Neofedrizzia gloriosa (Berlese)

Seeman, Owen D., 2007, Revision of the Fedrizziidae (Acari: Mesostigmata: Fedrizzioidea), Zootaxa 1480, pp. 1-55 : 36-37

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.