# Proprioseiopsis zaheri n. sp. (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt with a key to the Proprioseiopsis species reported from the country

Ahmad Said Sanad, Reham Abo-Shnaf

► To cite this version:

Ahmad Said Sanad, Reham Abo-Shnaf. Proprioseiopsis zaheri n. sp. (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt with a key to the Proprioseiopsis species reported from the country. Acarologia, 2024, 64, pp.213 - 220. 10.24349/m6nx-xe6j. hal-04495742

HAL Id: hal-04495742

https://hal.science/hal-04495742v1

Submitted on 8 Mar 2024

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

*Proprioseiopsis zaheri* n. sp. (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt with a key to the *Proprioseiopsis* species reported from the country

Ahmad Said Sanad IDª, Reham Abo-Shnaf IDª

**Original research**

**ABSTRACT**

*Proprioseiopsis zaheri* n. sp. is described based on adult females collected from giant reed plant, *Arundo donax*, at Monufia governorate, Egypt. A key to the *Proprioseiopsis* species found in Egypt is also provided.

**Keywords** taxonomy; Proprioseiopsina; predators; giant reed plant

**Zoobank** http://zoobank.org/98208AB1-DC84-46EF-9923-F43901574944

**Introduction**

*Arundo donax* L. (Poaceae), known as giant reed, is native to the Mediterranean region and has been cultivated throughout the world for a long time, to make mats, roofs, for erosion control and as an ornamental (Neal 1965; Wagner *et al.* 1999). In Egypt, this plant is commonly found and can be identified in ancient temple drawings (Neal 1965). It has been mentioned to act as a banker plant for many species of predacious mites (Metwally *et al.* 2013).

Phytoseiidae is a mite family of plant inhabiting predators cited as biological control agents of several agricultural arthropod pests (Gerson *et al.* 2003; McMurtry *et al.* 2013, 2015). Some species of this family have been extensively used as biological control agents of these pests (Sanad and Hassan 2019; Elhalawany *et al.* 2019, 2021; Lopez 2023).

*Proprioseiopsis* Muma is a phytoseiid genus that contains about 168 valid species worldwide (Demite *et al.* 2014, 2023). Ten species of this genus have been reported from Egypt to date, including the new species here described (Nasr and Abou-Awad 1985; Zaher 1986; El-Halawany and Abdel-Samad 1990; Basha and Yousef 2000; Abo-Shnaf and Moraes 2014; Abo-Shnaf *et al.* 2019; Abo-Shnaf and Zaki 2022). Some *Proprioseiopsis* species have been studied to assess their possible role as bio-control agents, e.g., *Proprioseiopsis asetus* (Chant), *P. rotundus* (Muma), *P. messor* (Wainstein), *P. cabonus* (Schicha & Elshafie), and *P. badryi* (El-Borolossy) (Abou-setta *et al.* 1997; Fouly 1997; Abou-Awad *et al.* 1998; El-Hady 2005; Momen *et al.* 2011; Abdel-Khalek and Momen 2022).

The objective of the present study is to describe a new *Proprioseiopsis* species based on adult females and provide an updated identification key to the species of this genus recorded from Egypt.

**Material and methods**

Leaf samples of *A. donax* were collected at Al Khatatbah, Monufia governorate, Egypt, and transported to a laboratory for examination under a dissecting microscope. The phytoseiids

Received 13 October 2023
Accepted 02 February 2024
Published 20 February 2024

Corresponding author
Reham Abo-Shnaf ID:
riamaboshnaf@yahoo.com

Academic editor
Kreiter, Serge

https://doi.org/10.24349/m6nx-xe6j

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

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

Sanad A. S. and Abo-Shnaf R.

