Mesoshieldophyes varecae Chakrabarti & Pandit

Chakrabarti, Samiran, Pandit, Ramkrishna & Sur, Surajit, 2019, New genera, a new species, and a key to the genera of Ashieldophyinae (Acari, Eriophyoidea) from India, ZooKeys 843, pp. 39-49 : 44-46

Mesoshieldophyes varecae Chakrabarti & Pandit sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Body fusiform; pedipalp genual seta d absent; prodorsal shield semi-circular; scapular setae sc absent; femoral setae bv on leg I absent; genual setae lʺ on leg II absent; solenidion ω knobbed; opisthosoma with equal number of granulated dorsal and ventral semiannuli; setae 1b present.

Description.

Female (n=12). Body fusiform, yellow colour in life, dorso-ventrally flattened; 140 (120-145) and 50 (45-50) wide. Gnathosoma 15 (14-15) projecting obliquely down-wards, dorsal pedipalp genual setae d absent, setae ep 1 (1-2); chelicerae 13 (13-15). Prodorsal shield semicircular, without lobe, 14 (18-20) and 43 (40-43) wide with granules, lacking scapular tubercles and setae sc.Leg I from base of trochanter 20 (20-21), femur 7 (7-8), femoral setae bv absent, genu 3 (2-3), genual setae l″ 20 (21-23), tibia 4 (3-4), tibial setae l′ 10 (10-12), tarsus 5 (3-5), tarsal setae ft′ and ft″ both 12 (10-12), solenidion ω 4 (3-4), straight and knobbed; empodium em 4 (4-5), simple, 4-rayed; setae u′ 2 (2-3). Leg II from base of trochanter 18 (18-20); femur 6 (5-6), femoral setae bv 5 (5-6), genu 2 (2-3), genual setae l″ absent, tibia 3 (3-4), tibial setae l′ absent, tarsus 4 (3-4), tarsal setae ft′ 8 (8-10), ft″ 12 (10-12); solenidion ω 8 (7-8), straight and knobbed; empodium em 4 (4-5), simple, 4-rayed; setae u′ 2 (2-3). Coxigenital area smooth; sternal line absent, coxae widely separated, setae 1b 2 (2-3) and 5 (5-6) apart, setae 1a 8 (8-9) and 7 (7-8) apart, setae 2a 13 (13-15) and 18 (18-20) apart. Opisthosoma dorsally flat, with equal number of dorsal and ventral semiannuli, 21 (20-21), both dorsal and ventral semiannuli ornamented with fine granules; setae c2 10 (7-11) on ventral semiannulus 2 (2-3), setae d and e absent, setae f 14 (12-15) on ventral semiannulus 7 (6-7) from rear margin; setae h1 absent, setae h2 12 (12-14). Genital cover flap 6 (5-6) and 16 (17-18) wide, triangular and smooth; setae 3a 7 (6-7). Internal genitalia apodeme short, spermathecae globose with short, funnel-like spermathecal tubes.

Male. Not observed.

Type host plant.

Casearia vareca Roxb. ( Salicaceae ).

Relation to the host plant.

The mites inhabit the under surface of leaves as vagrants without showing symptoms of damage to the host plant.

Type locality.

India: West Bengal: Darjeeling, Bengdubi Forest (26°42′30.1″N, 88°25′36.7″E), 163 m above sea level, 03.II.2015, coll. S Chakrabarti, R Pandit, S Sarkar.

Type material.

Holotype: female marked on slide (no. 1294/N11/2015); paratypes: 2 females on slide bearing holotype and 36 females, larvae and nymphs on 10 slides (nos. 1295-1304/N11/2015).

Etymology.

The species name varecae is from the specific designation of the host plant in the genitive case.