Cosmolaelaps confinisetarum, Moreira, Grazielle Furtado, Klompen, Hans & Moraes, Gilberto José De, 2014

Moreira, Grazielle Furtado, Klompen, Hans & Moraes, Gilberto José De, 2014, Redefinition of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) and description of five new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 3764 (3), pp. 317-346 : 333-336

Cosmolaelaps confinisetarum n. sp.

Material examined: holotype female and one paratype male collected on 10 August 2000 by A.R. Oliveira from litter under Syagrus oleracea (Mart.) (Arecaceae) at Rodovia Geraldo de Barros, km 204, São Pedro, São Paulo state, Brazil; one paratype female collected on 16 May 2000 by A.R. Oliveira from soil under Geonoma brevispata Barb. Rod. (Arecaceae) at same locality as holotype; two paratype females collected on 17 May 2000 by A. R. Oliveira from soil under Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq) (Arecacea) at Estação Ecológica de Ibicatu, Piracicaba, São Paulo state, Brazil; one paratype male collected on 11 August 2000 by A. R. Oliveira from litter under Euterpe edulis Martius (Arecaceae) litter at Estação Ecológica de Ibicatu, Piracicaba; one paratype female collected on 0 2 March 1978 by D. E. Johnston from litter and humus in second growth forest at Piracicaba ( OSAL 009569); one paratype female collected on 12 October 2000 by A.C. Pereira from litter under Attalea dubia (Mart.) (Arecaceae) at Estação Experimental do IAC, Pariquera-Açu, São Paulo state, Brazil; one paratype female collected on 11 October 2000 by A. C. Pereira from litter under Bactris setosa Mart. (Arecaceae) at Rodovia Pariquera-Açu- Cananéia, São Paulo state, Brazil; one paratype male collected on 18 April 2000 by A.R. Oliveira from litter under Astrocaryum aculeatissimum (Schott) (Arecaceae) at Núcleo Agrícola Vale Ribeira, IAC, Pariquera-Açu; one paratype male collected on 18 April 2000 by A.R. Oliveira from soil under B. setosa at Núcleo Agrícola Vale Ribeira, IAC, Pariquera-Açu; one paratype male collected on 18 January 2000 by A. R. Oliveira from soil under Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham) (Arecaceae) at Rodovia Pariquera-Açu-Cananéia, Cananéia; two paratype females collected on 16 February 1978 by D.E. Johnston from litter and humus in moist primary forest at Hotel Pouso do Nhambu, Estrada Rio Santos, km 93, São Paulo, São Paulo state, Brazil ( OSAL 0 0 9563, 009564); holotype, five paratype females and four paratype males deposited at ESALQ-USP; other type specimens deposited at OSAL.

Diagnosis: Female dorsal shield reticulate, with 39 pairs of setae and two unpaired setae, all scimitar-shaped, except j1 and z1, setiform; Z5 lightly serrate. Unsclerotised lateroventral cuticle with eight pairs of setiform setae visible ventrally in mounted specimens. Two anterior lobes of sternal shield uniformly as sclerotised as remaining of the shield. Genital shield bearing only st5. Three pairs of elongate metapodal plates, the two anterior subequal and much smaller than the posterior; rod-shaped platelets posterolatered of st5 apparently totally fused with genital shield, discernible as a pair of slight protuberances of genital shield. Ten pairs of setiform opisthogastric setae (Jv1–Jv5; Zv1–Zv5) closely positioned, in parallel with the reduced extension of the unsclerotised opisthogastric cuticle and expanded genital shield. Epistome acuminate, superficially covered by radiating lines, with anterior margin denticulate and slightly convex. Fixed cheliceral digit with five teeth in addition to distal tooth.

