Callopistiella

Fuente, María Carolina Silva-De La, Paredes-León, Ricardo, Casanueva, María Eugenia, Escobar-Huerta, Gustavo & Salas, Lucila Moreno, 2015, A new genus and species of pterygosomatid mite (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) parasitizing Callopistes maculatus (Squamata: Teiidae) from Chile, Zootaxa 3972 (1), pp. 65-74 : 66-67

Genus Callopistiella Silva-de la Fuente, Casanueva & Moreno, gen. nov

Type species. Callopistiella atacamensis Silva-de la Fuente, Casanueva and Moreno sp. nov., by original designation.

Diagnosis. FEMALE: Hypostome without velum; chelicerae proximally globose and very thin distally ending in movable digit curved outward with 2 tiny teeth on tips; fixed digit reduced to membranous and sparsely serrate structure. Seta 2c present, situated proximally to 2b on coxal fields II. Tarsus I with seta ft nude and 2 times longer than solenidion ω2. Moderate hypertrichy present around genital area. LARVA. Tarsus I with solenidion ω2. Tibia I without solenidion φ.

Differential diagnosis. Callopistiella gen. nov. resembles Pimeliaphilus and Bertrandiella in shape of the idiosoma, which is longer than wide, and the pectinate dorsal idiosomal setae.

This new genus is closely related to Pimeliaphilus . In both genera, setae c3 are absent, setae 4c are pectinate, seta v on the palp tibia is nude and long, robust and curved tibial claw. Females Callopistiella gen. nov. differ from those of Pimeliaphilus by the following character states: the movable cheliceral digit is curved outward, with two tiny teeth on the tips; the fixed cheliceral digit is reduced to a membranous and sparsely serrate structure, the membranous vellum on the tip of the hypostome is absent, the rostral flange on the hypostome is absent, solenidion ω1 on tarsus I is absent, seta ft is longer than solenidion ω1 and filiform. In females of Pimeliaphilus , the movable and fixed cheliceral digits are long and spine-like, the membranous vellum on the tip of the hypostome is present, the rostral flange on hypostoma is present, solenidion ω1 is present on tarsi I, seta ft is shorter than solenidion ω1, spiniform and strongly reduced. In larvae of Callopistiella gen. nov., solenidion φ1 on tibiae I is absent (vs. present in Pimeliaphilus ).

This new genus is closely related to Bertrandiella in that the membranous vellum on the tip and the rostral flange of the hypostome are absent, setal bases vi and ve are close to each other, solenidion ω1 on tarsus I is absent (except B. griseldae Paredes-León et al. 2013 ), and solenidion φ on tibia I of larva is absent.

Females Callopistiella gen. nov. differ from those of Bertrandiella by the following character states: the movable cheliceral digit is curved outward, with two tiny teeth on the tips, the fixed cheliceral digit is reduced to a membranous and sparsely serrate structure, seta v of the palp tibia is nude, seta ft is longer than solenidion ω1 and filiform, the prodorsal shield has one pair of setae (vi). In males of Callopistiella gen. nov., only solenidion ω2 is present on tarsus I, the prodorsal shield bears tree pairs of setae (ve, vi, and sci). In females of Bertrandiella , fixed digit as a weakly spinous seta-like or branched process and movable digit distorted to project laterally and may have one or two teeth, the fixed cheliceral digit is as a weakly spinous seta-like or branched process, seta v on the palp tibia has a nude stalk ending in the thick brush-like structure, solenidion ω1 is present on tarsi I only in two species but strongly reduced, seta ft is shorter or subequal to ω1, peripectinate, the prodorsal shield bears three pairs of setae (vi, ve and sci). In males, solenidia ω1-2 are present, four pairs of setae are present on the prodorsal shield (ve, vi, sci and c1).

Host range. Mites of this genus are associated with teiid lizard Callopistes maculatus .

Etymology. The name of this genus is derived from the host generic name.