15. Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot

Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot 1957: 347 . Phytoseiulus riegeli Dosse 1958: 48 . Typhlodromus persimilis Hirschmann 1962: 75 . Phytoseiulus (Phytoseiulus) persimilis (Athias-Henriot) Wainstein 1962b: 17 . Phytoseiulus tardi (Lombardini) Kennett and Caltagiorne 1968: 571 .

Distribution — Algeria, Australia, Canary Islands, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Lybia, Morocco, New Caledonia, Peru, Reunion Island, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Venezuela and USA (California).

Previous records from Tunisia — Sousse (Sahel region): April 2000 on L. esculentum and Cucumis sativus in greenhouses; Hammamet, Menzel Bouzelfa and Mraïssa (Cap-Bon region): November 1994, October 1995 and July 2001 on Citrus sp. (Thomson, Navel and lemon); Metline (Bizerte region): June 2000 on M. domestica .

Additional records from Tunisia — Grombalia (Cap Bon): February , July , April – 31♀ and 2♂ on Citrus sp. ; July – 4♀ on Convolvulus sp. ; Takelsa (Cap bon): March, April and July – 13♀ on Citrus sp. ; March, July – 7♀ on S. nigrum ; March – 2♀ and 1♂ on M. annua ; March, August – 30♀ on Malva sp. ; July – 1♀ and 1♂ on Cupressus sp. ; July – 1♀ on Tamarix sp. ; July – 1♀ on Ficus carica ; Alia (Bizerte): July – 2♀ on Citrus sp. ; July, August – 163♀ on Ph. vulgaris ; April, July, August – 101♀ and 3♂ on S. nigrum ; July – 1♀ on C. canadensis ; July, August – 3♀ on S. officinalis ; July, August – 46♀ and 1♂ on Malva sp. ; March – 147♀ on M. annua .

Biology — Phytoseiulus persimilis was first collected in Algeria ( Athias-Henriot, 1957). It is known mainly from Mediterranean climates around the world ( Takahashi and Chant, 1993). Many studies deal with this specialist predator because of its economic importance, especially in the bio-control of T. urticae Koch in greenhouses all over the world (Mc- Murtry and Croft, 1997).