Maxinia Lindquist & Makarova

De Moraes, Gilberto J., Britto, Erika P. J., Mineiro, Jefferson L. De C. & Halliday, Bruce, 2016, Catalogue of the mite families Ascidae Voigts & Oudemans, Blattisociidae Garman and Melicharidae Hirschmann (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 4112 (1), pp. 1-299 : 26-27

Maxinia Lindquist & Makarova

FEMALE

Gnathosoma. Anterior margin of epistome usually with three (occasionally with two) truncate and distally denticulate projections; sometimes irregularly serrate. Seta h3 longer than h1, h2 and pc setae, which have similar lengths; insertion of h2 slightly posterior to insertion of h3. Inner palp trochanter seta slightly longer than outer seta but not elongate. Deutosternum moderately narrow, with delimiting parallel lateral lines and seven rows of 2–7 denticles each. Corniculi about as long as their basal widths, with pointed tips, subparallel. Palp tarsal apotele twotined. Fixed cheliceral digit slightly shorter than movable digit; the former with five teeth in addition to apical tooth; the latter with two teeth in addition to apical tooth, without ventral projection.

Idiosoma. Ovoid. Dorsum: podonotal and opisthonotal shields fused, ornamented, without distinct lateral incisions, transverse lines, delineated strip along lateral margins, or posterior tubercles; anterior end of dorsal shield not strongly deflexed. No supernumerary setae on dorsal shield or on unsclerotised lateral cuticle. Podonotal region of shield usually with 18 pairs of setae; z1, s1 and s2 sometimes symmetrically or asymmetrically absent; setae j1, j2 and z1 not in transverse line along anterior margin of dorsal shield. Opisthonotal region of shield with 14 pairs of setae (S2 absent). Unsclerotised lateral cuticle with ten pairs of setae, including r3, which is similar to neighbouring setae; UR setae absent. Dorsal and lateral setae of idiosoma of similar lengths, short, acicular and smooth. Venter: with a pair of presternal platelets not fused with sternal shield. Sternal shield with three pairs of setae of similar lengths (st1–st3) and three pairs of lyrifissures (iv1–iv3; the latter on posterior shield margin, which is truncate or slightly concave); st2 slightly closer to st3 than to st1; in some specimens, vestiges of pore gv1 present immediately behind sternal shield. Seta st4 inserted on unsclerotised cuticle. Genital shield not narrow, widening posteriorly but not wide enough to include iv5 or st5; posterior region slightly convex. Discrete metapodal plates absent. With two pairs of elongate platelets between genital and ventrianal shields. Opisthogaster with eight pairs of setae in addition to circumanal setae, of which six pairs on broad, subtriangular ventrianal shield, which has concave anterior margin (Zv1 absent); para-anal setae inserted at level of anterior margin of anal opening, as long as post-anal seta; the latter not stout. Anal opening small (1/8 of ventrianal shield length), separated from posterior shield margin. Endopodal shield fused with sternal shield in region between coxae I–II, reduced to an elongate platelet between coxae II–III, and to a large plate behind sternal shield. Exopodal shield distinct between coxae II–IV, fragmented.

Peritreme. Extending from stigma at most to mid-level of coxa I; about as wide as diameter of stigma. Peritrematic shield wide, fused with dorsal shield at level of z1 and contiguous with exopodal shield along most of its extent; extending posteriorly around coxa IV, where it is broadly fused with exopodal shield.

Legs. All legs with pretarsi. Setation of legs I–IV, femur: 12, 11, 6, 6; genu: 12, 10, 7, 7; tibia: 12, 9, 7, 7. Leg II not distinctly different from other legs. Legs without macrosetae. Tarsi II–IV with al1, pl1, ad2 and pd2 not elongate.

MALE

Gnathosoma similar to female, but fixed cheliceral digit with 3–4 teeth in addition to apical tooth, movable digit with one tooth in addition to apical tooth; spermatodactyl about as long as movable digit, directed forward, tapering, slightly sinuous. Dorsal shield ornamentation similar to female, but shield relatively broader, including all r - R setae . Shape and relative lengths of dorsal setae similar to female. Presternal platelets fused with sternogenital shield. Sternogenital shield with five pairs of setae (st1–st5) and two pairs of lyrifissures (iv1–iv2); not fused with ventrianal shield, abutting extension of peritrematic shield behind coxa IV; posterior margin usually slightly convex. Ventrianal shield broad, triangular, covering most of the opisthogastric surface, including six pairs of setae in addition to circumanal setae. Endopodal shield totally fused with sternogenital shield, or section of endopodal shield beside coxa IV fused with sternogenital shield only by anterior end. Peritreme similar to female. Legs without spine-shaped setae.