Female ( Figure 5 A–F)

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 5 A): dorsal shield 463 (419–535) long and 359 (314–406) wide (at level of r6), mostly with transversely elongate reticules, with 39 pairs of setae, including two pairs of extra setae, and three unpaired setae [j1–j6, z1–z6, s1–s6, r2–r5 on podonotal region of dorsal shield, and J1–J5, Z1–Z5, S1–S5, px2 (posterolaterad of J2) and px3 (posterolaterad of J3) and unpaired Jx setae (between J1 and J3, between J3 and J4, and between J4 and J5 respectively) on opisthonotal region of dorsal shield]. All setae scimitar-shaped, except j1 and z1 setiform; Z5 lightly serrate. Length of setae shown in Table 1 . Dorsal shield with 17 and six pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and pores respectively. Unsclerotised lateroventral cuticle with eight pairs of setiform setae (r6, R1, R2, R4–R6, two UR setae), visible ventrally in mounted specimens.

Peritreme ( Fig. 5 F): peritrematic shield only fused to dorsal shield near z1, with a pair of lyrifissures and a pore behind each stigma, with a pore and a lyrifissure dorsad of peritreme and between coxae II and III. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level between s1 and z1.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 5 B): two anterior lobes of sternal shield as sclerotised as remainder of the shield, so that free presternal plates are not distinct; sternal shield about as long as wide, reticulate (except for posteriorcentral region), with three pairs of setae (st1–st3) and two pairs of lyrifissures (iv1, iv2); posterior margin concave; distances between s t1 and the posterior margin of sternal shield 80 (76–87), st1–st1 59 (55–63), st2–st2 70 (66–74), st3–st3 101 (101–106). Lengths of setae shown in Table 2 . Seta st4 on unsclerotised, unstriated cuticle, posterolaterad of iv3 also on cuticle. Genital shield broad, not fused with anal shield, flask-shaped, reticulate [length 227 (207–249) and width 122 (109–141)], with one pair of setae (st5); distance st5–st5 97 (85–106). Genital lyrifissure (iv5) on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of st5. Three pairs of elongate metapodal plates, the two anterior subequal and much smaller than the posterior; rod-shaped platelet posterolatered of st5 apparently totally fused with genital shield, discernible as a pair of slight protuberances of genital shield. Anterior section of endopodal shield fused with sternal shield, often with anterior end distinctly prolonged between coxae I and II; section behind sternal shield narrowly separated from it, boomerang-shaped extending beside coxae III and IV. Exopodal shield represented by a triangular fragment between coxae II and III and an arched fragment partially surrounding external and posterior margin of coxa IV. Anal shield subtriangular (wider section anterior), reticulate [83 (70–95) long and 71 (66–77) wide], with a pair of marginal pores about in transverse line with para-anal setae. With ten pairs of opisthogastric setae (Jv1–Jv5, Zv1–Zv5), closely positioned, in parallel with the reduced extension of the unsclerotised opisthogastric cuticle and expanded genital shield. All setae setiform; gv2 distinct.

Gnathosoma: epistome acuminate, superficially covered by radiating lines, with anterior margin denticulate and slightly convex ( Fig. 5 D). Deutosternum with a smooth, transverse line follow by six transverse lines of 12–18 denticles each ( Fig. 5 C). Corniculi parallel to each other, 29 (27–32) long and 8 (8–10) wide basally, almost reaching middle of palp femur. Internal malae adjacent to each other and ventrally fimbriate, laterad by a pair of structures subdivided distally into about five coarse tines. Length of setae on venter of gnathosoma shown in Table 2 . Hypostomal setae h2 laterad and slightly anteriad of h3. Palp length 109 (95–120), apotele 2-tined; inner palp trochanter seta about 1.5 times as long as outer seta. Cheliceral digits of similar lengths ( Fig. 5 C); movable cheliceral digit 38 (29–41), with two teeth in addition to distal tooth; fixed digit 36 (29–41), with five teeth in addition to distal tooth and minute setiform pilus dentilis. Stout dorsal cheliceral seta and dorsal lyrifissures distinguishable; antiaxial lyrifissure not distinguishable because of position of chelicera. Cheliceral arthrodial process as a coronet-like fringe.

