# First Record of Africoseiulella Kreiter (Parasitiformes: Phytoseiidae) with the complementary description of Africoseiulella arabicus (Negm and Alatawi) comb. nov. from Saudi Arabia

Jawwad Hassan Mirza, Muhammad Kamran, Eid Muhammad Khan, Fahad Jaber Alatawi

► To cite this version:

Jawwad Hassan Mirza, Muhammad Kamran, Eid Muhammad Khan, Fahad Jaber Alatawi. First Record of Africoseiulella Kreiter (Parasitiformes: Phytoseiidae) with the complementary description of Africoseiulella arabicus (Negm and Alatawi) comb. nov. from Saudi Arabia. Acarologia, 2025, 65 (3), pp.815-826. 10.24349/n2ln-2wlc. hal-05206333

HAL Id: hal-05206333

https://hal.science/hal-05206333v1

Submitted on 11 Aug 2025

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Acarologia

Open Science
in Acarology

# First Record of *Africoseiulella* Kreiter (Parasitiformes: Phytoseiidae) with the complementary description of *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) comb. nov. from Saudi Arabia

Jawwad Hassan Mirza IDª, Muhammad Kamran IDª, Eid Muhammad Khan IDª, Fahad Jaber Alatawi IDª

## Original research

### ABSTRACT

In the present study, the genus *Africoseiulella* Kreiter is reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, the species described as *Nabiseius arabicus* by Negm and Alatawi (2013) is transferred to *Africoseiulella*, based on the examination of the type specimens and on newly collected specimens from Saudi Arabia. The male of *A. arabicus comb. nov.* is described and illustrated along with the presentation of complementary information about the female. Some of the significant morphological characters in *A. arabicus comb. nov.* female are discussed for their importance in the phytoseiid taxonomy.

**Keywords** male; *Nabiseius*; short peritreme; st3 setae

### Introduction

*Africoseiulella* Kreiter (Parasitiformes: Phytoseiidae) is a unique genus represented by two species, *A. flechtmanni* Kreiter (Southern Tunisia: Kreiter and Tixier 2006) and *A. sedisazlensis* El-Banhawy, Nasr & Ramadan (Egypt: El-Banhawy *et al.* 2025). It belongs to the tribe Metaseiulini Chant & McMurtry in the subfamily Typhlodrominae Wainstein (Kreiter and Tixier 2006). The validity of the genus *Africoseiulella* was well supported by comprehensive systematic and phylogenetic analysis (Kreiter and Tixier 2006).

Negm and Alatawi (2013) described *Nabiseius arabicus* Negm & Alatawi (Parasitiformes: Otopheidomenidae) collected from *Cynodon dactylon* L. (Poaceae) in a date palm (*Phoenix dactylifera* L.; Arecaceae) orchard from Saudi Arabia. A re-evaluation of the type specimens of this species and additional specimens collected in the present study was conducted to ascertain its generic placement. The objective of this study was to provide a complementary description of *Africoseiulella arabicus comb. nov.* (Negm & Alatawi, 2013) female, in addition to the description and illustrations of male. Some inconsistencies are discussed as found between the specimens and the description of the species by Negm and Alatawi (2013). Furthermore, some of the morphological characters as found in the *A. arabicus comb. nov.* female are discussed for their taxonomic significance.

Received 05 May 2025
Accepted 18 July 2025
Published 06 August 2025

Corresponding author
Fahad Jaber Alatawi ID:
falatawi@ksu.edu.sa

Academic editor
Kreiter, Serge

https://doi.org/10.24349/n2ln-2wlc

ISSN 0044-586X (print)
ISSN 2107-7207 (electronic)

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Mirza J. H. et al.

