Phytoseius ferox Pritchard & Baker, 1962

Ueckermann, Eddie A., Zannou, Ignace D., De Moraes, Gilberto J., Oliveira, Anibal R., Hanna, Rachid & Yaninek, John S., 2007, Phytoseiid mites of the subfamily Phytoseiinae (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 1658 (1), pp. 1-20 : 9-10

Phytoseius ferox Pritchard & Baker

( Fig. 5 )

Phytoseius (Phytoseius) ferox Pritchard & Baker, 1962: 230 .

Phytoseius ferox, Moraes et al., 2004 . 238.

Phytoseius (Dubininellus) ferox , Denmark, 1966: 68.

Phytosus forex [sic], El-Banhawy & Abou-Awad, 1989: 376.

FEMALE. ( Specimens measured. Kenya: 1; Uganda: 1; Zambia: 1; Democratic Republic of Congo: holotype)

Dorsum. Dorsal shield 308(283–328) [295] long and 164(160–168) [173] wide, covered with rough, roundish elements. Female idiosomal setal pattern 12A:3A/JV-3,4:ZV. Setae j1 33(32–35) [36], j3 43(37–53) [43], j4 4 [3], j5 3(2–5) [3], j6 4(3–5) [3], J5 5(5–6) [5], z2 12(11–13) [7], z3 30(27–34) [28], z4 8 [7], z5 3 [3], Z4 98(86–107) [97], Z5 94(93–96) [89], s4 140(138–144) [140], s6 77(61–91) [64], r3 46(45–48) [47]. Setae j1, j3, z3, Z4, Z5, s4, s6 and r3 generally long, tick, strongly serrate; z2 short and serrate; others minute and smooth; Z4, Z5, s4, s6 and r3 inserted on tubercles.

Peritreme. Extending anterior to j1.

Venter. Sternal shield not sufficiently clear to be illustrated and described; distances between St1–St3 56 [58], St2–St2 64 [63]. Genital shield smooth; distance between St5–St5 77(75–78) [74]. Ventrianal shield vase-shaped, smooth, anterior margin slightly convex, 96(88–101) [102] long, 45(38–50) [55] wide at level of Zv2 and 57(53–59) [61] wide at level of anus; preanal pores posterolaterad of Jv2. Caudoventral setae smooth, except Jv5, tick and strongly serrate.

Chelicera. Movable digit 22 [24] long, with 1 tooth; fixed digit 23 [24] long, with 3 teeth and a pilus dentilis.

Spermatheca. Calyx bell-shaped, 25 long [often only the more sclerotized part near the atrium visible, 3(2–3) long]; atrium small and nodular.

Legs. Macrosetae of leg IV spatulate on genu and tibia, and knobbed on basitarsus, spatulate or knobbed on telotarsus; Sge IV 22(21–26) [30], Sti IV 50(48–53) [55], Sbt IV 26(24–29) [24], Stt IV 23(20–27).

Specimens examined. Holotype female, Democratic Republic of Congo (= Belgian Congo): Stanleyville, on? Bixa sp. , 18-IV-1955, E.W. Baker. One female, Kenya: 14 km W Kwale, on Synedrella nodi- flora, 29-XI-1989, J.S. Yaninek. One female, Uganda: 5 km W Masaka, on Vernonia amygdalina , 6-X-1990, J.S. Yaninek. One female, Zambia: 10 km N Mansa, on Combretum ghasalense , 12-VI-1992, A. Onzo.

Remarks. Length of setae j3, Z4 and s6 is rather variable between countries. The absence of setae J2 and R 1 in this species places it in the horridus species group ( Denmark 1966; Chant & McMurtry 1994).

World distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Phytoseius ferox Pritchard & Baker (female): A. Dorsal shield; B. Ventral surface; C. Spermatheca; D. Leg IV.