Neofedrizzia gloriosa (Berlese)

Fedrizzia gloriosa Berlese, 1910: 376 . Comb. nov.

Diagnosis. Both sexes: idiosoma 1080 –1152 long, anterior hyaline projection does not extend past CxI; exopodal patterning between CxII–III striped; pedofossae III present, IV absent; femur III and IV with large lamellae. Female: sternal shield reticulated; seta st1 54–70 long, setae st 2-3 21–42 long; sternogynial shield smooth, with longitudinal striations posteriorly, anterior margin straight. Male: tetartosternum absent, presternal processes articulated with sternoventral shield, symmetrical, rectangular, tips truncate and separate from each other; genital opening placed between CxII–III, flanked by 13 pores.

Remarks. Berlese gave a short description of this species, most of the characters being diagnostic for the Fedrizziidae, such as being brown, smooth, ovular mites with chelicerae bearing broom-like excrescences. However, he also described ventral scales, or lamellae, on the femora of legs II–IV. Large lamellae on the femora of legs II–IV usually indicates a Neofedrizzia sp.; F. scutata is an exception, but this species occurs in New Guinea. The only other diagnostic character given by Berlese (1910) was the length and width of the idiosoma (1250 x 800).

Dr Roberto Nannelli (Berlese Collection) has kindly examined Berlese’s specimens, which represent material of one male (slide 101/17) and three females (slides 101/19-21). He confirmed that the species have femoral lamellae, and noted their striped exopodal patterning, thus confirming its placement in Neofedrizzia . Additionally, the sternal shield is reticulated, setae st2 are 29–42 long (n = 2) and st3 are 21–27 long (n = 2), and the idiosomal measurements for the female specimens are 1080 x 770, 1130 x 780 and 1152 x 816. The sternogynial shield is rounded, as in Neofedrizzia, and is 153–162 long and 155–160 wide.

This species was probably not redescribed by Womersley or myself because no other species of Neofedrizzia has a reticulated sternal shield, long st1 and an idiosoma <1200 long.