Clarifying the identity of Amblyseius swirskii and Amblyseius rykei (Acari: Phytoseiidae): are they two distinct species or two populations of one species?

The generalist predator Amblyseius swirskii is an efficient natural enemy of small insects and phytophagous mites, particularly thrips and spider mites. This phytoseiid species was considered for a long time as a subtropical species and Amblyseius rykei as a sub-Saharan African species. A recent revision of phytoseiid species of the subtribe Amblyseiina from sub-Saharan Africa Zannou et al.