Amblyseius dahliae, Karmakar & Bhowmik & Sherpa, 2017

Karmakar, Krishna, Bhowmik, Sagarika & Sherpa, Choyang, 2017, Description of five new species and re-description of two species of Amblyseius (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from West Bengal, India, Zootaxa 4311 (1), pp. 39-61 : 40-42

Amblyseius dahliae n. sp.

( Figs 1–5 , 44–46 )

Female (n = 6). Dorsal shield smooth with light marks of sigilla mostly on lateral sides of podosomal area, with idiosomal setal pattern 10A: 9B/JV–3: ZV. Setae j4, j5, j6, J2, J5, z2, z4, z5, Z1, S2, S4, S5, r3 and R1 are short and smooth while j1, j3, s4, Z4 and Z5 are relatively long and smooth except Z4 which is lightly serrated, spermatheca sclerotised with relatively long and thick tubular calyx, atrium distinct with thick major duct and distinct minor duct. Posterior margin of sternal shield is wavy and lightly concave with curved lateral extension. Movable digit of chelicerae with four backwardly-directed teeth. Ventrianal shield is wide and pentagonal.

Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal shield 342 (338–350) long and 222 (220–225) wide, smooth, with seven pairs of solenostomes (gd1, gd2, gd4, gd5, gd6, gd8 and gd9); 17 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield and two pairs of setae on the unsclerotised cuticle: j1 34 (33–36), j3 54 (53–55), j4 2 (2–3), j5 2 (2–3), j6 2 (2–3), J2 5 (4–6), J5 5 (4–6), z2 8 (6–9), z4 6 (5–7), z5 3 (2–4), Z1 5 (4–6), Z4 111 (110–113), Z5 241 (230–250), s4 86 (85–88), S2 4 (4–5), S4 4 (4–5), S5 4 (4–5), r3 12 (12–13), R1 6 (4–7). All setae smooth except Z4 which is lightly serrated, setae j1, j3, are long and setae s4, Z4, and Z5 very long.

Peritreme ( Fig. 1 ). Extending forward beyond bases of j1, with two parallel rows of microtubercles.

Venter ( Fig. 2 ). All shields smooth. Sternal shield with 60 long and 81 wide at level of setae ST1–ST3 and ST3–ST3 respectively, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; one pair of setae (ST4) on distinct metasternal plate; posterior margin of sternal shield wavy, concave and clearly outlined in all specimens. Distances between ST1–ST3 60 (58–63), ST2–ST2 73 (70–75), ST3–ST3 81 (78–83), ST5–ST5 71 (70–72). Two pairs of metapodal shields, primary shield 22 (21–23) long and secondary shield 13 (12–15) long. Ventrianal shield 116 (115–118) long, 90 (85–95) wide at level of ZV2 setae and 80 (79–81) wide at level of anus; with three pairs of preanal setae JV1, JV2 and ZV2, and one pair of large elliptical pre-anal pores. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae: ZVl, ZV3, JV4 and JV5; the latter 84 (80–88) long, smooth.

Chelicera ( Figs 3 , 44, 45 ). Fixed digit 35 (33–36) long, with 14 teeth; movable digit 32 (30–33) long, with four backwardly-directed teeth.

Spermatheca ( Figs 4 , 46 ). Calyx tubular, thick and elongated, 18 (17–19) long, with conspicuous atrium from where thick major duct extends and minor duct arises.

Legs ( Fig. 5 ). Legs IV with three smooth macrosetae pointed distally and of the following lengths: genu 105 (100–113), tibia 72 (70–75), basitarsus 68 (66–70). Chaetotactic formula of genu II: 1 2/0, 2/1 1; genu III: 1 2/0, 2/ 1 1. Length of leg I: 364 (358–370), leg II: 269 (263–275), leg III: 269 (263–275), leg IV: 351 (338–363).

Type specimens. Holotype: female (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8037/2016) (Registration number 4391/17 deposited in the NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata), collected from Dahlia, Dahlia sp. (Compositae), at Mohanpur: 22° 56΄ 47̎ N, 88° 32΄ 5̎ E, 9 m above mean sea level, Nadia, West Bengal on 28 September 2016; 1 paratype female (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8004/2016) (Registration number 4392/17 deposited in the NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata) collected from Hibiscus sp., (Malvacae) at same locality as holotype on 31.iii.2016; 2 paratype females (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8035–8036/2016) from Thuja orientalis (Cupressaceae) at same locality as holotype on 7 September 2016. 2 paratype females (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8026–8027/2016) collected from tea, Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) at Rahimpur: 26°35' N, 89°01' E, 80 m above mean sea level, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal on 16 November 2016.

Etymology. The specific name dahliae refers to the host plant from which the types of this species were collected.

Distribution. Asia: India, West Bengal (present study).

Remarks. The dorsal shield of A. dahliae is smooth with a broad opisthosomal region seven pairs of distinctly visible solenostomes and five pairs distinctly visible lateral lyrifissures. It is close to A. channabasavannai Gupta & Daniel, 1978 and A. tamatavensis Blommers, 1974 . The dorsal shield of A. dahliae is smooth while it is rugose in A. channabasavannai and also differs in shape of ventrianal shield, which is pentagonal in both the cases but laterally concave in the latter species. The former species differs from A. tamatavensis by the shape of ventrianal shield, genital shield, posterior margin of sternal shield and length of macrosetae on leg IV. The posterior margin of the sternal shield in the former species is concave and wavy with a posterior lateral extension, while it is concave without a posterior lateral extension in the latter species and in the shape of genital shield which is wider at the level of ST5 with a notch laterally of the genital shield in the former species and smooth laterally in the latter species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Amblyseius dahliae (female). 1. Dorsal view of idiosoma; 2. Ventral view of idiosoma; 3. Chelicera; 4. Spermatheca; 5. Genu, tibia and basitarsus IV.

FIGURES 44 – 61. Amblyseius spp., chelicera, spermatheca and spermatodactyl. 44 – 46. A. dahliae sp. nov.; 47 – 49. A. bengalensis sp. nov.; 50 – 51. A. brachycalyx sp. nov.; 52 – 54. A. conulus sp. nov.; 55 – 56. A. parbatabasii sp. nov.; 57 – 59. A. largoensis (Muma, 1955); 60 – 61. A. herbicolus (Chant, 1959).