Licensed under
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0

OPEN ACCESS

<footnote>ªVegetable and Aromatic Plant Mites Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, 12611 Dokii, Giza, Egypt.</footnote>
found were mounted on microscopic slides in Hoyer's medium and examined under a phase contrast (Olympus, BHA) microscope. Taxonomically important structures were illustrated with the help of a drawing tube attached to the microscope, and measured with a graded eyepiece. Measurements are given in micrometers, representing the average followed, in parentheses, by the respective ranges. The values shown as widths of the dorsal shield refer to maximum width (immediately posterior to the level of setae s4). The indicated numbers of teeth on the cheliceral digits do not include the respective apical hook. Mite identification at the generic level was based on Chant and McMurtry (2007). Setal nomenclature follows Rowell *et al.* (1978) and Chant and Yoshida-Shaul (1991) respectively for the dorsal and the ventral surfaces of the idiosoma. Idiosomal setal pattern follows Chant and Yoshida-Shaul (1992). The notation of solenostomes and poroids follows that of Athias-Henriot (1975). Coordinates provided are approximate, as these were not taken at the time the samples were collected. All mite specimens were collected by the senior author of this work.

# Results and discussion

## Systematics

### Tribe Amblyseiini Muma

### Subtribe Proprioseiopsina Chant & McMurtry, 2004: 219, 2007: 85

*Proprioseiopsis* Muma, 1961: 277; Chant and McMurtry 2005: 9, 2007: 87.

*sandersi* group, Chant, 1959: 102.

*belizensis* species group, Chant & McMurtry, 2005: 13.

*belizensis* species subgroup, Chant & McMurtry, 2005: 13.

### Proprioseiopsis zaheri n. sp.

Zoobank: 256848A2-2C36-4471-BAB3-4174CADDA849

<caption>Figure 1 (a-e)</caption>

### Diagnosis

Females of this new species have seta S2 about twice as long as Z1, setae S4 and S5 about half as long as s4, ratio setae s4: Z1 >3, seta z4 about 1.7 as long as z2, seta Z4 slightly shorter than Z5, and seta S2 > S4 > S5, all setae smooth, except Z4 and Z5, slightly serrate; peritreme reaching level of j1; ventrianal shield subpentagonal, longer than wide; calyx of spermatheca saccular; fixed cheliceral digit with two teeth, movable digit with one tooth; leg IV with three sharp-tipped macrosetae, macrosetae on other legs quite short (genua II and III, and tibia III), chaetotaxy of genua I-IV: 2,2/1, 2/1,2; 2,2/1, 2/0,1; 1,2/1,2/0,1; 1,2/1, 2/0,1.

### Female (n = three specimens measured)

**Gnathosoma** (Fig. 1a) — Corniculi convergent; about 18 (16–21) long, basal width of corniculus 4 (4–5). Fixed cheliceral digit 31 (29–34) long, with two subapical teeth and *pilus dentilis*; movable digit 32 (31–34) long, with one tooth; dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissures distinct.

**Dorsum** (Fig. 1b) — Dorsal shield oval with a slight constriction at level of R1; smooth, except few anterolateral striae, and a pair of patches of scant reticulation mediad S2; length of dorsal shield 404 (382–432), width 272 (255–283). Dorsal setal pattern 10A:8E, with 16 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield (r3 and R1 off the shield), twelve pairs of poroids (id1, id4, idm1-idm3, idm5, idm6, idl1, idl3, idl4, is1, and idx), and seven pairs of solenostomes (gdl, gd2, gd4-gd6, gd8, and gd9). Length of dorsal setae as follows: j1 30 (27–31), j3 55 (55–56), j4 9, j5 10 (9–10), j6 15 (13–16), J5 13, z2 39 (34–43), z4 64 (61–68), z5 7 (7–8), Z1 26 (26–27), Z4 80 (73–85), Z5 87 (81–94), s4 77 (73–82), S2 47 (36–53), S4 35 (27–40), S5 31 (30–33),
<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 1** *Proprioseiopsis zaheri n. sp.* Holotype female. a – Dorsal shield, b – Ventral shields, c – Spermatheca, d – Chelicera, e – Genu, tibia, and basitarsus of leg IV.</figcaption></figure>
r3 28 (27-29), and R1 26 (25-27). All dorsal setae smooth, except Z4 and Z5, slightly serrate. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level of j1.

