Phytoseius mauritiana, Bhowmik & Karmakar, 2021

Bhowmik, Sagarika & Karmakar, Krishna, 2021, Five new species and re-description of eight species belonging to the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from West Bengal, India, Zootaxa 4975 (3), pp. 401-450 : 435-438

Phytoseius mauritiana sp. nov.

( Figs 68–74 )

Female (n= 6). Diagnosis. Dorsal shield rugose in prodorsal region and reticulated in opisthosomal region. Idiosomal setal pattern 12A: 3A. Setae j4, j5, j6, J5, z5 z2 and z4 are short while j1, j3, z3 and r3 are short to medium in length, and setae s4, s6, Z4, and Z5 are long. All setae are serrated except j4, j5, z2, z4, z5, j6 and J5. Spermatheca funnel-shaped with nodular atrium and distinct major duct. Posterior margin of sternal shield concave and ventrianal shield sole-shaped.

Dorsum ( Fig. 68 ). Dorsal shield 300, 289 (288–300) long and 150, 143 (135–150) wide, strongly sclerotised with irregular to roundish patches over the entire dorsum, with five pairs of solenostomes (gd1, gd2, gd5, gd8 and gd9); 15 pairs of dorsal setae: j1 25, 24 (24–25), j3 23, 23 (23–24), j4 8, 8 (8–9), j5 8, 9 (8–10), j6 9, 10 (8–11), J5 8, 8 (8–9), z2 11, 11 (11–12), z3 27, 27 (26–28), z4 12, 11 (10–12), z5 8, 8 (8–9), Z4 53, 52 (50–53), Z5 65, 62 (58–65), s4 75, 74 (72–76), s6 80, 77 (73–80), r3 29, 31 (28–33). All setae are serrated except j4, j5, z2, z4, z5, j6 and J5, which are short and smooth, while setae s4, s6, Z4 and Z5 are long.

Peritreme ( Fig. 68 ). Extending forward to level between bases of j3 and j1.

Venter ( Fig. 69 ). All shields smooth, sternal shield 59, 57 (55–59) long and 76, 74 (70–78) wide at level of setae ST1–ST3 and ST3–ST3 respectively, with three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; one pair of setae (ST4) on the metasternal plates; posterior margin of sternal shield concave and clearly visible. Distances between ST2–ST2 61, 60 (58–61), ST5–ST5 66, 66 (66–67). One pair of metapodal shields 29, 29 (29–30) long. Ventrianal shield sole-shaped 100, 102 (100–103) long, 47, 48 (45–50) wide at level of ZV2 setae and 50, 51 (50–52) wide at level of anus; with three pairs of pre-anal setae, JV1, JV2 and ZV2, one pair of pre-anal pores near lateral margin of ventrianal shield above the line of anal opening. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with three pairs of setae: ZVl, ZV3 and JV5; the latter 42, 44 (40–47) long, serrated.

Chelicera ( Fig. 70 ). Fixed digit 21, 21 (21–22) long, with three teeth and distinct pilus dentilis; movable digit 23, 22 (22–23) long, with two teeth.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 71 ). Calyx funnel-shaped, flared at the base of vesicle, 7, 7 (6–8) long, distinct major duct arises from nodule-shaped atrium, minor duct not visible.

Legs ( Fig. 72 ). Legs IV with three smooth macrosetae with rounded and hyaline tips and of the following lengths: SgeIV 21, 20 (18–21), StiIV 40, 38 (36–40), StIV 22, 22 (22–23). Chaetotactic formula of genu II: 2–2/0, 2/0–1; genu III: 1–2/1, 2/0–0. Length of leg I: 270, 269 (263–275), leg II: 230, 229 (220–238), leg III: 225, 227 (215–238), leg IV: 400, 394 (378–410).

Male (n = 1). A lightly sclerotised mite with 15 pairs of dorsal setae. Idiosomal setal pattern: 12A: 3A/ JV –3,4: ZV –1,3.

Dorsum. Dorsal shield 210 long and 120 wide, with five pairs of solenostomes (gd1, gd2, gd5, gd8 and gd9); 15 pairs of dorsal setae: j1 17, j3 20, j4 7, j5 7, j6 9, J5 6, z2 10, z3 23, z4 13, z5 8, Z4 30, Z5 35, s4 45, s6 43, r3 28. All setae except j4, j5, j6, J5, z2, z4 and z5 are smooth and short while j1, j3, z3, s4, s6, r3, Z4 and Z5 are long and serrated. Setae s4, s6, Z4, and Z5 are very long.

