The classification of the mite family Phytoseiidae in Japan is revised. The 77 species recognized from Japan are assigned to three subfamilies, five tribes, nine genera, and 11 subgenera. Moreover, three large subgenera are divided into a total of 16 different species groups. A new tribe, Indoseiulini, is proposed, Okiseius Ehara, 1967 is reduced to a subgenus of Amblyseius, and three new species, Amblyseius (Proprioseiopsis) nemotoi, Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pseudopyri, and T. (T.) armiger, are described. Additionally, there is a possibility that 'Japanese Amblyseius cucumeris', which was recently reported from Saitama Prefecture in a popular book, is not A. cucumeris (Oudemans), but A. paraki Ehara, a rather common species in Saitama Prefecture. The biology of Japanese phytoseiid mites is also examined, and on this basis the species diversity of the phytoseiid fauna in Japan is interpreted. Finally, relationships between phytoseiid taxa and biological characters are discussed.Key Words: Amblyseius (Okiseius), Amblyseius (Proprioseiopsis) nemotoi, biologi cal grouping, classification, Indoseiulini, Japan, keys, new taxa, Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) armiger, Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pseudopyri.
IntroductionAbout 1600 species belonging to the mite family Phytoseiidae are now known to occur in the world (Chant and McMurtry 1994). The classification of this large family is quite variable among workers. Muma (1961) proposed a number of new genera in the Phytoseiidae, whilst Chant (1965) recognized fewer genera in this family. Since these two works, two schools of thought have developed, sometimes referred to as 'splitters' and 'lumpers.' In addition, Chant and his coworkers made important studies on the idiosomal setal patterns in this family (e.g., Chant and Yoshida-Shaul 1992b). In a recent paper (Ehara et al. 1994), 74 species of Japanese phytoseiid mites were assigned to eight genera and seven subgenera. In that classification, for example, the large genus Amblyseius comprises 38 Japanese species, of which the subgenus Amblyseius, without subdivisions, contains 36 (95%).Such a situation is inconvenient for economic entomologists who often utilize phytoseiids, and also for taxonomists themselves, even if it is logical. In the present paper, the classification of Japanese Phytoseiidae is revised somewhat, with practical ity in mind. The external morphology was explained concisely in an earlier paper (Ehara 1975). However, as in Ehara et a/.(1994), the setal nomenclature follows that of Chant and Hansell (1971) and Rowelle^a/. (1978). Namely, the idiosomal setae on the dorsum are divided into the dorsocentral (j-setae on podoscutum, J-setae on 26 S. Ehara and H. Amano opisthoscutum), mediolateral (z-Z), lateral (s-S), and sublateral series (r-R). For each species, the type locality and distribution records and the list of important references including redescriptions arc omitted in this paper, but these can be found in Ehara et a/. (1994). In this paper three new species are described. The measurements are in...