Typhlodromips scleroticus De Leon, 1966

Kreiter, Serge & Douin, Martial, 2021, Phytoseiid mites of the French Guiana (Acari: Mesostigmata), Acarologia 61 (2), pp. 468-478 : 470-472

Typhlodromips scleroticus De Leon

Typhlodromips scleroticus De Leon, 1966: 96 ; Moraes et al. 1986: 147, 2004: 223; Chant & McMurtry 2005b: 327, 2007: 63.

This species was described by De Leon (1966) from the Nature Reserve of Bartica at Mazaruni Potaro, in British Guyana, on Pouteria sp. (Sapotaceae) . It belongs to the ariri species group of the genus Typhlodromips as seta J1 is absent and spermatheca has calyx cup-

or bell-shaped or saccular. Its biology is totally unknown and this is the first record of that species for French Guiana.

World distribution: Guyana (British Guyana).

Specimens examined: A single ♀ collected during this study. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, Chemin de Mana (20 m aasl, lat. 5°29 ′ 18 ″ N, long. 53°58 ′ 02 ″ W), 1 ♀ on Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae) , 27/X/2001.

Remarks: the description of this species is very concise, including small illustrations. A complementary and more detailed description is presented, with measurements of our single specimen (in bold) compared to those of the original description (between parenthesis).

Adult female ( Figs. 1a – e )

Dorsum ( Fig. 1a ) — Dorsal shield fused, smooth except for scant reticulation near the anterolateral margins of the dorsal shield, 270 (271) long and 173 (181) wide, with five solenostomes (gd1, gd5, gd6, gd8, and gd9, gd1 and gd9 being crateriform, others being oblong), only 10 pairs of poroids visible, 17 pairs of dorsal setae and two pairs of sub-lateral setae off the dorsal shield: j1 15 (15), j3 15 (15), j4 9 (11), j5 10 (7), j6 8 (7), J2 9 (7), J5 7

(7), z2 8 (7), z4 13 (14), z5 8 (7), Z1 9 (10), Z4 35 (32), Z5 40 (36), s4 15 (15), S2 10 (9), S4 6

(5), S5 5 (5), r3 10, R1 9. All setae smooth except Z4 and Z5 which are serrated and all setae sharp-tipped except z4, s4, Z4, Z5 and JV5 which are knobbed, Z4 and Z5 being also serrated.

Peritreme and peritrematal plate ( Fig. 1a ) — Reaching the level between insertion of setae j1 ; peritrematic plate fused with dorsal shield at level of j1.

Venter ( Fig. 1b ) — All ventral shields mostly smooth. Sternal shield with few striae, three pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; metasternal seta (st4) on large metasternal plates that also bear a large poroid; posterior margin of the sternal shield straight to slightly concave. Distances between st1-st1 54, st2-st2 60, st3-st3 65, st1-st3 50, st4-st4 68. Genital shield length

90, width at the level of st5 63, width at the level of the posterior corners 75, distance st5-st5

56. Two pairs of metapodal plates, the larger 13 long and 2 wide, the smaller 8 long and 2 wide. Ventrianal shield with three pairs of preanal setae JV (1, JV2 and ZV2), two small oblong pre-anal solenostomes 20 apart. Cribrum spicules on three lines. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae ZV (1, ZV3, JV4 and JV5), and seven pairs of round to oblong poroids around genital/ventrianal shields; ventrianal shield 80 (80) long, 80 (76) wide at level of anterior corners (ZV2), and 60 wide at level of anus. JV5 knobbed but smooth 23 (24) long.

Chelicera ( Fig. 1c ) — Chelicerae regular size for phytoseiids. Fixed digit 35 (27) long with 9 (8-9) teeth and a pilus dentilis; movable digit 38 long with 3 (3) teeth.

Spermatheca ( Fig. 1d ) — Spermatheca saccular, with a moderately elongate calyx 13 (4.5) long and 5 (4.2) wide at maximum, slightly wider next to the vesicle; atrium distinct, although not enlarged.

Legs ( Fig. 1e ) — Macrosetae on all legs, all knobbed; one on genu of leg I, II and III, one on tibia III and three on leg IV, with one on each of genu, tibia and basitarsus: SgeI 15 (15), SgeII 13 (13), SgeIII 14 (14), Sti III 12, SgeIV 29 (29), StiIV 15 (14), StIV 25 (24). Genu II and III with seven setae each, chaetotactic formula of genu II: 2-2/0, 2/0-1 ; genu III: 1-2/1, 2/0-1.

Remarks: this species is distinguished from other Typhlodromips by the following characteristics: z4, s4, Z4, Z5 and JV5 and macrosetae of all legs knobbed, Z5 slightly longer than Z4, gv 3 adjacent to insertion of JV2.

It is most similar to Typhlodromips igapo Nuvoloni, Lofego, Rezende and Feres ( Nuvoloni et al. 2015) and T. sabaculus Denmark and Muma ( Denmark and Muma 1973).

Typhlodromips igapo has longer Z5 (62) and leg macrosetae longer SgeIV (and StI V: 32).

Typhlodromips sabaculus has longer Z4 (48) and Z5 (79), macrosetae longer (SgeIV and StI V 38 and 46 respectively).

In the latter two species, z4, s4, Z4 and Z5 are not knobbed and gv3 relatively far from the insertion of JV2.

Figures

Figure 1 Female of Typhlodromips scleroticusDe Leon 1a – 1e. a – Female dorsal shield and peritreme, b – Female ventral shields, c – Female chelicera, d – Female insemination apparatus, e – Female macrosetae of genu, tibia and basitarsus of the leg IV.