Licensed under
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0

<footnote>ªDepartment of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.</footnote>
**Material and methods**

The 15 female type specimens of *A. arabicus comb. nov.* were re-examined. Two males were collected with the same field data as that of females, but had not been previously described, and were also analyzed in the present study. Additionally, occasional field visits resulted in the collection of additional specimens (both females and male) of same species from different localities of Saudi Arabia. The specimens were collected by shaking the plant foliage on a white sheet of paper and preserved in labelled 1.5ml Eppendorf tubes filled with 70% ethanol. In the laboratory, these were mounted on glass slides in Hoyer's medium and examined under a phase contrast microscope (DM2500, Leica, Wetzlar, Germany). The DIC images of different body parts were photographed using an Auto-montage Software System (Syncroscopy, Cambridge, UK), which were used as template to be illustrated with Adobe Illustrator (Adobe System Inc., San Jose, CA, USA). All measurements are given in micrometers. The terminology used in this study follows that of Rowell *et al*. (1978) for the dorsum and Chant and Yoshida-Shaul (1991) for the venter. The leg setal notation followed Evans (1963) while those of lyrifissures followed Athias-Henriot (1975). The identification of the genus *Africoseiulella* followed the characterization of Kreiter and Tixier (2006), based on the system of Chant and McMurtry (1994). All specimens have been deposited at King Saud University Museum of Arthropods (KSMA), Acarology section, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

**Taxonomy**

Based on the examination of the type specimens of *Nabiseius arabicus* Negm & Alatawi, 2013 and the new specimens collected from different regions of Saudi Arabia, it is now assigned to the genus *Africoseiulella*, in the family Phytoseiidae, as *A. arabicus comb. nov*. This genus is reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia, with the complementary description of female, in addition to the description and illustrations of male. Also, some inconsistencies are discussed as found between the specimens and the description of the species by Negm and Alatawi (2013).

**Africoseiulella Kreiter**

*Africoseiulella* Kreiter in Kreiter and Tixier 2006: 3.

**Type species** — *Africoseiulella flechtmanni* Kreiter, in Kreiter and Tixier 2006: 6 (by original designation).

**Diagnosis** — as defined by Kreiter and Tixier 2006.

**Africoseiulella arabicus (Negm & Alatawi) comb. nov.**

*Nabiseius arabicus* Negm & Alatawi 2013: 2.

**Updated Diagnosis**

Female: sternal shield reticulate bearing setae *st1-2* and *lyrifissures iv1-2*, fixed cheliceral digit with apparently two teeth, a *pilus dentilis* reduced to base, and a hyaline flap; Male: seta *s4* distinctly inserted in lateral integument, genitoventral shield bearing *st1-3* and *iv1-2*, ventrianal shield seemingly split into three fragments, the laterals seemingly fused with metapodal plates.

**Female (Figures 1-5) (n = 34)**

**Dorsal idiosoma (Figure 1A-B)** — Dorsal shield 275–282 long and 121–126 wide at the level of setae *s6*, with diagonal mostly parallel striae over most of its extent, but smooth centrally posteriad *j6*, distinctly eroded anteriad insertion of *S2*, deeply incised immediately posteriad *s6*, rounded posteriad *S2* where it covers the whole dorsum; punctations scattered from *j1* to anterior of *j6* medially and till *z5* laterally. Some scattered muscle marks (*sg*: sigilla) posterior
<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 1** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) comb. nov., Female, Dorsum. A – Illustration; B – Microphotograph</figcaption></figure>

to *J2*, bearing 17 pairs of short, smooth and needle-like setae of the following numbers and length; seven pairs in *j-J* series: *j1* 4–5, *j3* 8–9, *j4* 6–8, *j5* 4–6, *j6* 7–9, *J2* 7–8, *J5* 3–5, six pairs in *z-Z* series: *z2* 7–9, *z3* 6–8, *z4* 8–10, *z5* 8–9, *Z4* 8–10, *Z5* 7–9; four pairs in *s-S* series: *s4* 8–10, *s6*, 6–8, *S2* 6–7, *S5* 6–8; one pair in *r-R* series: *r3* 7–8, inserted in unsclerotized lateral integument, solenostomes absent, eight pairs of lyrifissures evident.

