Veigaia sisiri, Bhattacharyya, Asit K., 2006

Bhattacharyya, Asit K., 2006, Two new species of Ve i g a i a Oudemans (Acari: Veigaiidae) from India, Zootaxa 1329, pp. 29-37 : 33-36

Veigaia sisiri sp. nov. ( Figs. 9–13)

Material examined. Holotype female, Matella, Almora, Uttaranchal; ex. soil under grass; 12 April 1971; Sisir K. Bhattacharyya coll. Paratypes: 2 females, collection details same as holotype.

Diagnosis: Schizodorsal shield with 39 pairs of setae; suture directed strongly backward, sharply pointed terminally; setae j 1 and r 3 minutely pilose; setae anterior to suture simple; sternal setae st 1 on sternal shield; anterior projection of genital shield extending over posteromedian margin of sternal shield; median projection of gnathotectum plumose apically; fixed cheliceral digit with sub-apical tooth; genu of pedipalp with a pair of comb-like setae.

Description

Female

Dorsal idiosoma. Dorsal shield 680 µm long, 420 µm wide at widest point, with 39 pairs of setae, 22 pairs on anterior region and 17 pairs on posterior region; incision wider laterally, gradually narrowing towards tip; incision sharply pointed backward, tips reaching to mid-level of setae J 2; setae j 1 (75 µm) and r 3 (135 µm) minutely pilose; setae z 4 and z 5 subequal (70 µm) in length; setae posterior to incision simple and almost uniform in length; opisthonotal shield truncate posteriorly; dorsal complement of poroids as in fig. 9. Peritreme extending anteriorly well beyond setae j 1.

Ventral idiosoma. Tritosternum biramous, length of laciniae equal to length of tritosternal base. Pre-sternal shields paired, broadly triangular. Sternal shield (175 µm long, 195 µm wide at widest point) reticulated and lineated as in fig. 10, truncate anteriorly, with three pairs of setae; sternal setae st 1 -st 2 subequal. Metasternal shields fused broadly with genital shield laterally, with paired setae. Genital shield smooth, fused with ventral plate, with a characteristic bean-shaped marking on its anterior region. Anterior projection of genital shield extending over posterior margin of sternal shield in a radiating pattern. Ventral plate smooth, strongly concave posteriorly, not fused with peritrematal plate, with eight solenostomes arranged in two rows. Anal shield with paired para-anal setae and a post-anal setae. Soft cuticle around anal shield with five pairs of setae. Stigma small, at level of coxae IV; peritreme narrow, curved terminally.

Gnathosoma . Gnathotectum basically trifid ( Fig. 11); median projection gradually narrowing anteriorly, plumose apically; lateral projection irregularly serrate. Ventrally gnathosoma with 7–8 rows of hypognathal denticles. Genu of pedipalp with two comb-like anterolateral setae, one more prominent than the other ( Fig. 12). Other gnathosomal characters typical for the genus. Chelicerae long, slender; movable digit with one large and two small teeth ( Fig. 13); dentition of fixed cheliceral digit as figured.

Legs. Legs I–IV with well-developed pulvilli and claws; other characters of legs typical for the genus.

Male: Unknown.

Notes. Veigaia sisiri sp. nov. is very similar to V. c e r v a ( Kramer, 1876), with which it shares the following characters: the nature of dorsal shield incision, presence of a conspicuous marking on the genital shield, and the shape of the ventral plate and gnathotectum, However, V. sisiri can be easily differentiated from related species in the following aspects: the pilose nature of setae j 1 and r 3, position of the pre-sternal shields, shape of the metasternal shield, shape of the anterior region of genital shield, absence of metapodal shields, dentition of the chelicerae, and the presence of comb-like setae on palpal genu.

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Sisir K. Bhattacharyya, the noted Indian acarologist, in recognition of his valuable contributions to the knowledge of Indian soil mesostigmatid mites.