Abacarus sundarbanensis, Sur & Roy & Chakrabarti, 2018

Sur, Surajit, Roy, Sourav & Chakrabarti, Samiran, 2018, Two new eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea) from West Bengal, India, Zootaxa 4434 (1), pp. 193-200 : 194-196

Abacarus sundarbanensis n. sp.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Diagnosis. Prodorsal shield with complete admedian lines, submedian lines absent, covered with numerous small granules, median line present in posterior 1/3 of prodorsal shield and forms Y-shaped fork meeting admedian lines anteriorly; ridges of dorsal opisthosoma without microtubercles; genital coverflap with 5 transverse lines anteriorly and 4-5 converging, oblique lines posteriorly; empodium 4-rayed.

FEMALE (holotype and 19 paratypes): Body fusiform, white coloured, 168 (168–172), 55 (52–56) wide. Gnathosoma—17 (14–17), projecting downward; pedipalp genual setae d 4 (3–4), pedipalp coxal setae ep 2 (2–3). Prodorsal shield—30 (30–31), 51 (48–51) wide, sub-triangular, blunt frontal lobe over gnathosoma, covered with numerous small granules, median line present in posterior 1/3 part of prodorsal shield and forms Y-shaped fork meeting admedian lines anteriorly, admedian lines complete, sinuate with transverse line at anterior 1/3 part of prodorsal shield, submedian lines absent; sub-cylindrical scapular tubercles 5 (4–5) at rear shield margin, 23 (21– 23) apart, scapular setae sc 19 (18–20) and directed posteriorly. Leg I—from base of trochanter 26 (26–28), femur 7 (7–9), basiventral femoral seta bv 12 (11–12); genu 3 (3–4), antaxial genual setae l″ 26 (25–26); tibia 5 (4–5), paraxial tibial setae l ′ 12 (11–12); tarsus 7 (6–7), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft ′ 18 (18–19), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft″ 15 (15–17), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u ′ 4 (4–5); tarsal empodium em 5 (4–5), 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion ω 5 (4–5), curved and blunt. Leg II—from base of trochanter 23 (23–25), femur 8 (7–8), basiventral femoral seta bv 14 (14–16); genu 2 (2–3), antaxial genual setae l″ 9 (8–9); tibia 4 (3–4), paraxial tibial setae l ′ absent; tarsus 5 (5–7), paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft ′ 19 (18–20), antaxial fastigial tarsal setae ft″ 10 (9–10), paraxial unguinal tarsal setae u ′ 3 (3–4); tarsal empodium em 5 (4–5), 4-rayed, tarsal solenidion ω 6 (6–8), curved and blunt. Prosternal apodeme indistinct. Coxae I—13 (13–15) with small granules; anterolateral setae on coxisternum I 1 b 4 (4–5) and 9 (8–9) apart; proximal setae on coxisternum I 1a 9 (9–10) and 9 (8–9) apart; coxae II—11 (11–12) with fewer granules than coxae I, base of coxal setae with few small curved lines, proximal setae on coxisternum II 2 a 34 (34–36) and 23 (22–23) apart, setae 1a located well anterior to 2a. Opisthosoma—with 65 (64–67) dorsal annuli forming three ridges, median ridge extends from 3rd (2nd–3rd) annulus to 40th (38th–42nd) annulus and ends in a dorsal furrow, lateral ridges extend from 2nd (1st–2nd) annulus to 51st (48th–52nd) annulus; 64 (64–68) ventral annuli with rounded microtubercles till 53rd annuli and microstriation present on last 14 annuli; setae c2 30 (30–35) on ventral annulus 8 (8–9); setae d 55 (54–55) on ventral annulus 19 (18–19); setae e 60 (58– 60) on ventral annulus 40 (38–40); setae f 20 (20–25) on ventral annulus 61 (61–63); setae h1 4 (3–4), setae h2 32 (32–36). Genital coverflap—13 (13–15), 19 (19–21) wide, with five transverse lines at basal part and distal striae forming one small longitudinal line at centre and 5 (4–5) diagonal lines on either side, converging posteriorly, proximal setae on coxisternum III 3a 16 (13–17). Internal genitalia—apodeme curved, spermathecal duct short, spermathecae long and rounded.

MALE: Not observed.

Type material. Holotype: Female (marked) on slide (no. 1888/191/2017), INDIA: West Bengal, Jharkhali, Sundarban, South 24 Paraganas, 22˚03′ N, 88˚70′ E, altitude 40 m, 30 March, 2017 on Pongamia glabra (Fabaceae) , coll. S. Roy. Paratypes: 9 females on 4 slides; (nos. 1889-1892 /191/2017) collection data same as holotype; 10 females and 9 nymphs on 8 slides (nos. 1905-1912 /240/2017), 25 December, 2017, collected from the above plant from the same locality, coll. S. Roy & S. Sur.

Relation to host. The white coloured mites are vagrant on the under-surfaces of leaves.

Etymology. The specific epithet is masculine gender and is derived from the locality of the specimens collected.

Remarks. Abacarus sundarbanensis n. sp. comes very close to Abacarus gossypii Mohanasundaram, 1982 in having a genital flap with horizontal lines on the basal part and distal striae with one longitudinal line in the centre, granular coxae, all normal leg setae and simple tarsal solenidion ω. However, A. sundarbanensis is distinct from the latter by the presence of complete admedian lines and absence of submedian lines on the prodorsal shield, 4- rayed empodium, absence of microtubercles on the ridges of the dorsal opisthosoma, and distal scorings with 5 (4- 5) lines on genital coverflap (whereas short admedian lines and three submedian lines on each side of prodorsal shield, 5-rayed empodium, microtubercles on ridges of dorsal opisthosoma, and distal scorings with 10 lines on genital coverflap in A. gossypii ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Abacarus sundarbanensis n. sp.: Female—D—Dorsal mite; CG—Coxal-genital region; LO—Lateral opisthosoma; em—empodium; IG—Internal genitalia.

FIGURE 2. Abacarus sundarbanensis n. sp.: Female:—a—Prodorsal shield with scapular setae; b—Coxal-genital region; c— ventral annuli with rounded microtubercles; d—Dorsal annuli with ridges and troughs.