Amblyseius brachycalyx, 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 : 44-46

Amblyseius brachycalyx sp. nov.

( Figs 11–15 , 50–51 )

Female (n = 8). Dorsal shield smooth with light marks of sigilla mostly on 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, calyx of spermatheca short and sclerotised, atrium distinct with flattened major duct and indistinct minor duct. Posterior margin of sternal shield lightly concave. Movable digit of chelicerae with three backwardly-directed teeth. Ventrianal shield pentagonal indented laterally with tubercles at the lateral margins at level of anal opening.

Dorsum ( Fig. 11 ). Dorsal shield 327 (325–330) long and 220 (213–225) 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 27 (25–28), j3 45 (43–47), j4 5 (4–6), j5 5 (4–6), j6 5 (4–6), J2 4 (3–5), J5 6 (5–7), z2 9 (9–10), z4 6 (6–7), z5 4 (4–5), Z1 6(5–7), Z4 76 (75–77), Z5 153 (150–155), s4 71 (70–72), S2 8 (8–9), S4 7 (6–8), S5 7 (6–8), r3 11 (11–12), R1 8 (8–9). All setae smooth, j1, j3, are long and setae s4, Z4, and Z5 very long.

Peritreme ( Fig. 11 ). Extending forward beyond bases of j1 with four rows of microtubercles arranged in parallel lines.

Venter ( Fig. 12 ). All shields smooth. Sternal shield 57 long and 77 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 distinctly visible metasternal plate; posterior margin of sternal shield concave clearly outlined in all specimens. Distances between ST1–ST3 57 (57–58), ST2–ST2 64 (64–65), ST3–ST3 77 (75–78), ST5–ST5 67 (65–70). Two pairs of metapodal shields, primary shield 19 (18–20) long and secondary shield 5 (5–6) long. Ventrianal shield 117 (115–120) long, 77 (75–80) wide at level of ZV2 setae and 67 (65–70) wide at level of anus; with three pairs of pre-anal 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 56 (55–58) long, smooth.

Chelicera ( Figs 13 , 50 ). Fixed digit 33 (32–35) long, with 12 teeth; movable digit 33 (32–35), with three backwardly-directed teeth.

Spermatheca ( Figs 14 , 51 ). Calyx thick and short, 7 long, atrium visible, major duct flattened and distinct.

Legs ( Fig 15 ). Legs IV with three smooth distally pointed macrosetae of the following lengths: genu 72 (70– 75), tibia 43 (42–44), basitarsus 55 (53–57). Chaetotactic formula of genu II: 1 2/1, 2/1 0; genu III: 1 2/1, 2/1 0. Length of leg I: 319 (313–325), leg II: 273 (263–283), leg III: 263 (258–268), leg IV: 338 (325–350).

Type specimens. Holotype female (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8006/2016) (Registration number 4395/17 deposited in the NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata), collected from wild ginger, sp. ( Zingiberaceae ), at Jaguli: 22° 56΄ 46̎ N, 88° 32΄ 23̎ E, 9 m above mean sea level, Nadia, West Bengal on 26 September 2016; 3 paratype females (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8024–8025/2016) from Aonla, Phyllanthus emblica , ( Phyllanthaceae ) at same locality as holotype on 27 October 2016; 1 paratype female (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8005/2016) (Registration number 4396/17 deposited in the NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata) from tagar, Tabernamontana coronarea ( Apocynaceae ) at same locality as holotype on 10 September 2016. 1 paratype female (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8038/ 2016), collected from Guava, Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) , at Rahimpur: 26°35' N, 89°01' E, 80 m above mean sea level, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal on 2 December 2016. 2 paratype females (Acarol.lab/BCKV/8154–8155/2016) from Aonla, Phyllanthus emblica , ( Phyllanthaceae ) at same locality as holotype on 27 October 2016.

Etymology. The specific name brachycalyx refers to the short calyx of the spermatheca of this species.

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

Remarks. The dorsal shield of A. brachycalyx is smooth with seven pairs of solenostomes and seven pairs of lyrifissures. The peritreme extends anteriorly beyond j1 and has four rows of microtubercles arranged in parallel lines. It is close to A. hainanensis Wu, 1983 but differs from the latter species by shape of spermatheca. The calyx is short (7 long) and with flared major duct in the former species, while calyx is long in latter species. The ventrianal shields are pentagonal in both species but it is indented laterally in the former species and straight in the latter species. They also differ in the shorter length of s4 71, Z4 76, Z5 150 and JV5 56 in the former species than the latter species s4 75–82, Z4 100–107, Z5 200–237 and JV5 67–80.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 15. Amblyseius brachycalyx (female). 11. Dorsal view of idiosoma; 12. Ventral view of idiosoma; 13. Chelicera; 14. Spermatheca; 15. 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).