Cosmolaelaps oliveirai, Moreira, Grazielle Furtado, Klompen, Hans & Moraes, Gilberto José De, 2014

Moreira, Grazielle Furtado, Klompen, Hans & Moraes, Gilberto José De, 2014, Redefinition of Cosmolaelaps Berlese (Acari: Laelapidae) and description of five new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 3764 (3), pp. 317-346 : 339-341

Cosmolaelaps oliveirai n. sp.

Material examined: holotype female, four paratype females and three paratype males collected on 11 July 2000 by A.R. Oliveira from soil under Astrocaryum aculeatissimum (Schott) (Arecaceae) at Núcleo Agrícola Vale do Ribeira, IAC, Pariquera-Açu, São Paulo state, Brazil; holotype, three paratype females and three paratype males deposited at ESALQ-USP; other type specimens deposited at OSAL.

Diagnosis: Female dorsal shield reticulate, with 39 pairs and two unpaired setae, all setiform, occasionally with a slight basal asymmetric protuberance and with hardly distinguishable serration. Unsclerotised lateroventral cuticle with eight pairs of setiform setae visible ventrally in mounted specimens. Two anterior lobes of sternal shield as sclerotised as the remainder of the shield. Genital shield bearing only st5. Two pairs of metapodal plates. Ten pairs of opisthogastric setae (Jv1–Jv5; Zv1–Zv5) closely positioned, in parallel with the reduced extension of the unsclerotised opisthogastric cuticle and expanded genital shield; Jv5 and Zv5 lightly serrate. Epistome triangular, with lateral margins denticulate, except near tip. Fixed cheliceral digit with six teeth in addition to apical tooth.

Female ( Figure 7 A–F)

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 7 A): dorsal shield 560 (536–578) long and 393 (374–421) wide (at level of r6), reticulate, with most reticules not distinctly transversely elongate, with 39 pairs of setae (including two pairs of extra setae) and two or three unpaired setae [j1–j6, z1–z6, s1–s6, r2–r5 on podonotal region of dorsal shield and J1–J5, Z1–Z5, S1–S5, px2 (posterolaterad of J2) and px3 (posterolatered of J3) and unpaired Jx setae (between J1 and J2, between J3 and J4, and between J4 and J5 respectively) on opisthonotal region of dorsal shield]. All setae setiform, occasionally with slight basal asymmetric protuberance and with hardly distinguishable serration. Length of setae shown in Table 1 . Dorsal shield with 17 and six pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and pores respectively. Unsclerotised lateroventral cuticle with eight pairs of setiform setae (r6, R1, R2, R4–R6, two UR setae).

Peritreme ( Fig. 7 F): peritrematic shield only fused to dorsal shield near z1; with a pair of lyrifissures and a pore behind each stigma, with a pore and a lyrifissure dorsad of peritreme between coxae II and III. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level between s1 and z1.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 7 B): two anterior lobes of sternal shield as sclerotised as the remainder of the shield, so that free presternal plates are not distinct; about as long as wide, reticulate, with three pairs of setae (st1–st3) and two pairs of lyrifissures (iv1, iv2); posterior margin concave; distances between st1 and and posterior margin of sternal shield 95 (90–100), st1–st1 72 (70–74), st2–st2 79 (77–82), st3–st3 110 (108–113). Seta st4 on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of iv3 also on cuticle. Genital shield separated from the anal shield, flaskshaped, reticulate [length 261 (247–277) and width 133 (124–141)], with one pair of setae st5; distance st5–st5 110 (102–116). Genital lyrifissure (iv5) on unsclerotised cuticle, postero-laterad of st 5. With pair of rod-shaped platelets almost totally fused with genital shield. Two pairs of metapodal plates, the anterior narrow and smaller; the posterior subrectangular to oval. Anterior section of endopodal shield fused with sternal shield, with anterior end distinctly prolonged between coxae I and II; section behind sternal shield narrowly separated or fused with it, boomerang-shaped and slim, extending beside coxae III and IV. Exopodal shield seemingly a continuous narrow strip along coxae II to IV, partially encircling coxa IV. Anal shield pear-shaped (wider section anterior), reticulate [102 (94–111) long and 81 (74–88) wide], with a pair of marginal pores about in transverse line with para-anal setae. With ten pairs of opisthogastric setae with hardly distinguishable serration (Jv1–Jv5, Zv1–Zv5), closely positioned, in parallel with the reduced extension of the unsclerotised opisthogastric cuticle and the expanded genital shield; gv2 distinct.

