Neoseiulus cipoensis Ferragut, 2022

Ferragut, Francisco & Navia, Denise, 2022, The genus Neoseiulus Hughes (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) in the Espinhaço Range, a great reservoir of biodiversity in Brazil, Zootaxa 5120 (4), pp. 523-542 : 527-529

Neoseiulus cipoensis Ferragut sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype female on Vellozia glabra (Velloziaceae) ; pedestrian grasslands, crossroad MG-010 with track Morro do Pilar , Morro do Pilar , Serra do Cipó, 19º13’12”S, 43º29’04”W, 1290 m asl; 13 August 2011 . One female paratype on Vellozia gigantea (Velloziaceae) , pedestrian grasslands, Serra do Cipó, 19º14’12”S, 43º29’04”W, 1315 m asl; 17 August 2011. Holotype female deposited in the Mite collection of the ESALQ-USP (Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil); the female paratype in the Instituto Agroforestal Mediterráneo, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.

Diagnosis. Female dorsal shield elongated, wider at the level of setae S4. Dorsal surface reticulate, with only one pair of solenostomes (gd9). Dorsal setae relatively short, except S4, S5, Z4, Z5, at least twice as long as the remaining dorsals. Setae S4 longer than Z4; S5 similar in length to Z4. Peritremes ending near the base of setae j3. Sternal shield longer than wide, reticulated; anterior margin bilobed, posterior margin straight. Epigynal shield longitudinally striated-reticulated. Ventrianal shield pentagonal, laterally concave posterior to setae ZV2; surface transversally striate anterior to crescentic pre-anal pores, reticulate around the anal opening. Calyx of the spermatheca bell-shaped, wider than long. Cheliceral fixed digit with one subapical tooth and two posterior teeth; movable digit with three teeth. Genu II with 7 setae; leg IV with one pointed macroseta on basitarsus.

Description. Female (n=2) ( Figures 1–5 ). Dorsal and lateral idiosoma ( Figure 1 ). Dorsal shield elongate, broader at the level of opisthosoma; 323, 334 (323–344) long, 146, 149 (146–152) wide at level of s4, 166, 171 (166–175) at level of S4. Dorsal surface reticulate, with a transversal series of pentagonal and hexagonal cells behind setae J2. Dorsal adenotaxy reduced to the solenostome gd9 placed anteroparaxial to setae S5. Sixteen pairs of poroids; poroids is1 and idl 1 in marginal position and prominent. Dorsal setae relatively short, except S4, S5, Z4 and Z5; S4 longer than Z4 (30–31 and 23–25, respectively), S5 similar in length to Z4. All setae smooth and pointed, except Z5 sparsely barbed and J5 basally barbed. Setae j1 13, 13 (12–13); j3 14, 15 (14–16); j4 12, 12 (11–12); j5 12; j6 12, 13 (12–13); J2 14, 13 (12–14); J5 11, 11 (10–11); z2 13, 13 (12–13); z4 13, 15 (13–16); z5 12, 12 (11–12); Z1 14, 16 (14–17); Z4 23, 24 (23–25); Z5 52, 51 (50–52); s4 18, 18 (17–18); S2 15, 17 (15–18); S4 31, 31 (30–31); S5 27, 27 (26–27). Sublateral setae r3 and R1 subequal; r3 15, 14 (13–15), R1 15, 15 (14–15). The female holotype has on the lateral integument of the right side an additional seta (probably r5). All sublateral setae on microsclerites. Peritremes 166, 159 (152–166) long, almost reaching the base of j3. Peritremal groove with 2–3 rows of microvilli. Solenostome gd3 not visible.

Ventral idiosoma ( Figure 2 ). Base of tritosternum 11, 11 (10–11) wide, total tritosternum length 81, 74 (76–81), laciniae 47, 45 (42–47). Sternal shield longer than wide, 70, 71 (70–71) long, 60 wide. Anterior margin of the shield bilobed, without ornamented presternal area; posterior margin straight, setae st3 placed on posterolateral projections of the shield. Surface of the shield reticulate, with elongated cells in the central area. Distance st1–st3 67, 66 (65– 67), distance st2–st2 49, 50 (49–50); setae st2 placed on a posterior position on the shield, rendering the separation between st1 and st2 noticeable, distance st1–st2 39, 40 (39–40). Setae st4 on metasternal platelets, platelets scarcely sclerotised, difficult to discern. Laterals of epigynal shield longitudinally striated-reticulated, forming elongated and irregular cells; 118, 120 (118–122) long, 67, 68 (67–68) wide at posterior corners; distance st5–st5 60, 61 (60–61). Ventrianal shield pentagonal, with laterals concave posterior to the sockets of setae ZV2. Shield 110, 114 (110–117) long, 90, 92 (90–93) wide at level of ZV2, 65, 68 (65–70) wide at level of anus. Anterior part with spaced transversal striae; posterior part striate-reticulated. Lateral muscle marks at level of anus. Pre-anal pores crescentic, distance 20, 22 (20–23). Anterior (secondary) metapodal plate bacillar 11, 12 (11–12) long, posterior (primary) boomerangtyped 28, 29 (28–30) long. Four pairs of setae surrounding the shield, all placed on microsclerites. Setae JV5 smooth and blunt 42, 40 (37–42).

