Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of predatory mite in the subgenus Anthoseius De Leon (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

A new species of phytoseiid mite, Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) neorecki sp. nov., is described based on adult specimens of both sexes and a comprehensive analysis of GenBank data. These specimens were collected from the Golan Heights, in Israel. Additionally, T. (A.) recki Wainstein is redescribed using adult specimens of both sexes collected from various locations, including Crimea, Stavropolski Krai and Altai Republic, Russia. The morphological characteristics, including all dorsal setal measurements and other taxonomically important characters, are nearly identical between T. (A.) neorecki sp. nov. and T. (A.) recki, except for the morpholog y of the spermatheca and the spermatodactyl. Although the morphological differences are relatively minor, these two species are distinctly separated by their COX1 sequences, which exhibit genetic distances ranging from 0.196 to 0.225 based on the Tamura 3-parameter model. This study demonstrates the significance of the shape of calyx of spermatheca and the position of atrium, whether attached to or incorporated within the calyx in phytoseiid taxonomy. It also demonstrates the value of an integrative approach that combines both morphological and molecular analyses for this widely studied family of predatory mites, Phytoseiidae.