Neoseiulus benjamini (Schicha)

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 : 199

Neoseiulus benjamini (Schicha) ( Figure 138)

Amblyseius benjamini Schicha, 1981c: 203 .

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) benjamini .— Tseng, 1983: 60, Ueckermann & Loots, 1988: 142.

Neoseiulus benjamini . — Moraes et al., 1986: 72, 2004b: 108; Beard, 2001: 131; Chant & McMurtry, 2003a: 27, 2007: 25; Lofego et al., 2009: 46 ; Peralta & Tello, 2019: 148; Ferragut & Navia, 2022b: 525 .

According to Lofego et al. (2009), dorsal shield of female reticulate, 358 (337–375) long and 155 (145–167) wide. Setal lengths: j1 18 (17–19), j3 18 (16–20), j4 12 (11–13), j5 12 (10–13), j6 13 (12–15), J2 14 (12–16), J5 11 (10– 12), z2 14 (13–16), z4 15 (14–17), z5 11 (10–13), Z1 15 (13–18), Z4 22 (21–24), Z5 64 (57–70), s4 16 (15–18), S2 18 (17–22), S4 24 (22–29), S5 27 (25–30), r3 17 (15–19) and R1 15 (13–18). Peritreme extending forward almost to level of j1. Distances between st1–st3 84 (79–86), st2–st2 56 (52–58), st5–st5 60 (55–64). Ventrianal shield 120 (114–128) long, 91 (84–98) wide at level of Zv2 and 81 (75–85) wide at anus level. Spermathecal calyx cup-shaped, 5 (4–10) long; atrium nodular. Fixed cheliceral digit 27 (26–29) long, with 6–10 teeth; movable digit 28 (26–29) long, with 1–2 teeth. Macroseta only on basitarsus IV, sharp-tipped; StIV 27 (25–28) .

Distribution in Brazil. Bahia ( Ferragut & Navia, 2022b), Distrito Federal ( Rezende & Lofego, 2011), Goiás ( Rezende & Lofego, 2011), Mato Grosso do Sul ( Mendonça et al., 2019), Minas Gerais ( Rezende & Lofego, 2011; Rezende et al., 2012), São Paulo ( Lofego et al., 2009; Demite et al., 2011, 2012; Rezende & Lofego, 2012) and Tocantins ( Cruz et al., 2014).

Distribution elsewhere. Australia, Chile, Martinique and South Africa.

Remarks. Specimens mentioned by Cruz et al. (2012) as Neoseiulus aff. mumai , were reidentified as N. benjamini by Cruz et al. (2014). Lofego et al. (2009) observed an important variation in the number of teeth of the mobile and fixed digits within the same N. benjamini population, with all specimens collected at the same time, place and host. Additional specimens were not examined.