Chelacheles thomasi, Bochkov & Otto, 2010

Bochkov, Andre V. & Otto, Jurgen C., 2010, Five new species of predaceous cheyletid mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletidae), Zootaxa 2727, pp. 1-20 : 12

Chelacheles thomasi sp. nov.

( Figs. 8, 9, 11A)

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Body, including gnathosoma, 370 long, 180 wide. Gnathosoma 100 long, 70 wide. Palpal femur 35 long. Setae dF of palpal femur serrate, 40 long. Palpal claws with 3–4 basal teeth. Eupathidium sul with 9 tines. Peritremes arch-like; left branch of peritremes with 8 non-punctate segments, right branch with 7 segments. Rostrum (protegmen) densely covered by small tubercles laterally. Rostral shield distinctly ornamented by tubercles in its antero-median part. Idiosoma 270 long; idiosomal length/width ratio 1.5, distance 2b–3b 55 long, more than 1/3 of body width. Remnants of propodonotal shield almost indistinct. Propodonotum with 7 pairs of setae, setae c4 absent. All propodonotal setae rod-like serrate, setae c2 42 long, about twice as long as other propodonotal setae. Hysteronotum with 8 pairs of serrate rod-like setae, similar in sizes and shape to propodonotal setae; setae h2 slightly longer than other hysteronotal setae. Setae e1 inserted slightly posterior to e2, setae f2 inserted significantly posterior to f1, setae h1 inserted anterior to h2. Two pairs of pseudoanal setae (setae ps3 absent), 2 pairs of genital setae, and 3 pairs of aggenital setae. Legs. Only setae ft I absent. Solenidion ω 1 of tarsus I rod-like, 20 long. Leg I–IV setation: tarsus 8 + solenidion ω 1 (tc ’, tc ”, a”, u’, u”, vs smooth, p’ and p” apically serrate)–7 + solenidion ω 1 (tc ’, tc ”, u’, u”, vs smooth, p’ and p” apically serrate)–7–7, tibia 4 + solenidion φ (d serrate, l’, v’, v” smooth)–4+ solenidion φ –4–4, genu 2 + solenidion σ (d serrate, l’ smooth)–2 (d serrate, l’ smooth)–2 (d and l’ serrate)–2(d and l’ serrate), femur 2 (d serrate, v smooth) –2–2–1 (v smooth), trochanter 1(v smooth)–1–2(v smooth, l’ serrate)–1, coxa 3 (1a, 1b and 1c smooth)–1 (2b smooth)–3 (3a and 3c smooth, 3b serrate)–3(4a, 4b and 4c smooth).

MALE. Unknown.

Type material. Female holotype ( ANIC # 42–000003 ) from oranges from Australia, Sydney / Rosebery, 18 August 2009, coll. J. C. Otto

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the son of the junior author, Thomas Otto.

Remarks. The genus Chelacheles was revised by Bochkov & OConnor (2004) and includes 18 species along with two new species described here. Chelacheles thomasi sp. nov. belongs to the “ strabismus ” species group. Most species of this group possess serrate and relatively short rod-like setae c2. This species is easily distinguished from other species of this group by the presence of setae h2. Moreover, in the genus Chelacheles , these setae are present only in one ungrouped species Chelacheles stigmaeoides Barilo, 1989 from Uzbekistan. The new species differs, however, from C. stigmaeoides by the absence of setae c4, shorter and serrate rod-like setae c2 (about 40 long), and by the presence of two setae on femur III. In females of C. stigmaeoides , setae c4 are present, setae c2 are smooth filiform (about 60 long), and only one seta (d) is present on femur III. Among species of the “ strabismus ” group, the new species is most similar to Chelacheles bacchusi Bochkov et al., 1999 from Crimea. In both these species the idiosoma is not strongly elongated (1.5 and 2 length/width ratio in C. thomasi sp. nov. and C. bacchusi , respectively) and setae c2 is about twice as long as other propodonotal setae. Chelacheles thomasi sp. nov. differs from C. bacchusi by the presence of setae ag3, coxal setae 4b and 4c, setae d on all genua, setae l’ on genua II–IV, setae vs on tarsi II–IV, solenidion φ on tibia II, and by the absence of setae ps3. Chelacheles thomasi sp. nov. differs from all other species of the group by the less elongated idiosoma and relatively long rod-like setae c2. The leg setation of the new species is most similar to such of C. strabismus Baker, 1958 but differs from it by the presence of two setae on trochanter III (l’ present).