Neoseiulus jeca, Lofego & Demite & Calvalcante, 2016

Lofego, A. C., Demite, P. R. & Calvalcante, A. C. C., 2016, A new species of Neoseiulus Hughes (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Sªo Paulo State, Brazil, Acarologia 56 (1), pp. 115-119 : 116-118

Neoseiulus jeca n. sp.

( Figure 1 )

Diagnosis — Females with dorsal shield reticulate, except for a area next to Z4, setae Z4 and Z5 serrate; length of almost all dorsal setae subequal; peritreme extending anteriorly to j1; ventral shields smooth; ventrianal shield much longer than wide with a slight waist; calyx of spermatheca cup-shaped and atrium inconspicuous.

Description. Female (n= 5). Dorsum — Idiosomal setal pattern ( Chant and Yoshida-Shaul, 1991): 10A:9B/JV-3:ZV. Dorsal shield reticulate, except for a area next to Z4, 283 291 (283 – 300) long, 170 172 (170 – 175) wide at level of s4; with nine pairs of lyrifissures and six pairs of pores; setae: j1 19 20 (19 – 21), j3 34 34 (31 – 35), j4 24 26 (24 – 28), j5 26 26 (23 – 29), j6 41 41 (38 – 42), J2 45 48 (45 – 50), J5 8 9 (8 – 10), z2 29 32 (29 – 34), z4 36 40 (36 – 42), z5 39 37 (34 – 39), Z1 39 42 (39 – 45), Z4 47 46 (44 – 47), Z5 55 56 (53 – 58), s4 50 51 (50 – 55), S2 45 44 (41 – 46), S4 38 38 (37 – 40), S5 27 28 (26 – 30), r3 30 31 (30 – 32), R1 23 24 (23 – 25). All setae smooth, except Z4 and Z5 slightly serrate.

Venter — Sternal shield with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; distances between st1-st3 60 60 (60 – 61), st2-st2 67 67 (65 – 67); st4 on metasternal plate; Genital shield smooth; distance between st5-st5 65 62 (61 – 65). Ventrianal shield constricted at level of JV2; smooth; 102 106 (102 – 113) long, 68 70 (68 – 71) wide at level of ZV2 and 55 57 (55 – 58) wide at level of anus; with three pairs of pre-anal setae (JV1, JV2 and ZV2) and a pair of minute pores postero-mesad of JV2. Four pairs of opisthogastric setae on unsclerotized cuticle (JV4, JV5, ZV1 and ZV3). Seta JV5 37 38 (36 – 40). All ventral setae smooth. Two metapodal plates visible.

Peritreme — Extending anteriorly to j1.

Spermatheca — Calyx cup-shaped 10 10 (9 – 10) long, atrium inconspicuous.

Chelicera — Movable digit 27 28 (27 – 29) long, with two teeth in addition to apical tooth; fixed digit 29 29 (28 – 30), with 11 10 – 11 teeth in addition to apical tooth. Pilus dentilis not visible.

Legs — Macrosetae present only on leg IV: SgeIV 32 33 (32 – 35), StiIV 26 26 (24 – 28), StIV 58 63 (58 – 67). SgeIV and StIV with knobbed tip. Chaetotatic formula of genu II: 2-2/0-2/0-1 and of genu III: 1- 2/1-2/0-1.

Type deposition — Holotype female and three paratypes female: Natividade da Serra (21°21’28"S; 45°17’33"W), Sªo Paulo State, Brazil, on Cecropia sp. ( Cecropiaceae ), July 26, 2008, P.R. Demite and A.C. Lofego collectors, deposited at Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Sªo JosØ do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil; One paratype female, same locality, host, data and collectors as holotype, deposited at Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Universidade de Sªo Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ/USP), Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.

Etymology — The specific name refers to character "Jeca Tatu" created by the Brazilian writer Monteiro Lobato (1882-1948). This character, one of the most important of this writer, lived in rural areas of the region where this species was found.

Remarks — This new species belongs to peruanus species group ( Chant and McMurtry, 2003) which is characterized mainly by having almost all dorsal setae approximately subequal; the fixed digit of chelicerae with more than seven small teeth and movable digit bidentate; ventrianal shield much longer than wide with a slight waist, with three pairs of preanal setae arranged in a triangular pattern, and with a pair of minute pores posterior and mesad of setae JV2. This group was previously represented by two species, Neoseiulus peruanus ( El-Banhawy, 1979) and Neoseiulus irungus ( El-Banhawy and Knapp, 2011) , with register in South America and Africa, respectively. The new species differs from both by having ventrianal shield smooth and calyx of spermatheca cupshaped. N. peruanus and N. irungus has a striated ventrianal shield and a trumpet-shaped and bellshaped calyx, respectively.

Nothing is known about biology or ecology of this new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Neoseiulus jeca n. sp. Female: A – Dorsal shield; B – Ventral idiosoma; C – Chelicera; D – Spermatheca; E – Genu, tibia and basitarsus of leg IV