**Ventral idiosoma (Figure 2A-B)** — Tritosternum with base 15–16 wide, but otherwise similar to the most Mesostigmata, with serrated laciniae, divided for about 60% of their total length (tip to base). Sternal shield 68–72 long, 41–44 wide at *st2* level; widening posteriorly between transverse anterior margin and insertion of *iv2*; posterior section constituting a pronounced rounded posterior lobe; reticulate anteriad *st2*, bearing setae *st1* 16–18, *st2* 15–17 on shield edges, and two pairs of lyrifissures (*iv1* and *iv2*), setae, *st3* 15–17, *st4* 14–17, and *iv3* inserted in unsclerotized cuticle. Genital shield 92–101 long along midline, 44–48 wide at level of setae *st5*; with rounded membranous anterior margin with elongate longitudinal cells, bearing one pair of setae, *st5* 15–16, on lateral edges of shield. Two pairs metapodal plates present; primary 34–36 long, accessory 6–8 long, a pair of lyrifissures anterior to setae *ZV3*, a pair lateral, and a pair posterior to *JV5*. Four transverse platelets present between genital and ventrianal shields. Ventrianal shield 72–74 long and 45–47 wide at the widest level, slightly concave anteriorly, pregenital pore absent, two pairs of pre-anal setae, *ZV2* 9–11 and *JV2* 9–11,
<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 2** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) comb. nov., Female, Venter. A – Illustration; B – Microphotograph</figcaption></figure>

one pair of para-anal setae 12–14 and a post-anal seta 11–12. Two pairs of opistogastric setae, *ZV3* 10–11 and *JV5* 9–10, inserted in unsclerotized cuticle.

**Peritreme (Figure 2A)** — Peritremes short, 40–42 in length, reaching only to the anterior margin of coxae III, a pair of lyrifissure (*id3*) present dorsally on the peritremal shield.

**Spermatheca (Figure 3A-D)** — Calyx funnel-shaped (Figure 3B), with the dish-shaped (Figure 3C) section near vesicle sometimes indistinct (Figures 3A, D), 13–16 in length; atrium discernible, 5–7 distant from calyx, to which it is linked by a neck; major duct flaring from the sperm induction pore toward calyx.

**Chelicera (Figure 4A-H)** — Movable digit 12–14 long, toothless, with a large median lobular projection; fixed digit 13–15 long, apparently with two basal teeth; *pilus dentilis* represented only by its base, and a hyaline sheath, lateral to moveable digit (Figure 4A, B).

**Legs (Figure 5A-D)** — Number of setae on legs I–IV: coxae 2–2–2–1; trochanters 5–5–4–4; femora 11–9–6–6; genua 8–6–6–7; tibiae 8–7–7–6; basitarsi 1–2–2–1, telotarsi II–IV 13–13–10, macroseta absent on all legs.

Male (Figures 6-9) (n = 3)

**Dorsal idiosoma (Figure 6)** — Dorsal shield similar to that of female, but slightly narrower, so that in addition to *r3*, seta *s4* is also inserted in the unsclerotized cuticle. Also differently from
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 3** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) **comb. nov.**, Female, A-D – Spermatheca.</figcaption></figure>

female, diagonal parallel striae only distinguishable in anterolateral region of opisthonotum (next to S2 with an unsclerotized ellipsoidal patch at setae z3); 240–248 long and 115–118 wide at the level of setae s6, bearing 16 pairs of simple setae, similar in shape to those of female, of the following number and length: seven pairs in *j-J* series: *j1* 7–8, *j3* 9–10, *j4* 8–9, *j5* 5–6, *j6* 6–7, *J2* 6–7, *J5* 3–4; six pairs in *z-Z* series: *z2* 9–10, *z3* 8–10, *z4* 9–10, *z5* 8–9, *Z4* 7–8, *Z5* 8–9, four pairs in *s-S* series *s4* 9–10, *s6* 7–8, *S2* 8–9, *S5* 7–8; one pair in *r-R* series: *r3* 7–8, both setae *s4* and *r3* clearly on striate lateral integument, off the dorsal shield; lyrifissures difficult to discern.

**Ventral idiosoma** (Figure 7) — Tritosternum with base 14–15 wide, with a pair of somewhat thick serrated laciniae than those of female, divided for about 75% of their total length (tip to base). Sternogenital shield smooth 118–120 long, 47–49 wide at widest point in between *st2* and *st3*, bearing three pairs of smooth setae on shield edges (*st1* 14–15, *st2* 11–12 and *st3* 11–12) and two pairs of lyrifissure (*iv1* and *iv2*). Setae *st4* (10–11), genital setae *st5* (11–12) and *lyrifissure iv3* inserted in the unsclerotized cuticle. Ventrianal shield seemingly split into three fragments: two laterals with scant striae probably fused with metapodal plates, subtriangular in shape, each bearing a *lyrifissure* and a member of setae *ZV3* on the edge, the central smooth 77–80 long and 52–54 wide, preanal pores absent, two pairs of pre-anal setae (*ZV2* 10–12 and *JV1* 8–10), one pair of para-anal setae 10–11 and a post-anal seta 7–8, setae
<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 4** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) **comb. nov.**, Female, Chelicera. A – Illustration; B – Microphotograph; C-H – hyaline sheath morphology.</figcaption></figure>

*JV5* 7–8 and a lyrifissures in unsclerotized cuticle.

