Neorhynacus bidhanae, 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 : 563-565

Neorhynacus bidhanae n. sp.

( Fig. 3 )

Description. FEMALE (n=10). Body fusiform, 233 (209–241), 81 (75–83) wide, reddish colour in life. Gnathosoma projecting downwards, 41 (39–42), pedipalp coxal seta (ep) 2 (2–3), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) 9 (9–11), simple, subapical pedipalp tarsal seta (v) minute (less than 1). Prodorsal shield suboval, 27 (26–30), 63 (57–64) wide, with network of cells formed by fusion of median, admedian and submedian lines; cells arranged in three transverse rows: 10 cells at anterior, six in middle and four at posterior. Scapular tubercles slightly anterior of rear shield margin, setae (sc) 6 (6–7), directed centrad and upwards, 25 (23–27) apart. Legs with all usual segments. Leg I 38 (35–39), femur 10 (10–11), basiventral femoral seta (bv) absent; genu 6 (5–6), antaxial genual seta (l″) 36 (35–40); tibia 7 (7–8), paraxial tibial seta (l ′) 5 (4–5); tarsus 12 (10–12), paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ′) 37 (33–40), antaxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft′′) 37 (34–37), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) 7 (7); tarsal empodium (em) 8 (8–9), deeply divided, each branch 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 9 (7–9), knobbed. Leg II 38 (34–38), femur 12 (9–12), basiventral femoral seta (bv) absent; genu 5 (5), antaxial genual seta (l″) absent; tibia 6 (6–7), paraxial tibial seta (l ′) absent; tarsus 11 (10–11), paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ′) 8 (7–8), antaxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft′′) 37 (32–37), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) 7 (7); tarsal empodium (em) 7 (7–8) deeply divided, each branch 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) 8 (7–8), knobbed. Coxal plates smooth; anterolateral seta on coxisternum I (1b) 10 (9–11), 16 (16–17) apart; proximal seta on coxisternum I (1a) 38 (35–39), 6 (6–8) apart; proximal seta on coxisternum II (2a) 48 (46–51), 26 (25–29) apart. Sternal line 12 (10–13); coxigenital with 8 (8) microtuberculate annuli. Genital coverflap 26 (25–26) wide, 16 (15–16), smooth, proximal seta on coxisternum III (3a) 7 (7–8), 19 (18–20) apart. Opisthosoma with 74 (71–78) dorsal annuli, microtuberculated; anterior dorsal opisthosoma with wide median ridge extended to 18–21 annuli, seta c2 absent; seta d 45 (43–50), 47 (41–49) apart, on annulus 18 (16–19); seta e 9 (9–10), 25 (20–26) apart, on annulus 40 (37–41); seta f 40 (34–42), 27 (23–28) apart, on annulus 70 (65–72); 80 (74–81) ventral annuli, microtuberculated. Seta h2 62 (60–71); seta h1 minute.

MALE (n=4). Body fusiform, (196–230), (67–72) wide, reddish in colour. Gnathosoma projecting downwards, (25–29), pedipalp coxal seta (ep) (2–3), dorsal pedipalp genual seta (d) (9–10), simple, subapical pedipalp tarsal seta (v) minute less than 1. Prodorsal shield as in female, (24–27), (46–51) wide; scapular tubercles slightly ahead of rear shield margin, setae (sc) 5–6, directed inwards, 18–21 apart. Legs as in female. Leg I (31– 35), femur (10–11), basiventral femoral seta (bv) absent; genu (5), antaxial genual seta (l″) (27–34); tibia (6–7), paraxial tibial seta (l ′) (4–5); tarsus (9–10), paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ′) (26–30), antaxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft′′) (28–31), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) (5–6); tarsal empodium (em) (7–8), deeply divided, each branch 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) (7–8), knobbed. Leg II (28–31), femur (9–10), basiventral femoral seta (bv) absent; genu (4–5), antaxial genual seta (l″) absent; tibia (6), paraxial tibial seta (l ′) absent; tarsus (7–8), paraxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft ′) (7–8), antaxial fastigial tarsal seta (ft′′) (25–29), paraxial unguinal tarsal seta (u ′) (6–7); tarsal empodium (em) (6–7) deeply divided, each branch 5-rayed, tarsal solenidion (ω) (6–7), knobbed. Coxal plates smooth. Anterolateral seta on coxisternum I (1b) (9–10), (13–15) apart; proximal seta on coxisternum I (1a) (19– 24), (6–8) apart; proximal seta on coxisternum II (2a) (30–34), (21–25) apart. Sternal line (9–11); coxigenital annuli (7–8). Genital coverflap (14–15), (20–23) wide, eugenital seta minute, ornamented with granules between proximal seta on coxisternum III (3a) (6–7), (14–16) apart. Opisthosoma as in female, (57–65) dorsal annuli, microtuberculated; seta c2 absent; seta d (37–43), (35–39)apart, on annulus (12–14); seta e (9–10), (18–22) apart, on annulus (29–33); seta f (30–36), (21–24) apart, on annulus (56–761); (65–72) ventral annuli, microtuberculated. Seta h2 (51–57), seta h1 minute.

Type host plant. Croton caudatus Geiseler (Euphorbiaceae) .

Relation to host. Vagrant on lower leaf surface of leaf; no visible damage observed.

Type locality. Khandagiri, Orissa, India (20°15'43''N, 85°47'04''E).

Type material. Holotype female (encircled with red ink on slide acc. no. AINP /Acar. Lab./ BCKV /4181/2012), 26 paratype females and 4 paratype males collected from Croton caudatus, Khandagiri , Orissa, India by K. Karmakar on 19.x.2011. Holotype slide and 26 paratype female and 4 paratype males on 6 microscopic slides (same data as holotype; acc. no. AINP /Acar. Lab./ BCKV /4181–4186/2012) deposited in the collection of AINP, Acarology Laboratory, BCKV, Kalyani , India. Six paratype females on a single slide deposited in the National Zoological Collection of Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

Etymology. We take pleasure in naming this species bidhanae , after the name of our Alma Mater, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya; feminine in gender.

Differential diagnosis and remarks. Neorhynacus bidhanae n. sp. is the third species assigned to this genus. It is characterised by having a prodorsal shield design comprised of a network of cells aligned in three transverse rows: a series of 10 cells extending along the anterolateral margin; middle series with six cells and four cells located along the rear shield margin. It differs from Neorhynacus rajendrani Mohanasundaram, (1981) which has 12 cells along the anterolateral margin, eight cells along the middle series and four cells located along the rear shield margin. Neorhynacus lakoochii Pandit and Chakrabarti, (2007) differs from N. bidhanae sp. n. by having: 12 cells along the anterolateral margin, eight cells along middle series and six cells along the rear shield margin. In the case of N. bidhanae n. sp., the paraxial tibial seta l ′ (5) is much shorter than the paraxial tibial seta l ′ (23) of N. rajendrani and in N. lakoochii it is absent. The genital coverflap of N. bidhanae n. sp. is smooth like that of N. lakoochii . Whereas, the basal part of the genital coverflap of N. rajendrani is granular with short dots and strokes.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Semi-schematic drawings of Neorhynacus bidhanae n. sp. D. Dorsal habitus, female; L. Lateral habitus, female; CG. Coxigenital region, female; IG. CGM. Coxigenital region, male; L 1. Leg I, female; L 2. Leg II, female; em. Empodium.