A new species of Neoseiulus ( Acari : Mesostigmata : Phytoseiidae ) with a key for the Brazilian species of the genus

Neoseiulus HUGHES, 1948 is currently one of the largest genus of Phytoseiidae Berlese. Neoseiulus demitei sp. nov., a new species of phytoseiid mite from Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, is illustrated and described based on specimens collected on Tibouchina sp. (Melastomataceae) plants. This new species differs from others by having most of propodossomal setae reaching the base of nearby setae and a constriction of ventrianal shield at level of preanal pores. Nevertheless, this new species is the first of the species subgroup kennetti described from Brazil. A key of Neoseiulus species reported in Brazil is also included.

Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) is a large family of predatory mites.They are fast-moving, active predators, feeding mostly on mites but also on small insects, nematodes and fungi, and may feed on plants, including pollen and extrafloral exudates.Owing to their success in spider control, Phytoseiids are the best known and most studied group of predatory mites (GERSON et al. 2003).The Amblyseiinae is the largest subfamily, with approximately 1,500 nominal species (CHANT & MCMURTRY 2007).Species of Neoseiulus HUGHES, 1948 have been commercially reared to be used as biological control agents of several species of thrips and other small pest insects and mites in Europe and North America over the past 20 years (BEARD 2001).
Neoseiulus includes 389 described species (DEMITE et al. 2014) found in all zoogeographic regions, except Antarctica, in a wide variety habitats (CHANT & MCMURTRY 2003).Twenty species of Neoseiulus have been reported from Brazil.Of these, eight had already been found to occur in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (DEMITE et al. 2014.In this article, a new species of barkeri species group, Neoseiulus demitei sp.nov., is described and illustrated from specimens collected in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.A key to Brazilian Neoseiulus species is also included.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The mites were collected from leaves of Tibouchina sp.(Melastomataceae), observed under a binocular microscope, mounted on glass slides in Hoyer's medium and observed un-der a phase contrast microscope Leica ® DM 750.Drawings were made using a camera Lucida apparatus and the lines were highlighted using Corel Draw X5 ® .
The classification system used is that of CHANT & MCMURTRY (2007).The setal nomenclature is that of ROWELL et al. (1978) and CHANT & YOSHIDA-SHAUL (1992) for the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the idiosoma, respectively.Measurements are given in micrometers (µm), holotype measurements are shown in bold type followed by their mean and range within parentheses.
Etymology.The new species was named in honor of Dr Peterson Demite, a Brazilian Acarologist.
Remarks.The studied specimens belong to Neoseiulus barkeri species group and share with the other species in it the spermatheca with atrium forked for at least half of its length until the juncture with major duct; and belongs to the kennetti species subgroup by having the atrium without vacuolated area at junction with major duct (CHANT & MCMURTRY 2003).The spermatheca of this new species resembles the spermathecae of Neoseiulus inflatus (KUZNETSOV, 1984), Neoseiulus kennetti (SCHUSTER & PRITCHARD, 1963), Neoseiulus inornatus (SCHUSTER & PRITCHARD, 1963), and Neoseiulus kodryensis (KOLODOCHKA, 1980).Neoseiulus inflatus differs from this new species by having macrosetae only on St IV, Seta Z5 serrated, five teeth on fixed digit and one tooth on movable digit; from N. kennetti by having dorsal shield reticulated, macrosetae only on Ge IV and St IV, peritreme extending to level of seta j3, two teeth on fixed digit and without tooth on movable digit; from N. inornatus by having macrosetae only on Ge IV and St IV, setae Z4 and Z5 serrated and longer; N. kodryensis by having macrosetae St IV longer, setae Z4 and Z5 serrated and longer, three teeth on fixed digit and one tooth on movable digit.The new species differs from all species of the genus by having most propodossomal setae reaching the base of nearby setae and a constriction of ventrianal shield at level of preanal pores.