**Venter** (Fig 1c) — Ventral setal pattern JV-3:ZV. Pre-sternal region slightly striate. Sternal shield slightly reticulate anterolaterally, smooth elsewhere; fused with endopodal plates, with distinct lateral extensions between coxae I-II bearing a solenostome (gst1) on each distal end; with three pairs of setae (st1-st3) and two pairs of poroids (iv1 and iv2); posterior margin slightly concave, with tiny teeth. Seta st4 and poroid (iv3) on roundish punctate metasternal platelets. Distances st1-st1 56 (56-57), st2-st2 78 (77-79), st3-st3 87 (82-91), st4-st4 85 (77-93), st1-st3 69 (66-70). Genital shield smooth; distance st5-st5 92 (86-96); iv5 posterolaterad st5. Ventrianal shield subpentagonal, reticulate; 148 (146-151) long, width at level of ZV2 140 (133-147) and width at level of anus 109 (107-112); bearing three pairs of pre-anal setae (JV1, JV2, and ZV2), the circumanal setae, and a pair of small rounded solenostomes (gv3) posteromesad JV2. With four transversely elongate punctate platelets between genital and ventrianal shields; with four pairs of setae (JV4, JV5, ZV1, and ZV3), a pair of tiny platelets, and four pairs of poroids (ivo and ivp) on integument surrounding ventrianal shield. Seta JV5 smooth, much longer than other ventral setae 69 (66-72) long. Two pairs of punctate metapodal plates, anterior plate 17 (16-20) long and 3 wide, posterior plate 29 (27-31) long and 6 (5-7) wide.

**Spermatheca** (Fig. 1d) — Calyx saccular, flaring slightly near vesicle, 12 (10–13) long; atrium distinct, elongate.

**Legs** (Fig. 1e) — Macrosetae sharp-tipped: Sge II 26 (23-29), Sge III 27 (23-29), Sti III 28 (25-29), Sge IV 49 (47-52), Sti IV 33 (31-34), St IV 94 (90-98); chaetotaxy of genu II 2, 2/1, 2/0, 1; genu III 1, 2/1, 2/0, 1.

## Type specimens

Holotype female and two paratype females collected from leaves of *A. donax*, at Al Khatatbah (30°49'13.19"E, 30°21'34.38"N), Monufia governorate, Egypt, in Mar. 2023; all deposited at the mite reference collection of the Egyptian Society of Acarology Museum (ESAM), Zoology and Agricultural Nematology Department, the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza governorate, Egypt.

## Etymology

The specific name "zaheri" is used in honour of late Professor M.A. Zaher, a pioneer Egyptian acarologist.

## Remarks

The new species belongs to the *belizensis* species subgroup (for the saccular spermathecal calyx) of the *belizensis* species group (for lacking macroseta on genu I) of Chant and McMurtry (2005). Within this subgroup, it is most similar to *Proprioseiopsis badryi* (El-Borolossy, in Nasr and Abou-Awad 1985), *P. beatus* (Chaudhri, 1968), *P. campanulus* Karg, 1979, *P. dacus* (Wainstein, 1973), *P. dentatus* Chaudhri, Akbar & Rasool, 1979, and *P. okanagensis* (Chant, 1957). The main differences between *P. zaheri* and those species are shown in Table 1.

