Amblyseius Berlese

Amblyseius Berlese, 1914: 143; Chant & McMurtry, 2004: 188; Moraes et al. 2004: 12. Amblyseiopsis Garman, 1948: 16 .

Amblyseius (Amblyseialus) Muma, 1961: 287 .

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) Muma, 1961: 287 .

Amblyseius (Amblyseius) section Italoseius Wainstein, 1962: 15. Amblyseius (Multiseius) Denmark & Muma, 1989: 82. Amblyseius (Pauciseius) Denmark & Muma, 1989: 132. Proprioseiopsis (Peloiseius) Karg, 1983: 303 .

Stable characters mentioned by Chant & McMurtry (2004) for species of this genus are: idiosoma lightly sclerotized, rarely brownish in color; setae z2, z4 (except americanus species group), Z1 (when present), S2, S4, S5 and the dorsocentral setae short/minute, approximately subequal in length; Z4, Z5 and s4 usually extremely elongate (except A. ankaratrae and A. neoankaratrae in which Z4 is short and subequal to z2, z4, Z1, s2, S4, S5 and dorsocentral setae); ratio s4:S2> 3.0:1.0 [except in ankaratrae species subgroup Chant & McMurtry of the largoensis species group McMurtry & Moraes]; female ventrianal shield not extremely wide, spermatodactyl with heel and toe or L-shaped (with heel suppressed).

Twenty-three species of this genus are reported in this paper. Females of those species have idiosomal setae sharp; caudoventral setae smooth and sharp-tipped; 3 pairs of preanal setae, except Amblyseius brachyscutatus n. sp., which has only one pair (Jv2); a pair of preanal pores; chaetotaxy of genua II and III 2-2 /0, 2/0- 1 and 1-2/1, 2/0-1, respectively. All known males of these species have 3 pairs of preanal setae; males described for the first time, or redescribed, in this paper have chaetotaxy of genua II and III similar to what was reported for females.