Legs: lengths, not including ambulacra—I, 597 (584–623); II, 426 (403–456); III, 400 (385–438); IV, 605 (585–635); chaetotaxy: I—coxa 0-0/2, 0/0-0, trochanter 1-0/1, 1/2-1, femur 2-2/1, 3/3-2, genu 2-3/2, 3/1-2, tibia 2- 3/2, 3/1-2; II-coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-0/1, 1/1-1, femur 2-3/1, 2/2-1, genu 2-3/1, 2/1-2, tibia 2-2/1, 2/1-2; IIIcoxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1, genu 2-2/1, 2/1-1, tibia 2-1/1, 2/1-1; IV-coxa 0-0/1, 0/ 0-0, trochanter 2-1/1, 0/1-0, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1, genu 2-2/1, 3/0-1, tibia 2-1/1, 3/1-2; tarsi II–IV: 18 setae each. Pretarsi with short claws, pulvillus distally rounded. Setae uniform in shape, no macrosetae.

Male ( Figure 5 G–H)

Dorsal idiosoma: dorsal shield [340 (314–384) long and 251 (231–280) wide (at level of r6)], similar in reticulation and setation to female. Dorsal setal length about 40% of that in female ( Table 3 ). Unsclerotised lateral cuticle with seven pairs of setae (r6, R1, R2, R4-R6, one UR).

Peritreme: as in female.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 5 H): holoventral shield [275 (257–302) long and 159 (146–170) wide (behind coxae IV)], with ten pairs of setae (st1–st5, Jv1–Jv3, Zv1 and Zv2) in addition to circumanal setae, five pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and a pair of marginal pores about in transverse line with para-anal setae. Holoventral setal length about 60% of that in female ( Table 4 ). Unsclerotised cuticle posterolaterad of ventrianal region with five pairs of setae (Jv4, Jv5, Zv3, Zv5) and three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures; gv2 distinct.

Gnathosoma: epistome similar to female but with median denticle only slightly larger than lateral denticles; deutosternum and corniculi similar to female. Cheliceral digits of similar lengths ( Fig. 5 G); movable cheliceral digit 26 (23–29) apparently with one or two teeth in addition to apical tooth; spermatodactyl 31 (29–32), distally curved apparently attached to fixed digit only basally; fixed digit 23 (21–24) apparently with a short tooth distal to minute setiform pilus dentilis. Dorsal cheliceral seta and lyrifissure distinguishable; antiaxial lyrifissure indistinct because of position of chelicera.

Legs: as in female.

Etymology. The name confinisetarum is a contraction of confini (Latin for confines) and setarum (Latin for seta), referring to the closeness of the opisthogastric setae in adult females.

Remarks. Cosmolaelaps confinisetarum is closely related to C. brevipedestra (Karg) and C. guttulata (Karg) , described from Cuba and Chile respectively. These species have broad dorsal shields, totally covering the dorsum of idiosoma, opisthogastric setae closely positioned, in parallel with the reduced extension of the unsclerotised opisthogastric cuticle and expanded genital shield, and R and UR setae ventrally positioned in mounted specimens. Cosmolaelaps brevipedestra differs from C. confinisetarum by having two more pairs of dorsal shield setae (total of 41 pairs) and only two unpaired setae on the opisthonotal region of the dorsal shield. Cosmolaelaps guttulata differs by having the dorsal shield smooth, only two unpaired setae on the opisthonotal region of the dorsal shield and j5 setae distinctly closer together than j4 setae.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Cosmolaelaps confinisetarum. Female. A. Dorsal idiosoma; B. Ventral idiosoma; C. Ventral gnathosoma; D. Epistome; E. Chelicerae; F. Peritreme. Male. G. Chelicerae; H. Ventral idiosoma.