Neoseiulus insularis

Neoseiulus insularis (Athias-Henriot, 1978)

For other names and synonyms see Demite et al. (2021)

(Fig. 8: A–E)

Female– Four specimens measured.

Idiosomal setal pattern: 10A:9B/JV–3:ZV.

Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 8A) – Dorsal shield 379 (374– 385) long and 195 (193–198) wide at j 6 level, reticulated entirely with 19 pairs of dorsal setae (r 3 and R 1 included); dorsal shield setae smooth, except for Z 5, serrated; lengths: j 1 26 (25–26), j 3 38 (36–41), j 4 25 (24–26), j 5 24 (21–27), j 6 33 (30–35), J 5 14 (13–15), z 2 30 (29–32), z 4 39 (38–42), z 5 22 (22–23), Z 1 46 (43–48), Z 4 65 (62–68), Z 5 69 (63–77), s 4 51 (51–52), S 2 59 (57–62), S 4 59 (55–65), S5 32 (30–33); setae r 3 27 (24–28) and R 1 38 (36–41) on lateral integument; dorsal shield with 4 pairs of solenostomes (gd 1, gd 2, gd 6, gd 9) and 13 pairs small poroids.

Peritreme – Extending to the level between setae j 1 and j 3 (Fig. 8A).

Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 8B) – Sternal shield wider than long, posterior margin slightly concave, smooth, 59 (55– 63) long, 76 (74–78) wide at level of setae ST 2, three pairs of setae and two pairs of pores (iv 1 and iv 2), ST 1 31, ST 2 29, ST 3 28; distances between ST 1 –ST 3 62 (58–64), ST 1 –ST 1 53 (52–55) and ST 2 –ST 2 65 (63–66); metasternal setae ST 4 26 and a pair of pores (iv 3) on metasternal shields; genital shield smooth width at widest point 70 (67–74), ST 5 25; two pairs of metapodal shields, primary 42 (40–44) long and accessory 11–13 long; ventrianal shield pentagonal to vase-shaped (Fig. 8B), smooth anteriorly but with some striae between preanal pores and anus, length 119 (115–122), width at level of setae ZV 2, 73 (72–73), and width at level of paranal setae 66 (63–68); with three pairs of preanal setae (JV 1 20–22, JV 2 21–22, ZV 2 20– 21); four pairs of setae surrounding ventrianal shield on integument (JV 4 17–19, JV 5 36 (35–37), ZV 1 19–20, ZV 3 16–17), five pairs of pores and one pair of small platelets surrounding ventrianal shield. Ventrianal shield with a pair of small round pores (gv 3) wide apart, posteromesad to JV 2, distance between these pores 43.

Spermatheca – Calyx cup-shaped 11 (10–11) long, 5–6 in diameter at the middle part of the calyx; atrium C-shaped (Fig. 8C).

Chelicera – Fixed digit 29 long with 3 subapical and one relatively larger tooth as well as a pilus dentilis; movable digit 31 long with 1 tooth (Fig. 8D).

Legs – Leg IV (Fig. 8E) with three pointed short macrosetae, SgeIV 28, StiIV 29 (28–29), StIV 29 (28–30); lengths of macrosetae on other legs: SgeIII 22, SgeII 24, SgeI 28; length of legs from the base of coxae to the tip of claws: leg I 282 (278–289), leg II 262 (255–267), leg III 267 (263–270), leg IV 330 (329–333); chaetotactic formulae of genua and tibiae I–II–III–IV with 10 (2-2/1, 2/1-2) – 7 (2-2/0, 2/0-1) – 7 (1-2/1, 2/0-1) – 7 (1-2/0, 2/1-1) and 10 (2-2/1, 2/1-2) – 7 (1-2/1, 1/1-1) – 7 (1-1/1, 2/1-1) – 6 (1-1/0, 2/1-1) setae respectively.

Distribution – France, Russia, The Netherlands (this study), Turkey and Ukraine.

Specimen examined – This is a new species record for Dutch fauna. Four females, 08 September 2014, on Salix viminalis, Science park, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (52°21’20.8” N 4°57’34.2” E), collector: Farid Faraji.

Remarks – Neoseiulus insularis was described by Athias-Henriot (1978) collected near Avignon, France on Salix sp. Kolodochka (1991) also found this species (= Amblyseius riparius) in Ukraine on Salix sp. We have collected N. insularis from Salix viminalis. The genus Salix might be the preferred host for this predatory mite. All the features and measurements of the specimens collected from The Netherlands fit well with those provided by Kolodochka (1991).