In *P. beatus*, the ventrianal shield is triangular; *P. dentatus* has longer Z1 and s4 (39 and 83, respectively), and ventrianal shield wider than long; *P. badryi* has most dorsal setae serrate and seta Z4 longer than Z5, S4 longer and S5 shorter (50 and 19, respectively), and ventrianal shield subtriangular; *P. campanulus* has seta z2 half as long and S2 twice as long (20 and 100, respectively), ventrianal shield subtriangular, and spermatheca saccular with enlarged atrium; *P. dacus* has setae j1 and S5 half as long, and S4 0.3 as long (16, 15, and 10, respectively); and *P. okanagensis* has setae S4 and S5 of similar lengths, both less than half as long as in the new species; additionally, females of *P. okanagensis* has about eight teeth in the fixed cheliceral digit.
<table><caption>**Table 1** Differences between *Proprioseiopsis zaheri* n. sp. and closest species of the "belizensis" species subgroup.</caption><thead><tr><th>Characters<sup>1</sup></th><th>P. zaheri n. sp.</th><th>P. badryi</th><th>P. beatus</th><th>P. campanulus</th><th>P. dacus</th><th>P. dentatus</th><th>P. okanagensis</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>DSL</td><td>404</td><td>396</td><td>365</td><td>367</td><td>420-440</td><td>365</td><td>347</td><td>381</td></tr><tr><td>DSW</td><td>272</td><td>297</td><td>237</td><td>270</td><td>290-320</td><td>255</td><td>244</td><td>234</td></tr><tr><td>j1</td><td>30</td><td>17</td><td>24</td><td>26</td><td>25</td><td>16</td><td>29</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>j3</td><td>55</td><td>47</td><td>54</td><td>42</td><td>50</td><td>47</td><td>47</td><td>47</td></tr><tr><td>z2</td><td>39</td><td>40</td><td>38</td><td>38</td><td>20</td><td>23</td><td>36</td><td>33</td></tr><tr><td>z4</td><td>64</td><td>80</td><td>78</td><td>62</td><td>75</td><td>56</td><td>62</td><td>63</td></tr><tr><td>Z1</td><td>26</td><td>17</td><td>20</td><td>29</td><td>20</td><td>18</td><td>39</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td>Z4</td><td>80</td><td>92</td><td>86</td><td>75</td><td>125</td><td>65</td><td>68</td><td>70</td></tr><tr><td>Z5</td><td>87</td><td>80</td><td>72</td><td>78</td><td>120</td><td>58</td><td>75</td><td>90</td></tr><tr><td>s4</td><td>77</td><td>90</td><td>87</td><td>78</td><td>95</td><td>74</td><td>83</td><td>74</td></tr><tr><td>S2</td><td>47</td><td>60</td><td>59</td><td>36</td><td>100</td><td>31</td><td>44</td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td>S4</td><td>35</td><td>50</td><td>50</td><td>31</td><td>38</td><td>10</td><td>36</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>S5</td><td>31</td><td>30</td><td>19</td><td>26</td><td>20</td><td>15</td><td>29</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>VASL</td><td>148</td><td>-</td><td>132</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>125</td><td>121</td></tr><tr><td>VASW ZV2</td><td>140</td><td>-</td><td>133</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>138</td><td>115</td></tr><tr><td>VASW anus</td><td>109</td><td>-</td><td>144</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>JV5</td><td>69</td><td>60</td><td>73</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>57</td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>NFD</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>9-11</td><td>-</td><td>4</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>NMD</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>-</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Sge IV</td><td>49</td><td>45</td><td>39</td><td>36</td><td>-</td><td>55</td><td>36</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Sti IV</td><td>33</td><td>30</td><td>29</td><td>23</td><td>-</td><td>47</td><td>31</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>St IV</td><td>94</td><td>77</td><td>74</td><td>81</td><td>-</td><td>85</td><td>83</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Spermatheca</td><td>Saccular</td><td>Bell-shaped</td><td>Bell-shaped</td><td>Saccular</td><td>Saccular with enlarged atrium</td><td>Saccular</td><td>Saccular</td><td>Saccular</td></tr><tr><td>VAS shape</td><td>Subpentagonal</td><td>Triangular</td><td>Subpentagonal</td><td>Triangular</td><td>Triangular</td><td>Pentagonal</td><td>Quadrate</td><td>Subpentagonal</td></tr><tr><td>References</td><td>Current study</td><td>Zaher (1986)</td><td>Abo-Shnaf & Moraes (2014)</td><td>Chaudhri (1968)</td><td>Karg (1979)</td><td>Wainstein (1973)</td><td>Chaudhri et al. (1979)</td><td>Chant (1957)</td><td>Subpentagonal & Hansell (1971)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Differently from what was mentioned by Evans (1963) for the phytoseiids, genu II of the new species here described has eight setae (av present: 2,2/1, 2/0,1), as also reported for many other *Proprioseiopsis* species.

## Key to species of *Proprioseiopsis* reported from Egypt

According to the original description, seta *r3* of *P. sharkiensis* Basha & Yousef, 2000, is inserted on the dorsal shield, as considered in this key. However, there is a chance it is actually in the unsclerotized cuticle, as the margin of the shield is mentioned by the authors of the species to be folded in the holotype. Unfortunately, we could not examine the holotype or additional specimens.