**Peritreme** — Peritremes short, 28–30 in length, extending to the posterior half of the coxeae III.

**Chelicera** (**Figure 8**) — Movable digit 12–13 long, toothless; fixed digit 14–15 long, apparently with a tooth visible posterior to *pilus dentilis*, the latter represented only by its base; spermatodactyl shaft 7–8 long, ending in a foot shaped structure having a sub-terminal short rounded structure and a distal, rounded structure.

**Legs** (**Figure 9**) — As in female.

**Material Examined**

Fifteen females (KSMAAS11-Phy-Afr-F1-15) and two males (KSMAAS11-Phy-Afr-M1-2), on aerial part of *Cynodon dactylon* L. (Poaceae) in a date palm orchard, 24°48′N, 46°42′E, 645 m, Riyadh, 12 Jul. 2011, coll. Mohamed W. Negm; ten females (KSMAAS14-Phy-Afr-F16-25) and a male (KSMAAS11-Phy-Afr-M3), unidentified weeds, 24°48′32.7″N, 46°42′03.5″E, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University, Riyadh, 2 Apr. 2014, coll. M. Kamran; nine females (KSMAAS24-Phy-Afr-F26-34), *Chenopodium* sp., 18°33′28.6″N, 41°55′53″E, Asir, 27 Apr. 2024, coll. N.A. Elgoni.

**Morphological inconsistencies between original description of *A. arabicus* female and specimens**

Some inconsistencies were found related to the ventral idiosomal and cheliceral morphology and leg chaetotaxy between the published description (Negm and Alatawi 2013) and all specimens examined in the present work. The female sternal and genital shields were reported as smooth, fixed digits of chelicerae having one tooth, and *pilus dentilis* absent. However,
<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 5** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) **comb. nov.**, Female, Legs. A – Leg I; B – Leg II; C – Leg III; IV – Leg IV.</figcaption></figure>

in this work, all the specimens were found to have sternal shield partially reticulated and the
genital shield with elongate cells (Figure 2), fixed digit with two teeth, and only the base of the
*pilus dentilis* present (Figure 4). Moreover, the leg chaetotaxy was contrastingly reported as
covae II-III with 1-1 (vs. 2-2 in specimens here examined), trochanters I-IV with 4-3-4-4 (vs
5-5-4-5), femora II-IV with 8-5-5 (vs. 9-6-6), genua I and IV with 9 and 6 (vs. 8 and 7), tibia
IV with 5 setae (vs. 6 setae). Additionally, the dorsal setae Z3 and ventral opisthogastic setae
JV4 were incorrectly named, while they should be Z4 and JV5, respectively.

**Differential Remarks**

*Africoseiulella arabicus comb. nov.* is morphologically close to *A. sedishazlensis* El-Banhawy, Nasr & Ramadan (El-Banhawy *et al.* 2025) due to presence of setae *st3* and *st4* off the sternal shield, presence of accessory metapodal plate, absence of tooth on moveable digit in female. However, *A. arabicus comb. nov.* could be distinguished from the later by following morphological differences. Female: ventrianal shield without pores (vs. with pores in *A. sedishazlensis*), sternal shield without distinct extension between covae I-II (vs. with distinct extension between covae I-II), fixed digit with two teeth (vs. with four teeth), number of setae on genu-tibia I 8-8 (vs 10-10), basitarsus I, IV 1, 1 (vs. 0, 2). Male: *st3* on the sternogenital shield (vs. off the sternogenital shield), ventrianal shield fragmented (vs. unfragmented), spines on covae III-IV absent (vs. spines present on covae III-IV).