Spermathecal apparatus ( Figure 3 ). Major duct tubular; atrium simple centered at the base of calyx; calyx bellshaped with thin walls, 8, 9 (8–9) long, 14, 13 (12–14) wide next to the vesicle.

Gnathosoma ( Figure 4 ). Tectum dome-shaped, the dome forms an angle of about 48º with the base of gnathotectum. Gnathosomal base 73, 72 (70 – 73); length of first cheliceral segment 22, 21 (20–22), of the second segment 67. Setae h1 17, 18 (17–19); h2 16; h3 15, 16 (15–16); pc 17, 18 (17–19). Fixed digit of chelicera 23, with one strong subapical tooth more prominent than the apex and two smaller teeth anterior to pilus dentilis; movable digit 25, 26 (25–26), with three teeth. Palps 77, 75 (72–77) long.

Legs ( Figure 5 ). Leg I 243, 243 (242–243); leg II 186, 185 (183–186); leg III 190, 188 (186–190); leg IV 249, 248 (246–249). Genua II and III with 7 setae; setal formula of genu II (2 2/0, 2/0 1), of genu III (1 2/1, 2/0 1); tibia I with 10 setae (2 2/1, 2/1 2). Macroseta on basitarsus IV pointed, 31, 33 (31–34) long.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The new species N. cipoensis is named after the mountain range in which it was collected (Serra do Cipó). We hope that this will serve to drawn attention and to enhance the environmental protection policy that this amazing region deserves and to encourage future acarological prospections.

Taxonomic relationships. Neoseiulus cipoensis sp. nov. can be placed in the cucumeris species group and the cucumeris species subgroup according to the division of the genus by Chant and McMurtry (2003). Among the extensive list of species in the subgroup cucumeris, the new species is morphologically more related to N. byssus Denmark & Knisley, N. dieteri (Schicha) , N. helmi (Schicha) , N. ilicis Denmark & Evans, N. perspectus (Kolodochka) , N. reticuloides (Wainstein) and N. smithmeyerae Ueckermann, Moraes & Zannou. All these species have most of dorsal setae relatively short, except S4, S5, Z4 and Z5, which are conspicuously longer and the calyx of the spermatheca is cup or bell shaped. The new species can be easily differentiated from those taxa by examining the number of dorsal solenostomes, the number of macrosetae on leg IV, the shape and position of pre-anal pores and the ratio of the setae Z4 / S4. All these characters and the differences among species are included in Table 1 .

The most noticeable feature of the dorsal surface is the relative length of dorsal setae. In this species setae S4, S5, Z4 and Z5 are two to three times longer than the remaining dorsal setae. Furthermore, setae S4 are longer than Z4, an uncommon character in the genus Neoseiulus ; only N. perspectus shares this trait, but this species bears 5 pairs of dorsal solenostomes, three macrosetae on leg IV and the shape and position of pre-anal pores are different ( Table 1 ).

The general habitus and the spermatheca of the new species also resemble of that N. californicus . However, both species differ by the length of dorsal setae, the number of dorsal solenostomes and the number of macrosetae on leg IV. Neoseiulus californicus has three instead of one dorsal solenostomes, three instead of one macrosetae on leg IV and the dorsal setae on the podonotum are noticeable longer than in N. cipoensis sp. nov. In the new species, setae S4 and S5 are 2.3–2.6 times longer than setae j4–j6, while in N. californicus S4 and S5 are only 1.1–1.6 times longer than setae j4–j6 (data retrieved from Beaulieu & Beard, 2018).

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Neoseiulus cipoensis sp. nov., female. 1. Dorsal and lateral idiosoma; 2. Ventral idiosoma; 3. Spermatheca; 4. Chelicera; 5. Leg IV, tibia and basitarsus.