Paraphytoseius Swirski & Schechter

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 : 189

Paraphytoseius Swirski & Schechter

Paraphytoseius Swirski & Shechter, 1961: 113 .

Paraphytoseius . — Moraes et al., 1986: 104, 2004b: 160; Beard & Walter, 1996: 237; Chant & McMurtry, 2003b: 216, 2007: 49.

Type species. Typhlodromus (Amblyseius) orientalis Narayanan, Kaur & Ghai, 1960: 394 .

Main distinguishing characteristics. Whitish. Dorsal shield smooth (mentioned as reticulate in P. scleroticus (Gupta & Ray) and as pebbly ornamented in the posterior half of P. hilli Beard & Walter ); with a distinct marginal notch near s4. Idiosomal setal pattern 10A:6E/JV-3:ZV (J2, S2 and S4 absent) or 10A:5D/JV-3:ZV (J2, S2, S4 and S5 absent); setae j3, s4, Z4 and Z5 stout, serrate and elongate (but not whip-shaped), inserted in tubercles; Z4 and Z5 close together (distance Z4-Z5 distinctly shorter than distance J5-J5); setae j1, r3 and R1 longer than the remaining setae, stout and serrate. Posterior margin of sternal shield straight to slightly undulate. Ventrianal shield pentagonal, elongated to vase-shaped (with shallow concavity of lateral margin), with pre-anal setae about longitudinally aligned, next to lateral shield margin. Spermathecal calyx cup- or disc-shaped. Fixed and movable cheliceral digits with 7–11 and 2–3 teeth, respectively. Macrosetae on legs I–IV, usually capitate or spatulate. Male ventrianal shield with three pairs of pre-anal setae arranged in a triangular pattern; spermadactyl type heel-and-toe.

Remarks. Only one of the 17 species presently included in this genus has been reported from Brazil, but it seems to be quite widespread. Worldwide, species of this genus have been reported from plants.