Neositeroptes rosae ( Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984 ) Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984

Khaustov, Alexandr A., 2011, Nomenclature changes in the mite families Neopygmephoridae and Pygmephoridae (Acari: Heterostigmata: Pygmephoroidea) with redescription of two little known species, Zootaxa 2809, pp. 47-57 : 53-55

Neositeroptes rosae ( Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984) comb. nov.

Figs. 6 –11.

Siteroptes dionusii Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984: 1801 , fig. 3 syn. nov.

Sevastianov & Abo-Korah (1984) described Siteroptes rosae Sevastianov and Abo Korah, 1984 from soil in Ukraine. In the same paper they described Siteroptes dionusii Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984 from the same locality. My examination of holotypes of both species revealed their conspecificity. Therefore I consider S. dionusii syn. nov. as a junior synonym of S. rosae . Because original descriptions of S. rosae and S. dionusii are fragmentary and incomplete I redescribe S. rosae .

Description. FEMALE. Gnathosoma oval (Fig. 11); with 3 pairs of setae dorsally (cha, chb, pp). Setae chb and pp obtuse. Dorsal medial apodeme not developed. Gnathosoma venter with 1 pair of subcapitular setae m. Palps freely articulated with gnathosomal capsule, with setae dFe and dGe dorsolaterally, 1 small solenidion and accessory setigenous structure ventrally, tiny apical setae and terminated with distinct claw.

Idiosomal dorsum ( Fig. 6 ). Idiosomal length 248, width 138. All tergites smooth. All dorsal setae weakly barbed. Setae h 2 pointed, other dorsal setae obtuse. Stigmata very long. Trichobothria smooth, capitate. Posterior margin of tergite С concave. Length of dorsal setae: v 1 21, v 2 28, sc 2 51, c 1 33, c 2 52, d 33, e 22, f 47, h 1 39, h 2 51. Distances between dorsal setae: v 1- v 1 18, v 2- v 2 33, sc 2- sc 2 29, c 1– c 1 48, c 1– c 2 26, d–d 52, e–f 11, f–f 46, h 1– h 1 29, h 1– h 2 13.

Idiosomal venter ( Fig. 7 ). All ventral plates and setae smooth. Setae 1 b bifurcate. Apodemes 2 not joined with appr. Appr well sclerotized, joined with ap1. Apsej indistinct. Apodemes 3 well sclerotized, situated in the space between setae 3 a and 3 c. Apodemes IV joined with appo, long, protruding setae 4 c. Apodemes 5 absent. Pseudanal setae obtuse, setae ps 2 almost 3 times shorter than ps 1, setae ps 3 absent.

Legs (Figs. 8–10). Leg I (Fig. 8). Setal formula: tr1-fe4-ge4-ti6(2)-ta12(2). Tarsus with sickle-like terminal claw situated on small pretarsus. Setae ft’ absent. Solenidion ω1 7 and ω2 5 long, finger-shaped. Solenidion φ1 7 long, clavate, solenidion φ2 5 long, baculiform. Setae dFeI, l’FeI, l’GeI, v’TrI, and k obtuse. Leg II (Fig. 9). Setal formula: tr1-fe3-ge3-ti4(1)-ta7(1). Tarsus with sickle-like non-padded claws and elongate empodium. Solenidion ω 9 long, finger-shaped, solenidion φ baculiform. Setae dFeII, l’FeII, and v’TrII obtuse. Leg III. Setal formula: tr1- fe2-ge2-ti4 (1)-ta7. Claws of same shape as on tarsus II. Solenidion φ baculiform. Leg IV (Fig. 10). Setal formula: tr1-fe2-ge1-ti4-ta7. Tarsus with two well developed simple claws and small empodium. Solenidion φ not evident. Setae v’TrIV and dFeIV obtuse.

MALE and LARVA unknown.

FIGURES. 8–11. Neositeroptes rosae ( Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984) comb. nov., female, 8–10— legs I, II and IV, respectively, 11—gnathosoma. Scale bar 20 μm.

Material examined. Female holotype of Siteroptes rosae Sevastianov and Abo Korah, 1984 , slide T-P-40, UKRAINE, vicinity of Odessa, soil under wheat, 17 July 1974, collector unknown; female holotype of Siteroptes dionusii Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984 , slide T-P-38, UKRAINE, vicinity of Odessa, soil under wheat, 23 July 1974, collector unknown.

Remarks. The current taxonomic position of Siteroptes rosae is unclear. By having three pairs of setae on epimeres II and separated tibia and tarsus I it is most similar to non-phoretic females of the genus Pediculaster . However, in all known non-phoretic females of the genus Pediculaster setae 1 b are not bifurcate, stigmata not elongate, and setae ft’TaI always present. Siteroptes rosae is also similar with species of the genus Neositeroptes , especially with Neositeroptes euxinus Khaustov, 2009 . Both these species have the unique reduction of setae ft’TaI, and therefore I provisionally place S. rosae in the genus Neositeroptes Livshits, Mitrofanov and Sharonov, 1986 , but record of new species with similar characters as in S. rosae will lead to the description of a new genus.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 7. Neositeroptes rosae (Sevastianov and Abo-Korah, 1984) comb. nov., female, 6 — dorsum, 7 — venter. Scale bar 50 μm.