1. Seta *r3* off dorsal shield .................................................... 2
— Seta *r3* on dorsal shield .................................................... 9

2. Seta *z2* < *z4* or *z2* > *z4* .................................................... 3
— Setae *z2* and *z4* subequal in length .................... *P. ismailiaensis* Abo-Shnaf & Moraes, 2014

3. Seta *z2* > *z4* ................................................................. 4
— Seta *z2* < *z4* ................................................................. 6

4. Seta *Z4* > *Z5* ................................................................. 5
— Seta *Z4* < *Z5* ................................................................. 7

<footnote>(1) DSL = dorsal shield length; DSW = dorsal shield width; VASL = ventranal shield length; VASW ZV2 = ventranal shield width at ZV2 level; VASW anus = ventranal shield width at anus level; NFD = number of teeth on fixed cheliceral digit; NMD = number of teeth on movable cheliceral digit.</footnote>
5. Fixed digit of chelicera with seven teeth.................. *P. salviae* Abo-Shnaf & Zaki, 2022
— Fixed digit of chelicera with 3–4 teeth.................. *P. ovatus* (Garman, 1958)

6. Spermathecal calyx bell-shaped; setae j3, z2, z4, s4, S2, S4, Z4, and Z5 serrate; seta S4 about 1.7 times as long as S5 .................... *P. badryi* (El-Borolossy, in Nasr and Abou-Awad 1985)
— Spermathecal calyx saccular; only Z4 and Z5 slightly serrate; seta S4 about 1.1 times as long as S5 .................................................................................... *P. zaheri* n. sp.

7. Fixed cheliceral digit with ten teeth; spermathecal calyx pocular.................................................... *P. aegypticus* Abo-Shnaf, Momen & Lamlom, in Abo-Shnaf et al. 2019
— Fixed cheliceral digit with at most three teeth; spermathecal calyx not pocular .................... 8

8. Fixed digit of chelicera with one tooth; calyx of spermatheca saccular (over twice as long as diameter next to vesicle) .................... *P. kadii* (El-Halawany & Abdel-Samad, 1990)
— Fixed digit of chelicera with tree teeth; calyx bell-shaped (less than twice as long as diameter next to vesicle) .................................................................... *P. messor* (Wainstein, 1960)

9. Seta Z4 about 1.2 as long as Z5.................................................................................... *P. gizaensis* Abo-Shnaf, Hassan & Lamlom, in Abo-Shnaf et al. 2019
— Seta Z4 about 0.7 as long as Z5 .................... *P. sharkiensis* Basha & Yousef, 2000

## Acknowledgements

To Dr Sally F. M. Allam (Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt) for providing some facilities to complete the current study. To the reviewers of this manuscript for the effort they did to improve the quality of the work.

## ORCID

Ahmad Said Sanad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-7916

Reham Abo-Shnaf https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4033-9063

## References

Abdel-Khalek A.A., Momen F.M. 2022. Biology and life table parameters of *Proprioseiopsis lindquisti* on three eriophyid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae: Eriophyidae). Persian J. Acarol., 11 (1): 59-69. https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.v11i1.68574

Abo-Shnaf R., Momen F.M., Hassan M.F., Lamlom M. 2019. Two new species of Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Egypt, with a key to the Egyptian species of *Proprioseiopsis* Muma, Int. J. Acarol., 45 (8): 450-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647954.2019.1671490

Abo-Shnaf R., Moraes G.J.de. 2014. Phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Egypt, with new records, descriptions of new species, and a key to species. Zootaxa, 3865 (1): 1-71. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3865.1.1

Abo-Shnaf R., Zaki A.Y. 2022. A new species of *Proprioseiopsis* (Mesostigmata, Phytoseiidae), with a dichotomous key to reported species from Egypt. Acarologia, 62 (2): 352-358. https://doi.org/10.24349/inzn-l21b

Abou-Awad B.A., El-Sherif A.A., Hassan M.F., Abou-Elela M.M. 1998. Life history and life table of *Amblyseius badryi*, as a specific predator of eriophyid grass mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae: Eriophyidae). Z. Pflanzenk. Pflanzen., 105 (4): 422-428.

