Systematic studies on the family Phytoseiidae were first conducted at the beginning of the 20th century but\ud increased greatly after the Second World War. Various classifications have been proposed based on different\ud characters such as: dorsal, ventral, and leg chaetotaxy; the shape of ventrianal and sternal shields; the shape of\ud the insemination apparatus (spermatheca) and spermatodactylus; the number of teeth on the movable digit of\ud chelicera; and dorsal and ventral adenotaxy. The genus concepts developed over the last five decades can be divided\ud into two main categories or hypotheses. The first, supported mainly by Chant and McMurtry, focuses on dorsal and\ud ventral chaetotaxy, and the genera so defined usually include a great number of species. The second category,\ud proposed by Athias-Henriot, considers the shape of the insemination apparatus as the key character, and the\ud genera so defined usually include a limited number of species. From a diagnostic point of view, both classifications\ud have a valid structure, but the question investigated herein was: which of the two classifications or hypotheses fits\ud phylogenetic evolution? To answer this, we conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses (using the genes ITS and\ud 12S rRNA) on the genus Neoseiulus, which has been subjected to classification based on the two main genus\ud concepts. The results showed that the first hypothesis (Chant and McMurtry) leads to polyphyly of the genus\ud Neoseiulus, while the second (Athias-Henriot) leads to paraphyly of the genus. The results show that acarologists\ud who first decided that the insemination apparatus was of evolutive importance could be correct as the shape of the\ud insemination apparatus seems to better fit evolutive clades than dorsal and ventral chaetotaxy. The morphology\ud of this organ, however, must be more accurately studied to better define homologies. The present paper investigates\ud the two main hypotheses proposed until now for classification of Phytoseiidae and thereby opens the way for\ud improved classification

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Mites of the family Phytoseiidae are important predators for biological control applications. They occur naturally in ecosystems but their overall distribution is not completely known. This study presents results of surveys carried out in the south of France. It proposes the use of a combination of morphological and molecular approaches for species diagnosis. Eighteen species of the genus Typhlodromus are reported from southern France, of which nine belong to Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) and nine to Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus). Eight of these species are new to the French fauna. The mitochondrial DNA CytB gene from 85 specimens (18 species) and the 12S rRNA gene from 30 specimens (9 species) were partially sequenced and analysed. Based on molecular and morphological comparisons, the synonymy between Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) ilicis and T. (A.) creticus is discussed. High genetic distances between specimens morphologically assigned to T. (A.) rhenanoides suggests the existence of cryptic species. The reliability of integrative approaches for species identification is discussed.

Species of the mite family Phytoseiidae are well known as predators of mite pests all over the world. Their identification is thus of great interest for biological control. The specimens examined in this study belong to the species Cydnodromus idaeus (described from Brazil) and C. picanus (described from Chile). They were collected together on the same plant in Argentina. These species are mainly differentiated by the presence/absence of the dorsal solenostomes (gland openings) gd2. Some morphometric differences were observed between the Argentinian specimens and the type material of C. idaeus and C. picanus; however, they were not sufficient to support a species separation. Morphological and molecular analyses with two mtDNA (12S rRNA, CytB) and a nuclear DNA (ITS) marker showed no difference between Argentinian specimens with and without the solenostome gd2. Also, molecular differentiation between these latter specimens, C. picanus and C. idaeus, was very low, suggesting that all these individuals belong to the same species. Biological experiments confirm these results, as 75% of the progeny resulting from females with gd2 had gd2 present whereas all the descendants resulting from the females without gd2 had gd2 present too. The presence/absence of this solenostome seems thus to be variable within a species and cannot be used diagnostically. We conclude that all specimens from Argentina belong to C. idaeus and that C. picanus is a junior synonym of C. idaeus. The present results were unexpected as the presence/absence of solenostomes is used in Phytoseiidae identification keys and as one of a suite of diagnostic characters for discriminating between species. The consequences of these findings for the taxonomy of Phytoseiidae are discussed.

Notes on the adaptation to various habitats, climatic conditions, life-cycles, dispersion as well as on some morpho-physiological ones of the main phytophagous (Tetranychidae and Eriophyidae) and predaceous (Phytoseiidae) mites typical of the Mediterranean area are reported in the present paper