A New Subfamily, Macroseiinae Nov., of the Family Phytoseiidae (Acarina: Gamasina)

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Abstract
Baker and Wharton (1952) elevated the Phytoseiidae, formerly a subfamily in the Laelaptidae, to family rank and included two subfamilies: the Phytoseiinae and the Podocininae. Evans (1957) subsequently elevated the latter to family rank also, leaving only the subfamily Phytoseiinae in the Phytoseiidae.Both Evans (1958) and Chant (in press) characterized the Phytoseiidae as having a two-tined palpal claw, a single dorsal shield in the adult, not more than 21 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield, and a ventrianal shield, or remnant thereof, in the adults of both sexes. One of the present authors (H.A.D.) recently collected specimens of a mite that has this combination of characters except that the dorsal shield of the adults is divided into two sub-equal parts instead of being single. Most of the features of this mite indicate that it cannot reasonably be separated from the Phytoseiidae and that the presence of two dorsal shields justifies the erection of a new subfamily, described below.

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