Cheiroseius Berlese, 1916

Bhattacharyya, Asit K. & Bhattacharyya, Sisir K., 2004, Two new species of the genus Cheiroseius Berlese, 1916 (Ascidae: Mesostigmata) from the Indian Thar Desert, Zootaxa 403 (1), pp. 1-11 : 2

Genus Cheiroseius Berlese

1843. Sejus Koch, Ubersich des Arachnidensystems, Heft 3: 92.

1916. Cheiroseius Berlese , Redia, 12: 33, 40.

1918. Episeius Hull, Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle­upon­Tyne, 5: 63.

1938. Episiella Willmann, Annales Historiconaturales Musei Nationalis Hungarci, Zoologie, 31: 167.

1960. Sejus, Evans & Hyatt , Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Zoology, 6: 27, 49.

1971. Sejus, Karg, Die Tierwelt Deutschlands, 59: 253.

1981. Cheiroseius (Posttrematus) Karg, Zoologische Jahrbuscher Systematik, 108: 51.

Type­species: Sejus unguiculatus Berlese, 1887

Distribution of genus: INDIA: Rajasthan, Sikkim, West Bengal. ELSEWHERE: Argentina, Australia, China, Cuba, Galapagos Island, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, Nepal, South Africa, U.K., U.S.A.

Key to the Indian species of the genus Cheiroseius

1. Setae J5 serrated ........................................................................... rajasthanicus sp. nov.

­ Setae J5 simple ............................................................................................................. 2

2. Sternal shield with semicircular marking anteriorly .................................................... 3 ­ Sternal shield without any such marking ..................................................................... 4

3. Ventri­anal shield broadly triangular, with 9 setae ............................................. curtipes ­ Ventri­anal shield broadly oval, with 7 setae ......................................... ovalis sp. nov.

4. Vertex well­developed; some dorsal setae borne on raised tubercles ................ indicus ­ Vertex not well­developed; all dorsal setae borne on raised tubercles .......... nepalensis