Abou-Setta M.M., Fouly A.H., Childers C.C. 1997. Biology of *Proprioseiopsis rotundus* (Acari: Phytoseiidae) reared on *Tetranychus urticae* (Acari: Tetranychidae) or pollen. Fl. Entomol., 80 (1): 27-34. https://doi.org/10.2307/3495973

Athias-Henriot C. 1975. Nouvelles notes sur les Amblyseiini. II - Le relevé organotaxique de la face dorsale adulte (Gamasides protoadéniques, Phytoseiidae). Acarologia, 17 (1): 20-29.

Basha A.E., Yousef A.A. 2000. Two new species of the family Phytoseiidae from Egypt (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Acarologia, 40 (3): 231-235.
Chant D.A. 1957. Descriptions of some phytoseiid mites (Acarina, Phytoseiidae). Part I. Nine new species from British Columbia with keys to the species of British Columbia. Part II. Redescriptions of eight species described by Berlese. Can. Entomol., 89: 289-308. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent89289-7

Chant D.A. 1959. Phytoseiid mites (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). Part I. Bionomics of seven species in southeastern England. Part II. A taxonomic review of the family Phytoseiidae, with descriptions of 38 new species. Can. Entomol., Suppl., 12: 45-166. https://doi.org/10.4039/entm9112fv

Chant D.A., Hansell R.I.C. 1971. The genus *Amblyseius* (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) in Canada and Alaska. Can. J. Zool., 49 (5): 703-758. https://doi.org/10.1139/z71-110

Chant D.A, McMurtry J.A. 2004. A review of the subfamily Amblyseiinae Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae): Part III. The tribe Amblyseiini Wainstein, subtribe Amblyseiina n. subtribe. Int. J. Acarol., 30 (3): 171-228. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647950408684388

Chant D.A., McMurtry J.A. 2005. A review of the subfamily Amblyseiinae Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae): Part V. tribe Amblyseiini, subtribe Proprioseiopsina Chant & McMurtry. Int. J. Acarol., 31 (1): 3-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647950508684412

Chant D.A., McMurtry J.A. 2007. Illustrated keys and diagnoses for the genera and subgenera of the Phytoseiidae of the world (Acari: Mesostigmata). Indira Publishing House, West Bloomfield, USA. 220 pp.

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

Chant D.A., Yoshida-Shaul E. 1992. Adult idiosomal setal patterns in the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Gamasina). Int. J. Acarol., 18: 177-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647959208683949

Chaudhri W.M. 1968. Six new species of mites of the genus *Amblyseius* (Phytoseiidae) from Pakistan. *Acarologia*, 10 (4): 550-562.

Chaudhri W.M., Akbar S., Rasool A. 1979. Studies on the predatory leaf inhabiting mites of Pakistan. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. 234 pp.

Demite P.R., McMurtry J.A., Moraes G.J.de. 2014. Phytoseiidae Database: a website for taxonomic and distributional information on phytoseiid mites (Acari). Zootaxa, 3795: 571-577. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3795.5.6

Demite P.R., Moraes G.J.de, McMurtry J.A., Denmark H.A., Castilho R.C. 2023. Phytoseiidae Database. Available from: http://www.lea.esalq.usp.br/Phytoseiidae (Accessed 12 Oct. 2023).

EL-Hady M.M. 2005. Effect of different prey species and non-prey food on the development of the predaceous mite *Proprioseiopsis lindquisti* (Acari -Phytoseiidae). Egypt. J. Biol. Pest Cont., 15 (2): 157-158.

Elhalawany A.S., Abo-Shnaf R., Sanad A.S. 2021. Release of predatory mite, *Neoseiulus barkeri* (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for its suppression two species of eriophyid mites (Acari: Eriophyidae) on olive seedlings in Egypt. Int. J. Acarol., 47 (1): 35-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/016479542020.1870547

Elhalawany A.S., Sanad A.S., Khalil A.E. 2019. Field trials to control *Thrips tabaci* (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) infesting onion crop. Egypt. J. Plant Prot. Res. Inst., 2 (4): 724-733.

El-Halawany M.E., Abdel-Samad M.A. 1990. Three new phytoseiid species. Agric. Res. Rev., 68: 87-96.

