Taxonomic Position

Cohort Gamasina

    Subcorhort Dermanyssiae

  Superfamily Phytoseioidea

Family Phytoseiidae Berlese

Subfamily Phytoseiinae Berlese

Phytoseius Ribaga, 1902

 

Diagnostic characters:

• Phytoseiidae with all setae in the S-series and Z1 suppressed

• Seta s6 present, z3 present but often minute; Z4-5 usually enlarged, barbed and with insertions usually contiguous

• Genu II with 7 setae; genu III with 6 setae. ~150 described species

 

 

Key to genera of Phytoseiinae:

 

1.  Seta z3 absent, s6 present ..... Platyseiella Muma

-    Seta z3 present, s6 present or absent ..... 2

 

2.  Seta z6 absent, s6 present; dorsal shield setae barbed, usually acicular, fine to thickened ..... Phytoseius

-    Seta z6 present, s6 absent; dorsal shield setae spatulate/ paddle-shaped ..... Chantia Pritchard & Baker

 

Similar taxa.  Species of Paraphytoseius (Amblyseiinae) strongly resemble species of Phytoseius but have serrate-chelate chelicerae and lack setae z3 and s6.  Species of Platyseiella lack setae z3.

 

Ecology & Distribution. Species of Phytoseius are found worldwide and some have proven useful as biocontrol agents of eriophyoid mites .

  

References

Beard JJ & Walter DE.  1996.  Australian Mites of the genera Paraphytoseius  and Paraamblyseius (Acarina: Phytoseiidae).  Australian Journal of Entomology 35: 235-241.

Chant DA. & McMurtry JA. 1994.  A review of the subfamilies  Phytoseiinae and Typhlodrominae (Acari: Phytoseiidae).  International Journal of Acarology 20: 223-310.

 Denmark, H. A. and Schicha, E. 1983. Revision of the genus Phytoseiulus Evans (Acarina : Phytoseiidae). International Journal of Acarology 9 : 27-35.

Krantz GW & Ainscough B.  1990.  Mesostigmata.  pp. 583-665, in DL Dindal (ed) Soil Biology Guide.  John Wiley & Sons: Brisbane.

Schicha e.  1987.  Phytoseiidae of Australia and Neighbouring Areas.  (Indira Publishing House, Oak Park, Michigan, USA.)

Schuster RO & Pritchard EA.  1963.  Phytoseiid mites of California.  Hilgardia 43: 191-285.

Tseng YH.  1976.  Systematics of the mite family Phytoseiidae from Taiwan, with a revised key to the genera of the world (II).  Journal of the Agricultural Association of China 94: 86-128.

Walter, D.E.  1997.  Notes on Australian Typhlodrominae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) with descriptions of two new species of Neoseiulella Muma from tropical rainforests in Far North Queensland.  Australian Journal of Entomology 36: 333-338.

Walter, D.E.  1999.  A review of Australian Asperoseius Chant, Euseius Wainstein, Okiseius Ehara and Phytoscutus Muma (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) with a key to the genera of Australian Amblyseiinae and descriptions of three new species.  Australian Journal of Entomology 38: 85-95.

Walter DE & Beard JJ.  1997.  A Review of the Australian Phytoseiinae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae).  Invertebrate Taxonomy 11: 823-860.

Walter DE, Azam G., Waite G & Hargreaves J.  1998.  Risk assessment of an exotic biocontrol agent: Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) does not establish in rainforest in south-east Queensland.  Australian Journal of Ecology 23: 587-592.

Walter DE. & Proctor HC.  1998.  Predatory mites in tropical Australia: Local species richness and complementarity.  Biotropica 30: 72-81.

Womersley H.  1954.  Species of the subfamily Phytoseiinae (Acarina: Laelaptidae) from Australia.  Australian Journal of Zoology 2: 169-191.