Paragigagnathus madinaensis, Alatawi & Kamran & Basahih, 2015

Alatawi, Fahad J., Kamran, M. & Basahih, J., 2015, First record of the genus Paragigagnathus Amitai and Grinberg, 1971 (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) from Saudi Arabia with description of a new species, Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 701-709 : 703-706

Paragigagnathus madinaensis n. sp.

( Figures 1 , 2 )

Female ( Figures 1 , 2 ). n = 16, the measurements of holotype followed by those of 15 paratypes (female) in parenthesis.

Dorsal Idiosoma ( Figure 1 ): Dorsal shield 339 (337 – 324) long and 196 (185 – 210) wide, elongate, slightly concave near seta S 2, strongly sclerotized, ornamented and with rugose lines/ patches; with 19 pairs of setae including setae r 3 and R 1 and 11 pairs of pores . Dorsal setae vary in length, only posteriorly set on prominent tubercles. Dorsal shield setal length: j 1 17 (16 – 18), j 3 27 (25 – 29), j 4 = j 5 26 (22 – 30), j 6 32 (31 – 32), J 2 34 (32 – 38), J 5 20 (18 – 25), z 2 34 (32 – 36), z 4 35 (34 – 37), z 5 25 (21 – 29), Z 1 41 (39 – 46), Z 4 43 (40 – 46), Z 5 38 (35 – 41), s 4 37 (35 – 38), S 2 46 (41 – 50), S 4 48 (41 – 50), S 5 44 (39 – 48) and lateral setae r 3 18 (15 – 21), R 1 19 (16 – 22) . Peritreme extending up to setae j 1.

Ventral idiosoma ( Figure 2A ): Sternal shield smooth, convex anteriorly, slightly concave posteriorly, 70 (67 – 75) long, 52 (50 – 56) wide at the level of setae ST 2; with two pairs of setae and one pair of pores. ST 3 and ST 4 present on soft cuticle. ST 1 = ST 2 15(14 – 16), ST 3 = ST 4 = 14 (13 – 15). Genital shield truncate posteriorly, 69 wide, wider than ventrianal shield, with one pair of setae. One pair of pores present lateral to genital shield on soft cuticle. Ventrianal shield and genital shield 7 apart, with a membranous fold in between. Ventrianal shield sole shaped, with marked waist, 28 wide at preanals, 57 wide (at anal setae), 106 long. L/W ratio at narrowest point 3.78, with three pairs of preanal setae, three circumanal setae and one pair of pores. Four pairs of setae, six pairs of pores and two pairs of metapodal platelets present on the membrane surrounding the ventrianal shield. ZV 1 = ZV 3 = 13, JV 4 13 (13 – 14), JV 5 22 (22 – 24), primary metapodal platelet 50 (47 – 52), secondary 18 (17 – 19).

Spermatheca

Vesicle is saccular, calyx thick, dish shaped, with annulated neck, atrium not adjacent to the calyx, major duct thick and long, minor duct not visible ( Figure 2C ).

Chelicerae

Fixed digit with three small apical teeth and a pilis dentilis; movable digit with one subapical blunt tooth ( Figure 2D ).

Leg IV

One macroseta on basitarsus 27 (26 – 27) ( Figure 2B ).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘madinaensis’ refers to the city name ‘ Madina ’ where some paratypes of the new species were collected .

Type material

Holotype and 10 paratype females, on aerial part of Tamarix sp. ( Tamaricaceae ), near Arqa over bridge, Wadi-e-Hanifa, Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 24. 4135ºN, 46.3704ºE, 18, Oct., 2012; five paratype females, Tamarix sp., ‘ Uhad ’ mountain, Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia, 24.3008ºN, 39.364ºE, 23 Feb., 2013; all collected by M. Kamran.

Remarks

Paragigagnathus madinaensis n. sp. closely resembles Paragigagnathus namibiaensis ( Ueckermann and Loots, 1988) because both share the following characters: sternal setae ST 4 on soft cuticle, movable digit with one tooth, ventrianal shield with three pairs of preanal setae, dorsal setae smooth and only posterior setae set on prominent tubercles. The new species can be distinguished from P. namibiaensis by much longer dorsal setae (15 – 48), sternal shield without posterolateral lobes, a dish shaped calyx of spermatheca, instead of comparatively short dorsal setae (13 – 35), sternal shield with posterolateral lobes and funnel shaped spermatheca in later species. The new species differs from P. strunkovae ( Wainstein, 1973) by dish-shaped calyx of spermatheca and 3 pairs of preanal setae, while calyx of spermatheca is funnel shaped and preanal setae 2 pairs in later species.

Figures

Figure 1. Paragigagnathus madinaensis n. sp. Female, Dorsal Shield.

Figure 2. Paragigagnathus madinaensis n. sp. Female, (A) Idiosoma venter; (B) Spermatheca, (C) Chelicera; (D) Genu, tibia and basitarsus of Leg IV.