Tegonotus fisus, Chakrabarti, Samiran & Sarkar, Sanjay, 2011

Chakrabarti, Samiran & Sarkar, Sanjay, 2011, Three new species of eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea) infesting fruit yielding plants from India, Zootaxa 2988, pp. 28-36 : 34

Tegonotus fisus n. sp.

( Figs.11–16 .)

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: numerous irregular broken lines on prodorsal shield, frontal lobe of prodorsal shield has clear median and admedian lines, bifurcated dorsal pedipalp genual setae d, scapular tubercles much ahead of the posterior shield margin, seta on tibia I absent, 4 rayed, tarsal empodium, presence of two types of ventral annuli i.e. first 14–16 ventral annuli with microtubercles and rest of the ventral annuli with microstriations, both the coxae smooth, proximal region of female genitalia has small striations, two horn like lateral projections emerge from mid lateral margin of epigynium.

FEMALE (n=10): Body 169.9 (165.4–169.9) long, 56.0 (55.2–56.0) wide. Gnathosoma 23.3 (22.3–23.3) long, curved down, dorsal pedipalp genual seta d bifurcated and 9.3 (9.1–9.3). Prodorsal shield 65.3 (64.8–65.3) long, 56.0 (55.2–56.0) wide with a prominent shield lobe of 19.6 (18.6–19.6) long over the base of gnathosoma, frontal shield lobe triangular, with distinct median and admedian lines and numerous broken lines; prodorsal shield shows granulations and a prominent ‘V’ shaped mark extended from anterior shield margin up to middle encompassing prominent median line, faint impressions of median and admedian lines are found below the ‘V’ mark, numerous broken lines are also found at two lateral sides of prodorsal shield, near the base of each dorsal tubercle small semicircular arcs are found. Scapular tubercles 13.0 (12.6–13.0) conspicuous, ahead of rear shield margin and 26.1 (26.1–26.9) apart, scapular seta sc 2.8 (2.1–2.8) and directed upward and centrad. Leg I from base of trochanter 25.2 (24.2–25.2); femur 10.2 (10.2–11.2), basiventral femoral seta bv 9.3 (8.9–9.3); genu 3.7 (3.7–4.2) with antaxial genual seta 1 ʺ 28.0 (27.0–28.0); tibia 6.5 (5.6–6.5) without paraxial tibial seta 1 ʹ; tarsus 4.6 (3.7–4.6); two identical tarsal setae-paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft ʹ and antaxial fastigial tarsal seta ft ʺ 14.0 (11.3–14.0); paraxial unguinal tarsal seta u ʹ 3.7 (2.6–3.7), tarsal solenidion ω curved, knobbed and 4.6 (3.7–4.6), 4 rayed, tarsal empodium em 3.7 (3.7–4.4). Leg II from base of trochanter 24.2 (23.2–24.2); femur 10.2 (10.2–11.2), basiventral femoral seta bv 9.3 (8.9–9.3), genu 3.7 (3.7–4.2) with antaxial genual seta 1 ʺ 28.0 (27.0–28.0); tibia 5.6 (4.5–5.6) without paraxial tibial seta 1 ʹ; tarsus 3.7 (3.7–4.2) with two identical tarsal setae-paraxial fastigial tarsal setae ft ʹ and antaxial fastigial tarsal seta ft ʺ 14.0 (11.3–14.0), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta u ʹ 2.8 (2.1–2.8), tarsal solenidion ω curved, knobbed and 4.6 (4.1–4.6); 4 rayed, tarsal empodium em 3.7 (3.7–4.4). Coxae I 18.6 (17.5–18.6) long, smooth and contiguous with a mid sternal line, seta 1b 6.5 (5.6–6.5) and 5.9 (5.1–5.9) apart; 1a tubercles with seta present a little ahead of line across the 2a tubercles; seta 1a 14.0 (13.0–14.0) and 6.9 (6.1–6.9) apart, the distance between setae 1a and 1b is 6.2 (6.2–6.4); coxa II smooth, 13.0 (13.0–13.8), seta 2a 29.8 (28.8–29.8) and 23.6 (22.8–23.6) apart. Opisthosoma with 29 (28–29) smooth dorsal annuli and 56 (56–57) narrow ventral annuli, micro tubercles rounded and located on first 15 (14–16) ventral annuli; rest of the ventral annuli starting from posterior margin of genitalia up to last ventral annulus have microstriations, seta c2 15.8 (14.9–15.8) on annulus 15 (14–15), seta d 52.2 (52.2–53.2) on annulus 23 (23–24); seta e 4.6 (4.6–5.6) on ventral annulus 29 (28–29); seta f 14.0 (14.0–14.9) on ventral annulus 49 (48–49); seta h1 absent, seta h2 42.0 (42.0–43.2). Epigynium 16.8 (16.8– 17.5) long, 19.6 (19.6–21.1) wide; smooth except small striations at anterior margin, two horn like lateral projections emerge from mid lateral margin of epigynium; seta 3a 12.1 (10.2–12.1).

MALE. Not observed.

Type material. Holotype: Female (marked) on slide (no.1378/91/2006), India: West Bengal: Malda, Amriti, Latitude: 24°20ʹ38ʺ N and Longitude: 87°05ʹ29ʺ E, 24 December, 2006 from Mangifera indica (L.) ( Anacardiaceae ), Coll. S. Sarkar. Paratypes: 8 females on slide bearing holotype and 49 females on 6 slides (nos. 1376- 1377 /91/2006 and 1379-1382 /91/2006); collection data same as in holotype.

Relation to host. Pinkish brown, fusiform mites are vagrants on the undersurface of the leaves.

Etymology. The specific epithet ‘ fisus ’, a Latin word, meaning split, and refers to the bifurcate dorsal pedipalp genual seta.

Remarks. The new species resembles T. schleicherae Ghosh & Chakrabarti, 1985 , T. ferrugeniae Mohanasundaram, 1985 , T. tricarinatus Fletchmann, 1996 in having 4 rayed tarsal empodium and scapular tubercles much above the shield margin. However, it differs from T. schleicherae by not having granulated prodorsal shield, from T. ferrugeniae by not having lateral spine of dorsal annuli and from T. tricarinatus in overall prodorsal shield structure, shorter setae 3a and smooth coxae. The new species also closely resembles T. convolvuli (Channabasavanna, 1966) in location of scapular seta well ahead of rear margin of prodorsal shield and having 4 rayed tarsal empodium but differs from it by having numerous irregular broken lines on prodorsal shield besides bifurcated dorsal pedipalp genual setae and not having seta on tibia I.

Figures

FIGURE 11 − 16. Tegonotus fisus n. sp.: 11. Dorsal view of the body 12. Lateral view of the body; 13. Ventral view of coxalgenital region; 14. Tarsal empodium with tarsal solenidion; 15. Lateral view opisthosomal annuli, 16. Ventral annuli of anterior part of opisthosoma showing microtubercles.