Neocypholaelaps ceylonicus Narita & Moraes

Narita, João P. Z., De, Gilberto J. & Fernando, Liyanage C. P., 2011, Two species of Neocypholaelaps from Sri Lanka (Acari: Ameroseiidae), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 2741, pp. 59-65 : 60-62

Neocypholaelaps ceylonicus Narita & Moraes , n. sp.

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield ornamented with reticulation formed by double punctate lines, bearing 29 pairs of setae, none of which inserted in tubercles; seta j1 leaf-shaped and barbed, other dorsal setae stout and barbed. Sternal shield wider than long; setae st3 on platelets. Opisthogastric integument with six pairs of setae. Peritreme reaching level of seta j1.

Adult female (5 specimens measured) ( Fig. 1 ).

Gnathosoma ( Figs 1 A–C): Fixed cheliceral digit 19 (18–20) long, apparently with a small tooth posterior to the apical tooth; with a membranous lobe externally attached to it, probably representing the pilus dentilis; movable cheliceral digit 24 (23–25) long, edentate. Antiaxial and dorsal lyrifissures of the median cheliceral segment distinct; dorsal seta absent. Epistome with anterior projection rounded to triangular and denticulate, with two rows of denticles at the base of the projection. Palp apotele 2-tined. Deutosternum narrow; transverse rows of denticles not discernible. Hypostome with three pairs of rows of denticles laterad of deutosternal margin, one posterior to sc and two between sc and h2. Corniculi undivided, subparallel to each other, each superposed by a membranous lobe whose bases are partially overlapped by a shorter central lobe. Hypostomal seta lengths: h 1 21–22, h2 22 (20–23), h 3 25–26, sc 21–22.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Figs 1 D–G): Dorsal shield entire, totally reticulated; reticula formed by double punctate lines; 435 (425–445) long and 295 (290–300) wide at level of s6. Apparently with three pairs of pores and 18 pairs of lyrifissures. Lengths of the dorsal setae: j1 29 (28–30), j2 21 (20–22), j3 19 (18–20), j4 21 (20–22), j5 22 (20– 24), j6 25 (22–26), J2 26 (23–29), J4 27; z2 24 (22–25), z4 22 (20–24), z5 20 (18–22), z6 26 (25–27), Z1 24 (22– 25), Z2 26 (25–27), Z4 27 (25–30), Z5 33 (30–35); s1 24 (22–25), s2 25 (23–27), s4 24 (22–25), s5 26 (25–27), s6 27, S2 29 (27–30), S3 30 (27–32), S4 30 (27–33), S5 33 (30–35); r2 22 (20–24), r3 24 (22–25), r4 24 (22–25), r5 23 (20–25). Seta j1 leaf-shaped and barbed; other dorsal setae stout and barbed.

Ventral idiosoma ( Figs 1 H–I): Base of tritosternum 10 long; laciniae fused along ca. basal third of its total length (70 long). Sternal shield smooth, 73 (69–76) long at midline and 84 (83–85) wide at level of st2, bearing two pairs of setae (st1-st2) and two pairs of lyrifissures. Setae st3 on platelets and st4 on unsclerotised cuticle. Third pair of lyrifissures anterior to st4. Genital shield smooth, 100 wide at the widest level, posteriorly convex, bearing st5 and flanked by two pairs of lyrifissures, the anterior, next to st5 distinctly larger than the posterior. Anal shield with sparse lines, oval, 100 long and 131 (130–132) wide at the widest level. Opisthogastric setae (Jv1-Jv5, Zv2) on unsclerotised cuticle. Opisthogaster with six pairs of lyrifissures and a single pair of metapodal shields. Lengths of ventral setae: st1 24 (22–25), st2 24 (22–25), st3 20 (18–22), st4 19 (18–20), st5 24 (22–25), Jv1 19 (18–20), Jv2 18 (15–20), Jv3 18 (15–20), Jv4 38 (35–40), Jv5 40 (38–42), Zv2 17 (15–18), para-anal 15, post-anal 25. Setae Jv4 and Jv5 stout and barbed; other ventral setae setiform and smooth. Endopodal shield represented by a curved, narrow platelet between coxae III and IV. Exopodal shield of irregular width, with projections between coxae II and III and coxae III and IV; with a large pore at level between coxae I and II and a small pore behind coxa IV.

Peritreme and peritrematal shield ( Figs 1 D, J): Peritreme reaching level of seta j1. Peritrematal shields narrow, fused to each other and to dorsal idiosomal shield at region anterior to setae j1, and to exopodal shield behind stigma; with a pore at level of coxae III (gd3 of Athias-Henriot, 1975; gp2 of Lindquist & Moraza, 2009) surrounded by a stippled region which probably corresponds to muscle insertion (see Athias-Henriot, 1975); with a lyrifissure and a pore (ip2 and gv2) posterior to stigma.

