<p class="Body"><strong>Phytoseiid mites of the subgenus </strong><strong><em>Typhlodromus</em></strong><strong> (<em>Anthoseius</em>) De Leon (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) in Taiwan </strong></p>

Abstract

Predatory mites belonging to family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) have received great attention. The subgenus Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) De Leon is one of the largest and complicated group in the family Phytoseiidae. There are 11 species of Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) reported in Taiwan so far and eight of them described by Y.H. Tseng. In addition, all specimens including types are lost after his retirement. The undetailed descriptions and the simple illustrations caused some difficulties in proper identifications of Taiwanese species. In this study, six species previously described from Taiwan that follows T. (A.) changi, T. (A.) gracilentus, T. (A.) lanyuensis, and T. (A.) neocrassus, T. (A.) obesus, T. (A.) tridentiger, are re-discovered. In addition, three species, T. (A.) bambusae, T. (A.) chinensis, and T. (A.) serrulatus are reported for the first time for Taiwanese fauna. We also provided the first description of male T. (A.) bambusae. Detailed descriptions of all species and a revised key to the Taiwanese species of the subgenus Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) are also included. Materials and MethodsMite specimens examined in this study were collected from various plants from the main island and surrounding islands of Taiwan during the years 1985-2018. Specimens were mounted in Hoyer's medium. Also, poor condition specimens were soaked with water, clean by lactic acid, bleached by high concentration (50%) H 2 O 2 in the blacken specimen, rinsed in ethanol (75%), and remounted in Hoyer's medium (Yeh et al. 2008). Specimens were examined under Olympus BX51 microscope, and measurements taken using a stage-calibrated ocular micrometers as well as ImageJ 1.47 (Schneider et al. 2012). Photos were taken by using Motic® Moticam 5+ camera attached to the microscope. All measurements were provided in micrometers (µm) following by their mean and range (in parenthesis). The dorsal shield lengths were measured from anterior to posterior margins along the midline and the widths measured at j6 and S4 levels. The sternal shield lengths and widths were taken from anterior to posterior margins along the midline and at broadest level, respectively. The genital shield widths were taken from broadest level. The ventrianal shield lengths were taken from anterior to posterior margins along the midline including cribrum and the shield widths measured at ZV2 and anus levels. The general terminology used for morphological descriptions in this study follows that of Chant & McMurtry (2007).