Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cherrapunjiensis, Kar & Karmakar, 2021

Kar, Anamika & Karmakar, Krishna, 2021, Description of eleven new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Meghalaya state, north eastern India, Zootaxa 5068 (3), pp. 301-354 : 340-342

Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cherrapunjiensis sp. nov.

( Figs 53–57 ; 99–101)

Female (n=6). Diagnosis. The species is diagnosed by having dorsum smooth, all dorsal setae short, smooth and with pointed tip, posterior margin of sternal shield wavy, setae st3 off the sternal shield in separate platelets, fixed digit of chelicera with four teeth while movable digit with two teeth, spermatheca saccular-shaped, major duct conspicously flattened, leg IV with only one pointed macroseta on tarsus.

Dorsum ( Fig. 53 ). Dorsal shield 328 (326–329) long and 145 (145–147) wide, smooth, with six pairs of pores (gd2, gd4, gd5, gd6, gd8 and gd9); 18 pairs of setae on the dorsal shield and two pairs of setae on the unsclerotised cuticle: j1 19 (17–20), j3 21 (19–22), j4 11 (10–12), j5 11 (10–12), j6 11 (10–12), J2 13 (11–14), J5 8 (7–9), z2 13 (11–14), z3 14 (12–14), z4 16 (13–16), z5 12 (9–12), Z4 15 (14–16), Z5 49 (48–51), s4 15 (13–16), s6 20 (18–21), S2 19 (17–20), S4 19 (17–20), S5 22 (20–23), r3 15 (14–16), R1 16 (15–18). All setae smooth.

Peritreme ( Fig. 53 ). Extended beyond the bases of j3.

Venter ( Figs 54 ; 99). All shields are smooth. The sternal shield square-shaped, posterior margin of sternal shield wavy, laterally with few lines. Sternal shield 65 (63–66) long and 82 (79–83) wide at level of setae st1-st3 and st3- st3 respectively, with two pairs of setae and two pairs of poroids; st3 on separate shield, one pair of setae (st4) on unsclerotised membrane 21 (21–23) long. Distances between st2-st2 63 (62–64), st5-st5 63 (62–64). Two pairs of metapodal shields present. The primary inguinal sigilla long 22 (20–22) and 8 (6–9) wide, secondary ones 11 (9–11) long. Genital shield smooth, broad at the base and narrow at genital opening with irregular circular flap. Ventrianal shield smooth, pentagonal 103 (100–104) long, 75 (73–75) wide at level of ZV2 and 60 (58–61) wide at anus level with four pairs of pre-anal setae, JV1 13 (13–15), JV2 13 (11–13), JV3 13 (11–13), ZV2 13 (11–13) and one pair of pre-anal pores gv3 below seta JV2, 16 (15–18) apart. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae ZV1 13 (11–13), ZV3 10 (9–10), JV4 10 (8–10) and JV5 30 (28–31); JV5 long and smooth.

Chelicera ( Figs 55 ; 101). Fixed digit 30 (29–31) long with four teeth and distinct pilus dentilis, movable digit 30 (28–30) long with two backwardly directed teeth.

Spermatheca ( Figs 56 ; 100). Calyx 16 (14–17) long, saccular with distinct atrium attached with a sclerotised structure, major duct narrow tubular, minor duct clearly visible.

Legs ( Fig. 57 ). The leg IV with only one pointed macroseta on tarsus 49 (48–51). Chaetotactic formula of genu II: 1 2/1, 2/0 1 and genu III 1 2/1, 2/0 1. Length of leg I 245 (242–245), leg II 220 (217–220), leg III 218 (216–222) and leg IV 388 (387–390).

Type specimens. Holotype: female (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8404 /20) collected from moss associated with forest plant, at Cherrapunji 25°24'30"N, 91°46'44"E, 1806m AMSL, East Khasi Hills , Meghalaya on 1 st May , 2019; deposited in the NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. Five paratype females (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8403–8404 /2019) with same collection data as holotype deposited in the Acarological laboratory, Department of Entomology , BCKV, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India.

Etymology. The specific name cherrapunjiensis refers to the type locality of the new species.

Remarks. The new species Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cherrapunjiensis sp. nov. is different from all the species of rhenanus species group because of its unique type of spermatheca, major duct broad and flattened. This new species is very close to T. (A.) capparidis van der Merwe, 1968, T. (A.) apoxys van der Merwe, 1968 by having similar type of saccular-shaped spermatheca, sternal shield with two pairs of setae and leg IV with a single macroseta. However, this new species differs from these species by the dorsal setal form and length, number of teeth on fixed and movable digit of chelicera, posterior margin of sternal shield, shape of ventrianal shield, tip of leg macroseta and spermatheca having broad, flattened major duct. All the differences between the new species and the close species are given in Table 12.

Figures

FIGURES 53–57. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cherrapunjiensis (female). 53. Dorsal view of idiosoma; 54. Ventral view of idiosoma; 55. Chelicera; 56. Spermatheca; 57. Genu, tibia and basitarsus of leg IV.