Okiseius pahari, Kar & Karmakar, 2022

Kar, Anamika & Karmakar, Krishna, 2022, Description of nine new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Sikkim, a north eastern States of India, Zootaxa 5182 (3), pp. 201-237 : 214

Okiseius pahari sp. nov.

( Figs. 21–25 ; 64–68 )

Diagnosis. Dorsum strongly reticulated, all setae serrated and arise from distinct tubercles, a small depression present on lateral margin of dorsal shield at level r3, distinct notch at the level below R1; ventrianal shield pentagonal; only one pair of elongated, metapodal shield present, fixed digit of chelicerae with three teeth, spermatheca funnel shaped with nodular atrium; leg IV with rod like and blunt tipped macrosetae on basitarsus.

Description. Female (n = 5). Dorsum ( Fig. 21 ). Dorsal shield 338 (336–340) long and 175 (174–176) wide, strongly reticulated, with six pairs of solenostomes (gd1, gd2, gd4, gd5, gd8 and gd9); poroids are shown in the illustration; 16 pairs of setae on dorsal shield and one pair of setae on unsclerotised cuticle: j1 28 (27–30), j3 30 (29–32), j4 15 (15–18), j5 15 (15–18), j6 35 (34–38), J5 5 (5–7), z2 28 (26–29), z4 32 (30–33), z5 28 (25–29), Z1 42 (40–43), Z4 56 (55–58), Z5 48 (46–48), s4 48 (46–49), S2 50 (48–52), S5 15 (15–18), r3 32 (30–33), R1 33 (30–33). All setae serrated.

Peritreme ( Fig. 21 ). Extended beyond the bases of j1.

Venter ( Fig. 22 ). All shields are smooth. Sternal shield 56 (55–58) long and 64 (63–65) wide at the level of setae st1-st3 and st3-st3 respectively, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; one pair of setae (st4) on metasternal plate on unsclerotised membrane at the margin of genital flap 12 (10–13) long with a conspicucous lyrifissures on metasternal plate. Distances between st2-st2 48 (46–50), st5-st5 52 (50–53). Genital shield smooth, broad at base and narrow at genital opening with irregular circular flap and almost straight posteriorly. One pair of elongated narrows inwardly curved metapodal shield present 32 (30–33) long. Ventrianal shield smooth, pentagonal 90 (90–93) long, 43 (40–44) wide at level of ZV2 and 45 (43–46) wide at anus level with three pairs of pre-anal setae, JV1 8 (8–10), JV2 8 (7–10), ZV2 8 (8–10) and one pair of pre-anal pores (gv3) closely placed on longitudinal line below JV2 28 (28–30) apart. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae ZV1 10 (9–12), ZV3 8 (8–10), JV4 8 (8–10) and JV5 28 (27–30); the later one is long and serrated.

Chelicera ( Fig. 23 ). Fixed digit 20 (18–21) long with three teeth and movable digit 20 (18–21) long with single tooth.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 24 ). Calyx funnel shaped 10 (8–10) long with nodular atrium, minor duct and major duct visible.

Leg ( Fig. 25 ). Length of leg I 225 (222–228), leg II 175 (173–178), leg III 162 (160–165) and leg IV 240 (238–242). Chaetotactic formula of genu II 0 1/2 1/1 2 and genu III 1 2/1 2/0 1. Rod like macrosetae (11–14) present on genu, tibia and basitarsus.

Type specimens. Holotype: female (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8641/2021 ) collected from unknown climber, at East Sikkim: 27°16’49”N, 88°37’6”E, 1367m AMSL, Assam Linzey, East Sikkim, Sikkim on 29 th March, 2021; and deposited in the NZC, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, 4 paratype female (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8641–8642/2021 ) with same collection data as holotype deposited in the Acarological laboratory, Department of Entomology, BCKV, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India.

Etymology. The specific name pahari refers to the Bengali word Pahar means Mountain, the type habitat of the new species.

Remarks. The new species is different from all the species under subtropicus subgroup by having unique fundibular type of calyx. However, it is close to O. subtropicus Ehara, 1967 ; O. chinensis Wu, 1983 ; O. himalayana Gupta, 1986 ; O. sikkimensis Gupta, 1986 ; O. merenoi Schicha, 1987 and O. unisetatus Kar & Karmakar, 2021 by having similar type of dorsum and venter. The new species differs from the close species by the length of dorsal setae, serration of seta S5; denticles of chelicerae; number of metapodal shield; leg macrosetae and shape of spermathecae. All the differences among the new species and its close species are presented in Table 5 .

Figures

FIGURES 21–25. Okiseius pahari (female). 21. Dorsal view of idiosoma; 22. Ventral view of idiosoma; 23. Chelicera; 24. Spermatheca; 25. Genu, tibia and basitarsus of leg IV.

FIGURES 64–69. Okiseius pahari (female). 64. Anterior dorsal view of idiosoma; 65. Posterior dorsal view; 66. Dorsolaterl view; 67. Spermatheca; 68. Chelicerae; 69. Leg IV 70–75. Paraamblyseius ranipoolensis (female). 70. Posterior ventral view of opisthosoma; 71. Anterior ventral view of idiosoma 72. Spermatheca; 73-74. Chelicerae; 75. Leg IV.