*Africoseiulella arabicus comb. nov.* also differentiates from the type species *A. flechtmani*
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 6** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) **comb. nov.**, Male, Dorsum. A – Illustration; B – Microphotograph.</figcaption></figure>

Kreiter (in Kreiter and Tixier 2006), as follows. Female: *st3* setae off the sternal shield on soft cuticle (vs on the sternal shield in *A. flechtmani*), sternal shield reticulated (vs. smooth), two pairs of metapodal platelets (vs one), fixed cheliceral digit with two median teeth (vs. edentate). Male: setae *s4* clearly off the dorsal shield (vs. on the shield), anterior margin of sternogenital shield slight convex (vs with an acuminate protrusion), two pairs of lyrifissures on shield (vs one pair).

**Additional Remarks**

In the present work, *A. arabicus comb. nov.* was described with some morphological characters which were either unique for the genus *Africoseiulella* or even for the family Phytoseiidae itself. This genus has unique set of characteristics, as already well debated by Kreiter and Tixier (2006), to find its proper place in the family Phytoseiidae. The description of *A. arabicus comb. nov.* would not be an exception. The following characters are, therefore, discussed:

**Hyaline sheath of the chelicera in the female** — A hyaline sheath, folded between the cheliceral digits, was clearly visible in all specimens of *A. arabicus comb. nov* female (Figure 4A-H). At a certain resolution of observation, it appears as if present only distally on the fixed cheliceral digit (Figure 4E). A similar feature was described and illustrated by Negm and Alatawi (2013). In some other specimens, this sheath seems to cover most of the chelicerae from the movable digit side (Figure 4B). It is as if tightly packed and folded between the closed cheliceral digits (Figure 4C-H), but expanded upon forced opening of the chelicerae (Figure
<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 7** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) **comb. nov.**, Male, Venter. A – Illustration; B – Microphotograph.</figcaption></figure>

4A-B). In *A. sedishazlensis*, the presence of leaf-like *pilus dentilis* is described. However, such a feature has not been described in the type species, *A. flechtmanni* nor has it been reported in the diagnosis of the genus *Africoseiulella*. Flechtmann *et al.* (1994) described the presence of cheliceral lobes as one of the rare features in the family Phytoseiidae, with an example of *Phytoseiulus longipes* Evans. However, this hyaline sheath in the *A. arabicus* **comb. nov.** chelicerae do not resemble those cheliceral lobes. Similarly, it does not appear as a modified shape of *pilus dentilis* as described for *A. sedishazlensis*. It is yet unclear what purpose it serves. Perhaps, scanning electron microscopic studies on this character in the future may prove fruitful to decide its taxonomic significance and functional morphology.

**Number of teeth on the cheliceral digits** — The genus diagnosis of *Africoseiulella* reports the presence of edentate cheliceral digits. However, in the type species, the fixed cheliceral digit of the male was reported to have one tooth. In contrast, *A. sedishazlensis* was reported with four teeth on fixed digit and a toothless moveable digit in female. With the transfer of *A. arabicus* **comb. nov.** this generic diagnostic character might be excluded, as this species also has dentate cheliceral digits. This feature also corresponds to the distinct morphological difference among the mentioned species. It is also important to remember that original description of *A. arabicus* **comb. nov** — lacks the description of any tooth presence on the cheliceral digits (Negm and Alatawi 2013) which is now corrected in the present work.

**Base of the pilus dentilis, despite the absence of the actual pilus dentilis** — Strangely
<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 8** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) **comb. nov.**, Male, Chelicera. A – Illustration; B – Microphotograph.</figcaption></figure>

enough, the actual *pilus dentilis* in *A. arabicus comb. nov.* is absent, but its base is rather distinct. Negm and Alatawi (2013) mentioned in the original description of *A. arabicus comb. nov.* the entire absence of *pilus dentilis*. Additionally, *A. flechtmanni*'s description lacks the detail on this feature, too (Kreiter and Tixier 2006). This feature is not uncommon in the family Phytoseiidae (Flechtmann and McMurtry 1992) and was reported in *P. longipes* (Flechtmann *et al.* 1994). The explanation for this morphological feature (absence of *pilus dentilis*) was correlated with the presence of large cheliceral lobes. In *A. sedishazlensis*, the *pilus dentilis* was reported as leaf-like. However, it is not the case with *A. arabicus* and possible explanation may require further studies.

