Calacarus kalyaniensis, Debnath, Pranab & Karmakar, Krishna, 2016

Debnath, Pranab & Karmakar, Krishna, 2016, Eriophyoid mites from Eastern India: description of three new species (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea), Zootaxa 4061 (5), pp. 553-568 : 561-563

Calacarus kalyaniensis n. sp.

( Fig. 2 )

Description. FEMALE (n=10). Body fusiform, 238 (201–238), 74 (67–75) wide, dark to blackish in colour. Gnathosoma projecting downwards, 45 (41–45), pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 5 (4–5), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 8 (8–9), simple, subapical pedipalp tarsal seta (v) minute (less than 1). Prodorsal shield suboval, 49 (47–50), 69 (63–69) wide; frontal lobe 5; anterior middle with a hexagonal cell surrounded by smaller cells; median line conspicuous from middle to rear without touching rear shield margin. Admedian lines forming a network of 5 pairs of cells with adjacent submedian lines; other submedian lines forming a series of cells along lateral shield margin; prodorsal shield waxy. Scapular seta (sc) absent; with minute scapular setal tubercles slightly anterior to rear shield margin, 29 (26–30) apart. Legs with all usual segments. Leg I 39 (35–39), femur 13 (12–13), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 14 (12–15); genu 6 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l″) 27 (25–30); tibia 9 (8–9), paraxial tibial seta (l ′) 5 (5– 6); tarsus 8 (7–8), paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ′) 19 (16–21), antaxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft′′) 26 (22–28), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) 5 (4–5); tarsal empodium (em) 5 (4–5), 5-rayed, rays are divided except for distal ray, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (8–9), knobbed. Leg II 33 (31–34), femur 12 (10–12), basiventral femoral seta (bv) 12 (11–13); genu 5 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l″) absent; tibia 6 (6–7), paraxial tibial seta (l ′) absent; tarsus 7 (7–8), paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ′) 8 (7–8), antaxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft′′) 25 (24–29), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) 6 (5– 6); tarsal empodium (em) 6 (5–6), 5-rayed, rays are divided except distal ray, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (8–9), knobbed. Coxal plates ornamented with lines. Anterolateral seta on coxisternum I (1b) 8 (8–9), 15 (13–15) apart; proximal seta on coxisternum I (1a) 13 (11–14), 10 (9–10) apart; proximal seta on coxisternum II (2a) 24 (21–25), 30 (27–31) apart. Sternal line 8 (7–8); coxigenital area with 6 (5–6) annuli. Genital coverflap 28 (23–28) wide, 20 (18–20), basal 1/4th with small dashes and remaining part smooth, proximal seta on coxisternum III (3a) 13 (12– 14), 19 (16–19) apart. Opisthosoma with 78 (74–79) dorsal annuli, microtuberculated, forming one longitudinal median, two sublateral and two lateral wax-bearing ridges extended to the end of opisthosoma. Seta c2 34 (27–36), 55 (53–56) apart, on annulus 3 (3–4); seta d 47 (43– 48), 44 (42–45) apart, on annulus 24 (23–26); seta e 19 (17– 24), 20 (19–21) apart, on annulus 54 (52–54); seta f 19 (18–24), 28 (26–29) apart, on annulus 73 (70–75); 79 (76– 82) ventral annuli, microtuberculated. Seta h2 26 (24–30); seta h1 absent.

MALE. Not known.

Type host plant. Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson ( Asteraceae ).

Relation to host. Vagrant on upper surface of leaves causing no visible damage.

Type locality. Kalyani , India (22°58'56''N, 88°27'32''E).

Material examined. Holotype female (encircled with red ink on slidemount acc. no. AINP /Acar. Lab./ BCKV / 4221/2012), 44 paratype females on Chromolaena odorata, Kalyani , India, coll. P. Debnath, 6.vi.2012. Holotype slide and 44 paratype females (acc. no. AINP /Acar. Lab./ BCKV /4221–4226/2012) on 6 microscopic slides, deposited in the collection of AINP, Acarology Laboratory, BCKV, Kalyani , India; five paratype females (single slide) deposited in the National Zoological collection of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

Etymology. The specific designation kalyaniensis is derived from the name of the type locality, Kalyani , West Bengal; feminine in gender.

Differential diagnosis and remarks. The prodorsal shield design along with five wax-bearing ridges on the opisthosoma of Calacarus kalyaniensis n. sp. brings it close to Calacarus jasmini Chakrabarti and Mondal, 1978 , Calacarus microrostrus Chakrabarti & Ghosh, 1981 and Calacarus pelargonii Keifer, 1974 . However, differences include the presence of a median line on the dorsal shield originating from a fusion of the Y-shaped cross-lines between the admedian lines which are slightly ahead of the posterior half of the prodorsal shield, extending almost to the rear shield margin in C. kalyaniensis sp. n. and C. jasmini , whereas the median line is absent in the other two species ( C. microrostrus and C. pelargonii ). C. kalyaniensis sp. n. can also be distinquished from C. jasmini by the appearance of its admedian lines which are bifurcate at the posterior 1/4 of the shield and also extending and merging with the rear shield margin while in C. jasmini , the outer lines merge with the rear shield margin and the inner lines join together at the end of median line.

The paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) is present in the new species and in C. pelargonii , but this is absent in C. jasmini and C. microrostrus . Both C. kalyaniensis n. sp. and C. jasmini have 5-rayed empodia while C. microrostrus and C. pelargonii are with 7-rayed and 6-rayed empodia, respectively.

C. kalyaniensis n. sp. is distinctive in having the genital coverflap of the female covered with small dashes basally (up to ¼) with the remaining region being smooth. In contrast, C. jasmini has a genital coverflap which has 15–17 longitudinal lines while this is smooth in C. microrostrus and scattered with short dashes basally and apically in C. pelargonii .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Semi-schematic drawings of Calacarus kalyaniensis n. sp. D. Dorsal habitus, female; L. Lateral habitus, female; CG. Coxigenital region, female; IG. L 1. Leg I, female; L 2 Leg II, female; em. Empodium.