A New Predacious Species of Cosmolaelaps (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) from Rose Greenhouses in The Netherlands with Extensive Morphological Analyses and Ontogeny †

Abstract

A new species from the genus Cosmolaelaps, with potential to control western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), were collected from litter and remains of plant material on soil of different rose greenhouses in The Netherlands. Collected specimens were used to initiate a laboratory colony. Subsequently, a sample of mites of different developmental stages were analysed morphologically, by means of the measurement of structures and determination of the main morphological characteristics and chaetotaxy of the leg segments. The new species, Cosmolaelaps sabelisi sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on the morphological characters of the adult and immature stages (including the protonymph and deutonymphal stages) and compared with closely related species.