**Leg chaetotaxy both in female and male** — The leg chaetotaxy of some leg segments in *A. arabicus comb. nov.* (both sexes) follow what is usually reported for the free living gamasina in reference to the family Phytoseiidae (Evans 1963). However, some differences from the usual were also found. Generally, the leg chaetotaxy of coxae I-IV, trochanter II, femora III-IV, genu III and tibiae II-IV are same as reported by Evans (1963). The differences were found in number of setae on trochanter I, III, IV (5-4-4 in *A. arabicus comb. nov.* vs. 6-5-5 by Evans 1963), femora I-II (11-9 vs 12-10), genua I, II, IV (8-6-7 vs 10-7-10) and tibia I (8 vs. 10). Kreiter and Tixier (2006) only described number of setae on leg genua II and III as six each, for *A. flechtmanni* which is similar to the corresponding leg segments in all specimens of *A. arabicus comb. nov*. Here only chaetotaxy of genu III in both species does not match with Evans (1963) report. Similarly, the reduction of setae on certain leg segments were also reported for *A. sedishazlensis* (El-Banhawy *et al.* 2025). It might be possible that the *Africoseiulella* species represent a new chaetotaxy for the family Phytoseiidae which may help in better understanding of the taxonomy and systematics of the family group.
<figure><img src="image_11.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 9** *Africoseiulella arabicus* (Negm & Alatawi) comb. nov., Male, Legs. A – Leg I; B – Leg II; C – Leg III; IV – Leg IV.</figcaption></figure>

**Funding**

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Ongoing Research Funding program (ORF-2025-807), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for funding this research.

**Acknowledgements**

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the respected reviewers whose constructive comments and corrections have improved this research. The authors are also thankful to Muneeb ur Rehman (Acarology Research Lab., King Saud University) for his technical support.

**Conflict of Interest**

The authors declare no conflict of interest exists
ORCID

Jawwad Hassan Mirza ID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1726-4331

Muhammad Kamran ID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6084-203X

Eid Muhammad Khan ID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5008-2524

Fahad Jaber Alatawi ID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6824-2650

References

Athias-Henriot C. 1975. Nouvelles notes sur les Amblyseiini. II. Le relevé organotaxique de la face dorsale adulte (Gamasides, Protoadéniques, Phytoseiidae). Acarologia, 17: 20-29.

Chant D.A., McMurtry J.A. 1994. A review of the subfamilies Phytoseiinae and Typhlodrominae (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Int. J. Acarol., 20: 223-310. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647959408684022

Chant D.A., Yoshida Shaul E. 1991. Adult ventral setal patterns in the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Gamasina). Int. J. Acarol., 17: 187-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647959108683906

El-Banhawy E.S.M., Nasr A.K., Ramadan M.M. 2025. Description of a new species of *Africoseiulella* Kreiter (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt. Zootaxa, 5633(2): 244-250. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5633.2.2

Evans G.O. 1963. Observations on the chaetotaxy of the legs in the free-living Gamasina (Acari: Mesostigmata). Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 10: 275-303. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.20528

Flechtmann C.H.W., McMurtry J.A. 1992. Studies of cheliceral and deutosternal morphology of some Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) by scanning electron microscopy. Intl. J. Acarol., 18: 163-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647959208683947

Flechtmann C.H.W., Evans G.O., McMurtry J.A. 1994. Some noteworthy features of the chelicerae and subcapitulum of *Phytoseiulus longipes* Evans (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), with observations on the preoral channel in the Phytoseiidae. Exp. App. Acarol., 18(5): 293-299. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00132318

Kreiter S., Tixier M.S. 2006. A new genus and species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from southern Tunisia, with discussion of its phylogenetic position. Zootaxa, 1237(1): 1-18. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1237.1.1

Negm M.W., Alatawi F.J. 2013. First record of Otopheidomenidae Treat, 1955 (Acari: Mesostigmata) in Saudi Arabia, with description of *Nabiseius arabicus* sp. nov. Turk J Zool., 37(2): pp.184-187. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1207-26

Rowell H.J., Chant D.A., Hansell R.I.C. 1978. The determination of setal homologies and setal patterns of the dorsal shield in the family Phytoseiidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). The Can. Entomol., 110: 859-876. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent110859-8