Neoseiulus californicus sensu Athias-Henriot 1977
Creators: name: Beaulieu, Frédéric
name: Beard, Jennifer J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Mesostigmata
Phytoseiidae
Neoseiulus
Neoseiulus californicus

description: Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor, 1954)   
(Figs 3a, c, 4a; Table 2)  
 Typhlodromus californicus McGregor, 1954: 89.   
 Material examined. Male holotype, see Figs 1a, 2a; Table 1.   
 Dorsal idiosoma (Fig. 3a). Oval shield, 281 long x 180 wide (shield not egg-shaped as illustrated, nor "somewhat narrowly ovate" as described, in McGregor (1954)); shield length / width ratio 1.56. Shield essentially smooth (as suspected, based on original illustration), except for light lineation-reticulation (discernible in part) near anterolateral shield margins. Number and position of setae are essentially the same as in females of Neoseiulus species (Chant & McMurtry, 2003), with 19 pairs of setae on shield, including r3 and R 1 as is typical for males (see Table 2 for setal lengths). Contrary to McGregor’s (1954) illustration, setae r3 and S5 of N. californicus inserted on dorsal shield. Most dorsal setae moderately short, with Z4 (29–32), Z5 (36–39) moderately elongate; setae apparently smooth, except one or two weak barbs discernible on one Z4 (mounting media around Z5 not clear enough to determine whether barbs are present). Distance between j1 setae subequal to (0.95–0.99 x) length of j1 setae; setae Z5 0.13–0.14 x length of dorsal shield. Four pairs of gland openings (gd1, gd4, gd6, gd9); gd4 large and somewhat triangular-shaped, positioned almost directly posterior to seta s4, slightly mesad; gd9 conspicuous, and closely anteromesal to seta S5 (as in McGregor’s 1954 illustration). Peritreme extending to or almost to j1.   
 Ventral idiosoma (Fig. 3c). Sternal shield essentially smooth (as in original illustration), except for lineae in lateral marginal regions; bearing st1–5. Ventrianal shield reticulate, with four pairs of elongate pre-anal setae (19– 23). Gland opening gv3 small, almost punctiform, slightly crescent-shaped, moderately close to each other (20 µm apart), slightly posterior (8 µm) to level of JV2; gv3–gv3 distance / JV2–JV2 distance = 0.45. Soft opisthogastric cuticle with one pair of setae (JV 5). Contrary to McGregor’s (1954) illustration which shows a narrow poststigmatic region, the peritrematal shield is typically shaped, including a poststigmatic region that is relatively broad, narrowing moderately at the parapodal region.   
 Chelicera (Fig. 4a). Spermatodactyl T-shaped, with elongate foot and toe (18) slightly longer than heel (15– 16). Cheliceral movable digit with a small, retrorse tooth, 4.5–5 µm from apex. Fixed digit with one subapical (offset) tooth, followed by two teeth, at level of socket of pilus dentilis.   
 Legs. A single macroseta (pd3), on basitarsus of leg IV (50). Chaetotaxy of genu II: 2 2/0, 2/0 1; genu III: 1 2/ 1, 2/0 1 (see ‘ N. barkeri, Redescription’ for more details).
description: Published as part of Beaulieu, Frédéric & Beard, Jennifer J., 2018, Acarine biocontrol agents Neoseiulus californicus sensu Athias-Henriot (1977) and N. barkeri Hughes (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) redescribed, their synonymies assessed, and the identity of N. californicus (McGregor) clarified based on examination of types, pp. 451-507 in Zootaxa 4500 (4) on pages 462-468, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4500.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5297750