Spermathecal apparatus ( Fig. 1 K): Induction pore apparently at postero-proximal region of coxa III; tubuli fusing before entering sacculus by a common duct that is ca. 50 long.

Legs ( Fig. 1 L): All legs with pulvilli and claws. Lengths of legs: I – 370 (365–375); II – 345 (340–350); III – 351 (348–355); IV – 420 (415–425). Chaetotaxy of legs I–IV: coxae: 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanters: 6, 5, 5, 5; femora: 12 (2-3/1, 2/2-2), 10 (2-2/1, 2/2-1), 6 (1-2/1, 1/0-1), 6 (1-2/1, 1/0-1); genua: 12 (2-3/2, 2/1-2), 11 (2-3/1, 2/1-2), 9 (2-2/ 1, 2/1-1), 9 (2-2/1, 3/0-1); tibiae: 12 (2-3/2, 2/1-2), 10 (2-2/1, 2/1-2), 8 (2-1/1, 2/1-1), 9 (2-2/1, 2/1-1); tarsi: not counted, 17, 17, 17. Many (mostly dorsal) setae of femur, genu and tibia of all legs barbed; other setae smooth.

Material examined. Holotype female from inflorescences of Erythrina sp. ( Fabaceae ), in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka (8o14’ N, 79o46’ E). Two paratype females from inflorescences of Hibiscus sp. ( Malvaceae ), in Kalpitiya. Two paratype females from inflorescences of Cocos nucifera L. ( Arecaceae ), in Madurankuliya (7o54’ N, 79o49’ E). All types collected by G.J. de Moraes in July, 2003, and deposited at Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Etymology. The epithet ceylonicus indicates “from Ceylon ”, referring to the country where the type specimens were collected; Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka.

Remarks. Females of this new species can be distinguished from N. rotundus (Womersley) by having no dorsal shield setae inserted on tubercles; from N. novaehollandiae Elsen and N. xylocopae Elsen by having 29 pairs of dorsal shield setae; from N. hongkongensis Mo by having rounded posterior margin of dorsal shield; from N. breviperitremata Elsen by having long peritreme, reaching level of coxa I; from N. apicola Delfinado-Baker & Baker , N. capitis Elsen , N. favus Ishikawa, N. geonomae Moraes & Narita , N. leopoldi Elsen, N. nova Elsen and N. varipilosa Elsen by having Jv4 about as long as Jv5; from N. ampullula (Berlese) , N. crocisae Elsen , N. indica Evans and N. pradhani Gupta by having Jv4 stout; from N. cocos Evans , N. malayensis Delfinado-Baker, Baker & Phoon and N. phooni Baker & Delfinado-Baker by having all dorsal shield setae stout and barbed (except j1, leaf-shaped and barbed); from N. stridulans (Evans) by having sternal shield wider than long. The key provided by Moraes & Narita (2010) could be modified to allow the separation of this new species from the other Neocypholaelaps , by including a new couplet between couplets 8 and 9 and modifying the latter, as follows:

8a. Setae j2 – J2 and z2 – Z1, s1 and s2 slender and smooth; ornamentation of dorsal shield consisting of a polygonal network of

simple lines enclosing smooth cells........................................... Neocypholaelaps cocos Evans, 1963 - All dorsal shield setae stout and barbed (except j1, leaf-shaped and barbed); ornamentation of dorsal shield consisting of a

polygonal network of double punctuate lines enclosing punctuate cells........................................... 9 9. Sternal shield longer than wide.......................................... Neocypholaelaps stridulans ( Evans, 1955) - Sternal shield wider than long................................... Neocypholaelaps ceylonicus Narita & Moraes n. sp.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neocypholaelaps ceylonicus Narita & Moraes, n. sp. Female. A. Different views of the hyaline lobe of the cheliceral fixed digit; B. Epistome; C. Ventral view of gnathosoma; D. Dorsal view of idiosoma; E. Detail of ornamentation of dorsal shield; F. Detail of seta j 1; G. Detail of seta j 2; H. Ventral view of idiosoma; I. Detail of tritosternum; J. Proximal section of peritreme and associated structures (a: exopodal shield; b: unsclerotised cuticle; c: peritrematal shield); K. Part of spermathecal apparatus (a: tubuli; b: sacculus); L. Pre-tarsus of leg I. Pores and lyrifissures enlarged to allow their differentiation.