Pachylaelaps meganalis, Halliday, R. B., 2005

Halliday, R. B., 2005, Predatory mites from crops and pastures in South Africa: potential natural enemies of redlegged earth mite Halotydeus destructor (Acari: Penthaleidae), Zootaxa 1079, pp. 11-64 : 48-49

Pachylaelaps meganalis sp. nov. ( Figs 43–47 )

Specimens examined

Holotype female, Hermanus, 28.viii.1994, T. K. Qin, site 30–31 (= 94­31), clover, Oxalis sp., capeweed, grass. Paratype, 1 female, same data as holotype.

Description

Female

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 43 ). Dorsal shield length 416–442 µm, width 279–292 µm, smooth, with 29 pairs of smooth pointed setae, J5 minute, Z3 longest.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 44 ). Tritosternum with rectangular base and pilose laciniae. Fused sternal­metasternal shield with heavily sclerotised anterior margin with a pair of horns, shield with polygonal ornamentation throughout, four pairs of smooth pointed setae and three pairs of pores. Geniti­ventral shield with indistinct polygonal ornamentation and three pairs of smooth pointed setae. Anal shield much wider than long (width 129–132 µm, length 58–60 µm), para­anal setae and post­anal seta short, smooth, pointed. Peritrematal shield fused with wide exopodal shields behind coxae IV; stigmata between coxae III and IV, peritremes extending to anterior margin of coxae II. Unsclerotised opisthogastric integument with about 3 pairs of smooth setae.

Gnathosoma . Epistome with a broad central projection, deeply subdivided distally, and serrated lateral margins ( Fig. 45 ). Fixed digit of chelicera with a triangular distal tooth, pilus dentilus, and triangular proximal tooth, dorsal seta erect. Movable digit with a small distal tooth and a robust proximal tooth, arthrodial brush covered by a membranous flap ( Fig. 46 ). Hypostomal groove with 6 transverse rows of denticles, ca. 12 denticles per row ( Fig. 47 ). Anterior hypostomal seta and interior posterior hypostomal seta long, ca. 30 µm, exterior posterior hypostomal seta and palp coxal seta shorter, ca. 15 µm. Corniculae long, extending to anterior margin of palp trochanter; internal malae long, fine, external malae fringed; palp tarsal claw 3­tined.

Legs. Chaetotaxy: Leg I: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 1/1 0/2 1; femur 2 3/2 2/2 2; genu 2 3/2 3/2 2; tibia 2 3/2 2/1 2. Leg II: coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/1 0/2 1; femur 2 3/2 2/1 1; genu 2 3/1 2/1 2; tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. Leg III: coxa 0 0/ 1 0/1 0; trochanter 1 0/1 0/2 1; femur 1 2/1 1/0 1; genu 1 2/1 2/0 1; tibia 1 1/1 2/1 1; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. Leg IV: coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0; trochanter 1 0/1 0/2 1; femur 1 2/0 1/1 1; genu 1 2/1 2/0 1; tibia 1 1/1 2/1 1; tarsus 3 3/2 3/2 3 + mv, md. Tarsus II with a single distal Notes

Five species of Pachylaelaps have been described from South Africa. The present species is clearly different from the two species described by Ryke & Meyer (1958), on the basis of its very wide anal shield. The three species described from the Cape of Good Hope by Berlese (1910, 1921) cannot be recognised from their descriptions, so they cannot be compared with the present specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 43 – 47. Pachylaelaps meganalis sp. nov., female. 43. dorsal idiosoma; 44. ventral idiosoma; 45. epistome; 46. chelicera; 47. hypostome. Scale bar = 100 µm for 43, 44, 80 µm for 45, 46, 47.