Peritreme. Extending forward to level between bases of j3 and j1.

Venter ( Fig. 73 ). Sternogenital shield smooth with five pairs of setae and two pair of distinguishable lyrifissures. Ventrianal shield rhombic 90 long, 100 wide at the level of ZV2 setae, 48 wide at the level of anus, anterior lateral line with upward pointed hook, with three pairs of pre-anal setae, JV1, JV2, and ZV2, one pair of pores and a pair of distinguishable lyrifissures. Unsclerotised membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with one pair of setae, JV5, at level below anal opening.

Legs. Leg IV with three smooth macrosetae of following lengths; SgeIV 6, StiIV 6, StIV 16. Chaetotactic formula of genu II: 1 2/1, 2/0 1; genu III: 1 2/0, 2/0 1. Length of leg I: 215, leg II: 190, leg III: 188, leg IV: 265.

Chelicera ( Fig. 74 ). Spermatodactyl with an elongated shaft 12 long, terminating with a foot 6 long with heel and toe.

Type Specimens. Holotype: female (Acar.lab/BCKV/5460/2017) collected from Ber, Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae) at Kalyani: 22° 58’ 30.30” N, 88° 26’ 4.23” E, 11m above mean sea level, Nadia, West Bengal on 25 May 2017; three paratype females (Acar.lab/BCKV/5620–5621, 5336/2017) with same collection data as holotype; two paratype females (Acar.lab/BCKV/8284–8285/2017) with same locality data as holotype, on 19 August 2017. Holotype and two paratype females (Acarol.lab/ BCKV /8284–8285/2017) have been deposited in the National Zoological Collection (NZC), Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata with same collection data as above. One paratype male (Acarol.lab/ BCKV /5619/2017) collected from Ber, Ziziphus mauritiana (Rhamnaceae) with same collection data as holotype female. This paratype male has been deposited in the National Zoological Collection (NZC), Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

Distribution. Asia: India, West Bengal.

Etymology. The specific name mauritiana refers to the plant Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. from where the type specimens were collected.

Remarks. Chant & McMurtry, 1994 recognised three species groups based on the presence or absence of setae J2 and R1: the horridus species group with setae J2 and R1 absent; the plumifer species group with setae J2 and R1 present and the purseglovei species group with setae J2 absent and R1 present. The present species Phytoseius mauritiana belonging to the horridus species group because of the absence of the setae J2 and R1 while the species Phytoseius kapuri Gupta, 1969 belongs to the plumifer species group.

Phytoseius mauritiana is close to P. minutus ( Narayanan, Kaur & Ghai, 1960) , P. corniger ( Wainstein, 1959) , P. namkhanaensis Karmakar & Bhowmik, 2018 and P. roseus ( Gupta, 1969) but the new species differs from P. minutus by its shorter j3 23, Z4 52 and Z5 60 than the latter species j3 67–71 Z4 76–83 and Z5 67–79. The new species differs from the latter species by the absence of J2 setae and shape and size of macrosetae of leg IV, and the spermatheca. The dorsal setae j3 23, s4 76 and Z4 52 of P. mauritiana are much shorter than the setae j3 48, s4 128 and Z4 84 of P. corniger . The new species differs from P. corniger by the shape of the ventrianal shield, which is sole-shaped in the former species and vase-shaped in the latter species. The macrosetae on leg IV of the new species are club-shaped in contrast with the rod-shaped macrosetae on leg IV in the latter species. The dorsal shield setae j3 23, s4 76 and Z4 52 of P. mauritiana are much shorter than j3 (31–40), s4 (99–100) and Z4 (72–78) of P. roseus . The genu, tibia and tarsus of leg IV of the former species have club-shaped macrosetae while in the latter species the genu lacks macrosetae. The new species also differs from the P. namkhanaensis by its concave posterior margin of sternal shield, shape of spermatheca, genital and ventrianal shield.

Figures

FIGURES 68–74. Phytoseius mauritiana sp. nov.. 68. Female, dorsal idiosoma; 69. Female, ventral idiosoma; 70. Female, chelicera; 71. Female, spermatheca; 72. Female, genu, tibia and basitarsus IV; 73. Male, ventral idiosoma; 74. Male, chelicera.