Typhlodromus masai El-Banhawy & Knapp, 2011

El-Banhawy, E. M. & Knapp, M., 2011, Mites of the family Phytoseiidae Berlese from Kenya (Acari: Mesostigmata) 2945, Zootaxa 2945 (1), pp. 1-176 : 57-58

Typhlodromus masai El-Banhawy & Knapp n. sp.

( Fig. 96 )

Material examined. Holotype female, Kenya, Masai Mara National Park , altitude 1800 m, February 12, 2007 (El- Banhawy) . Paratypes, 1 female, same data as holotype ; 1 female, Nakuru National Park , altitude 1770 m, May 5, 2006 (El-Banhawy) .

Female: Dorsal shield reticulated, 310 long, 150 wide. Measurements of dorsal setae: j1 24, j3 25, j418, j516, j6 25, J2 27, J5 9, z2 20, z3 24, z4 27, z518, Z4 41, Z5 43, s431, s6 35, S2 37, S4 39, S5 23, r3, R1 28, JV5 38. Setae Z 4 serrated with sharp tip, Z5 serrated and knobbed, remaining setae smooth. Peritrematal shield fused anteriorly with dorsal shield, reaching level of j1. Sternal shield, distances between St I-St III 58 , St II-St II 55 , St III off shield, St IV on platelets. Genital shield 58 wide. Ventri-anal shield 100 long, 65 wide, with a pair of round pre-anal pores close to each other, and four pairs of pre-anal setae (JV1, JV2, JV3, ZV2). Two pairs of metapodal platelets, two pairs of sigillar sclerites and four pairs of setae surrounding ventri-anal shield. Fixed digit of chelicera with four teeth and two small apical teeth, movable digit with three teeth. Spermatheca calyx bell-shaped, 14 long, 9 wide distally, atrium small. Macroseta knobbed, St IV 37 . Chaetotaxy : genu II 2 , 2 / 0, 2/0, 1, genu III 1 , 2 /1, 2/0, 1.

Remarks. This species is similar to T. rasalis Van der Merwe , except that the spermatheca is bell-shaped, the macrosetae are shorter and the fixed digit of the chelicera has four prominent teeth, compared with two small apical teeth in T. rasalis . The male is unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 96. Typhlodromus masai El-Banhawy & Knapp n. sp. (Female). A. Dorsal shield; B. Ventral shields; C. Chelicera; D. Spermatheca E. Leg IV.