Gnathosoma: epistome triangular, with anterior lateral margins denticulate, except near tip ( Fig. 7 D). Deutosternum with a smooth, transverse line followed by six transverse lines of 12–13 denticles each ( Fig. 7 C). Corniculi slightly convergent distally, 37 (36–37) long and 9 (8–10) wide basally, reaching middle of palp femur. Internal malae adjacent to each other and ventrally fimbriate, laterad by a pair of curved structures with internal surface and distal end coarsely frimbiate. Length of setae on venter of gnathosoma shown in Table 2 . Hypostomal seta h2 laterad and slightly anteriad of h3. Palp length 137 (134–140), apotele 2-tined; inner palp trochanter seta about 1.3 times as long as outer seta. Cheliceral digits of similar lengths ( Fig. 7 E); movable digit 47 (42–49) with two teeth in addition to distal tooth, fixed digit 42 (38–48) with six teeth and setiform pilus dentilis. Stout dorsal cheliceral seta and lyrifissure distinguishable; antiaxial lyrifissure not distinguishable because of position of chelicera. Cheliceral arthrodial process as a coronet-like fringe.

Legs: lengths, not including ambulacra—I, 551 (534–558); II, 402 (383–411); III, 396 (391–404); IV, 535 (516–551); chaetotaxy: I—coxa 0-0/2, 0/0-0, trochanter 1-0/1,1/2-1, femur 2-2/1, 3/3-2, genu 2-3/2, 3/1-2, tibia 2- 3/2, 3/1-2; II-coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-0/3-1, femur 2-3/1, 2/2-1, genu 2-3/1, 2/1-2, tibia 2-2/1, 2/1-2; III-coxa 0-0/1, 0/1-0, trochanter 1-1/1, 0/1-1, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1, genu 2-2/1, 2/1-1, tibia 2-1/1, 2/1-1; IV-coxa 0-0/1, 0/0-0, trochanter 2-1/1, 0/1-0, femur 1-2/1, 1/0-1, genu 2-2/1, 3/0-1, tibia 2-1/1, 3/1-2; tarsi II–IV: 18 setae each. Pre-tarsi with short claws, pulvillus distally rounded. Setae uniform in shape, no macrosetae.

Male ( Figure 7 G–H)

Dorsal idiosoma: dorsal shield [442 (412–464) long and 393 (266–304) wide (at level of r6)], similar in reticulation and setation to female. Dorsal setal length about 75% of that in female ( Table 3 ). Unsclerotised lateral cuticle with eight pairs of setae (r6, R1, R2, R4–R6, two UR setae).

Peritreme: as in female.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 7 H): holoventral shield [349 (332–366) long and 190 (176–205) wide (behind coxae IV)], with 10 pairs of setae (st1–st5, Jv1–Jv3, Zv1 and Zv2) in addition to circumanal setae, four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and a pair of marginal pores about in transverse line with para-anal setae. Holoventral setal length about 55% of that in female ( Table 4 ). A pair of ellipsoidal metapodal plates. Unsclerotised cuticle posterolaterad of ventrianal region with five pairs of setae (Jv4, Jv5, Zv3– Zv5) and three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures.

Gnathosoma: epistome subtriangular, with denticles scattered along lateral margins; deutosternum and corniculi similar to female. Cheliceral digits of similar lengths ( Fig. 7 G); movable digit 31 (28–34) with one tooth in addition to terminal tooth; spermatodactyl 41 (40–42), curved upward, parallel to movable digit, apparently consisting of a furrowed structure and a slightly shorter accompanying ventral structure; fixed digit 27 (24–29), with a subterminal tooth an addition to the minute setiform pilus dentilis. Dorsal cheliceral seta and lyrifissure distinguishable, positioned more distally than usual for species of this genus (almost mid-length of fixed digit); antiaxial lyrifissure indistinct because of position of chelicera.

Legs: as in female.

Etymology. The name oliveirai is a homage to Anibal Ramadan Oliveira, for his dedication to the knowledge of the Brazilian edaphic mite fauna.

Remarks. Cosmolaelaps oliveirai is closely related to C. guttulatus (Karg) described from Chile and C. confinisetarum n. sp.. Cosmolaelaps guttulatus differs from this new species by having only two pairs of unpaired setae on the opisthonotal region, the smooth dorsal shield, J1 shorter than distance between its base and the base of J3, and J4 slightly shorter than distance between its base and the base of J5. Cosmolaelaps confinisetarum n.sp. differs from this new species by having j3 setae slightly closer together than j4 setae, j5 distinctly more widely separated than j3 setae or j4 setae, J1, J3 and J4 not reaching bases of J3, J4 and J5 respectively, and most reticules of dorsal shield pattern distinctly transversely elongate.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cosmolaelaps oliveirai. Female. A. Dorsal idiosoma; B. Ventral idiosoma; C. Ventral gnathosoma; D. Epistome; E. Chelicera; F. Peritreme. Male. G. Chelicera; H. Ventral idiosoma.