Proprioseiopsis brachydactylus Moraes, Zannou & Oliveira, 2007

De Moraes, Gilberto J., Zannou, Ignace D., Ueckermann, Eddie A., Oliveira, Anibal R., Hanna, Rachid & Yaninek, John S., 2007, Species of the subtribes Arrenoseiina and Proprioseiopsina (Tribe Amblyseiini) and the tribe Typhlodromipsini (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from sub-Saharan Africa, Zootaxa 1448 (1), pp. 1-39 : 12-13

Proprioseiopsis brachydactylus Moraes, Zannou & Oliveira n. sp.

( Fig. 7 )

Diagnosis. Species characterized by having dorsal shield smooth; seta Z5 slightly longer than setae z4, Z4 and s4; setae z4, Z4, Z5, s4 and Jv5 smooth; z2 and z4 about as long as distances between their bases and the bases of the setae next behind; sternal shield smooth; ventrianal shield pentagonal, smooth, longer than wide at level of Zv2, fixed digit not more than half the length of those in other Proprioseiospsis .

Female. (2 specimens measured).

Dorsum. Dorsal shield smooth, 334(326–341) long and 238(218–259) wide. Setae j1 21, j3 54(50–59), j4 6, j5 6, j6 12(11–13), J5 8, z2 46(43–50), z4 64(59–69), z5 6, Z1 10, Z4 68(64–72), Z5 81(74–88), s4 81(80– 82), S2 29 (21–37), S4 22 (14–30), S5 26 (22–30), r3 37(34–40), R1 6(5–6). All setae smooth .

Venter. Sternal shield smooth, posterior margin concave; distances between St1-St3 54(53–56), St2-St2 64(62–66). Genital shield smooth; distance between St5-St5 70(67–72). Ventrianal shield pentagonal, smooth, anterior margin slightly convex, 109(106–112) long, 97(96–98) wide at level of Zv2 and 83(78–88) wide at level of anus, preanal pores well posterior and slightly mesad to Jv2. Ventral setae smooth.

Chelicera. Movable digit short, 16(15–17) long, with 1 tooth; fixed, very short, 13 long, with 2 teeth and a pilus dentilis.

Spermatheca. Calyx cup-shaped 7(5–8) long 9(7–10) in diameter at its distal extreme; atrium appressed to the base of the calyx.

Legs. Sharp-tipped macrosetae; Sge I 29(27–30), Sge II 28(22–34), Sge III 25(24–26), Sti III 20(18–23), Sge IV 34(32–35), Sti IV 34(32–35), St IV 43(42–45). Chaetotaxy: genu II: 2–2/0,2/0–1; genu III: 1–2/0,2/0– 1.

Male. Unknown.

Locality and type material. Holotype female from Citrus sp. , Luwero, Kyankonwa, Uganda, 05-X-1990, J.S. Yaninek, deposited at ESALQ-USP. One paratype female from Persea americana , 14 km SW Mvieng, Cameroon, 07-II-1991, L. Louis, deposited at IITAIM.

Etymology. The epithet brachydactylus refers to the short fixed cheliceral digit of the types of this new species.

Remarks. The new species fits the original description of the genus. However, it is different from all known Proprioseiopsis species by having fixed cheliceral digit at least twice shorter.

Proprioseiopsis bregetovae ( Abbasova, 1970) and P. okanagensis ( Chant, 1957) differ from this new species by having reticulate ventrianal shield. Furthermore, P. bregetovae has the posterior half of dorsal shield reticulate.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Proprioseiopsis brachydactylus Moraes, Zannou & Oliveira n. sp. (female): A. Dorsal shild; B. Ventral surface; C. Spermatheca; D. Chelicera; E. Leg IV.