Evans G.O. 1963. Observations on the chaetotaxy of the legs in the free-living Gamasina (Acari : Mesostignrata). Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Zool., 10 (5): 276-303. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.20528

Fouly A.H. 1997. Effects of prey mites and pollen on the biology and life tables of *Proprioseiopsis asetus* (Chant) (Acari, Phytoseiidae). J. Appl. Entomol., 121: 435-439. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.1997.tb01431.x

Garman P. 1958. New species belonging to the genera *Amblyseius* and *Amblyseiopsis* with keys to *Amblyseius*, *Amblyseiopsis*, and *Phytoseiulus*. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 51: 69-79. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/51.1.69

Gerson U., Smiley R.L., Ochoa R. 2003. Mites (Acari) for pest control. Blackwell Publishing. 539 pp. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470750995

Karg W. 1979. Zur Kenntnis der Milbengattungen *Lasioseius* Berlese, 1916, *Proprioseiopsis* Muma, 1961, *Podocinum* Berlese, 1882 und *Proctolaelaps* Berlese, 1923 (Acarina, Parasitiformes). Dtsch. ent. Z., 26 (1-3): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.4800260102

Lopez L. 2023. Meet *Amblyseius swirskii* (Acari: Phytoseiidae): a commonly used predatory mite in vegetable crops. J. Int. Pest Manag., 14 (1): 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmad018

McMurtry J.A., Famah Sourassou N., Demite P.R. 2015. The Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) as biological control agents. In: Carrilo D., Moraes G.J.de, Pena J.E. (Eds). Prospects for biological control of plant feeding mites and other harmful organisms. Cham (CH): Springer International Publishing. p. 133-149. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15042-0_5

McMurtry J.A., Moraes G.J.de, Famah Sourassou N. 2013. Revision of the lifestyles of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and implications for biological control strategies. Syst. Appl. Acarol., 18: 297-320. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.18.4.1

Metwally A.M., El Khateeb H.M., Sanad A.S. 2013. Occurrence of some predaceous mites associated with plants free from chemical pesticides. Egypt. J. Agric. Res., 91 (3): 949-958. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejar.2013.167056

Momen F.M. 2011. Life tables and feeding habits of *Proprioseiopsis cabonus*, a specific predator of tydeid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae and Tydeidae). Acarina, 19 (1):103-109.

Muma M.H. 1961. Subfamilies, genera, and species of Phytoseiidae. Bull. Fl. State Mus., Biol. Sci., 5 (7): 267-302.

Nasr A.K., Abou-Awad B.A. 1985 (1984-1985). A new species of genus *Amblyseius* Berlese from Egypt (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Bull. Soc. Entomol. d'Egypte, 65: 245-249.

Neal M.C. 1965. In gardens of Hawaii. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Special Publication 50, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 924 pp.
Rowell H.J., Chant D.A., Hansell R.I.C. 1978. The determination of setal homologies and setal patterns on the dorsal shield in the family Phytoseiidae (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Can. Entomol., 110: 859-876.
https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent110859-8

Sanad A.S., Hassan G.M. 2019. Controlling the western flower thrips, *Frankliniella occidentalis* (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) by releasing the predatory phytoseiid mites and pesticides on pepper in a greenhouse. Egypt. J. Biol. Pest Cont., 29 (95): 690-697. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-019-0186-9

Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R., Sohmer S.H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Special Publication 83, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, Hawai'i. 1952 pp.

Wainstein B.A. 1960. New species and subspecies of the genus *Typhlodromus* Scheuten (Parasitiformes, Phytoseiidae) of the USSR fauna. Zool. Zhurnal, 39: 683-690.

Wainstein B.A. 1973. Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae (Parasitiformes) of the fauna of the Moldavian SSR. Fauna i Biologiya Nasekomykh Moldavii, Akademiya Nauk Moldavskoy SSR, Institut Zoologii, 12: 176-180. [in Russian]

Zaher M.A. 1986. Survey and ecological studies on phytophagous, predaceous and soil mites in Egypt. II-A: Predaceous and nonphytophagous mites (Nile Valley and Delta). Text. PL 480 Programme U.S.A., Project No. EG-ARS-30, Grant No. FG-EG-139. 567 pp.