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Pachyseius

Family: Pachylaelapidae Berlese (pars)

Pachyseius Berlese

Diagnostic characters:

• Female sternal shield bearing 3 pairs of setae (st4 on small metasternal shield or in soft cuticle)

• Genital shield truncate posteriorly, with 1 pair of seta

• Ventrianal shield narrow to subcordate and with 7-10 setae

• Peritrematal shield not extending beyond coxae IV.

Similar taxa.  Species of Zygoseius lack spurs on tarsi II and have st4 on metasternal-endopodal plates.  Species of Macrocheles have recurved peritremes.

Simplified Key to Common Genera of Pachylaelapidae

1.  Females (and usually males) with spur-like distal setae on tarsus II ..... 3

  - Spur-like setae on tarsus II absent ..... 2

2.  Female with subcordate ventrianal shield with 13 setae (ZV1-2, JV1-3 + circumanals); genital shield truncate posteriorly and bearing 1 pair of setae; sternal shield with 3 pairs of setae and convex posterior margin; metasternal setae on metasternal-endopodal shield; free-living or on dung beetles ..... Zygoseius

  - Female with anal shield (rarely capturing 1-2 ventral setae); opisthogenital shield spreading laterally, with 2 pairs of setae and recurved posterior margin; associated with ants ..... Sphaerolaelaps

3.  Female sternal shield bearing 4 pairs of setae, opisthogenital shield with 2 or more pairs of setae, and anal shield with 3 circumanal setae ..... 5

  - Female sternal shield bearing 3 pairs of setae (st4 on small metasternal shield or in soft cuticle), genital shield with 1 pair of seta, and ventrianal shield with 7-10 setae ..... Pachyseius

5.  Tibia I with 5 dorsal setae; palp apotele 3-tined ..... 5

  -  Tibia I with 6 dorsal setae; palp apotele 2-tined ..... 6

5.  Genu I with 5 dorsal setae ..... Onchodellus

  - Genu I with 6 dorsal setae ..... Pachylaelaps

6.  Seta st4 on small metasternal plate; dorsal shield with 37 pairs of setae ..... Pachyseiulus

  -  Seta st4 on in soft cuticle; dorsal shield with 35 pairs of setae ..... Pseudopachyseiulus

References

Moraza ML.  1993.  Two new species of Pachyseius Berlese, 1910 from Spain (Acari, Mesostigmata: Pachylaelapidae). Acarologia 34: 89-94.

Moraza ML & Johnston DE.  1990. Pachyseiulus hispanicus n. gen., n. sp., from Navarre (northern Spain) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Pachylaelapidae).  International Journal of Acarology 16: 213-218.

Yin S-G; Luc J; Lian W-H.  1986.  A new species and a new record of the genus Pachyseius from China (Acarina: Pachylaelapidae).  Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 11(2): 191-193.