Vietocheyla, Khaustov & Salavatulin & Tsurikov & Thinh & Khaustov, 2024

Khaustov, Alexander A., Salavatulin, Vladimir M., Tsurikov, Sergey M., Thinh, Nguyen Van & Khaustov, Vladimir A., 2024, Free-living predatory cheyletid mites (Acariformes: Cheyletidae) from Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam, Zootaxa 5556 (1), pp. 268-295 : 281-282

Genus Vietocheyla gen. nov.

Type species: Vietocheyla subiasi sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Female. Body ovoid; legs II and III separated by less than body width. Ocelli present; dorsum with prodorsal and hysteronotal weakly granulated shields, both with similar dorsal fan-shaped setae; setae c2 similar to other dorsal setae. Palpal tarsus with two comb-like and two sickle-like setae; palpal claw edentate. Peritremes with more than three segments. Leg I almost as long as idiosoma, other legs shorter; tarsus I without pretarsus, with three long terminal setae (tc’ϛ, tc”ϛ, p’ϛ) and very long solenidion ω; guard seta (ft) narrowly lanceolate and long; tarsus I ventrally with four short setae (p”, u’, u”, vs); tarsi II–IV with smooth claws; solenidion φ on tibia II present; tibiae III and IV with small dorsodistal alveolar pits.

Species included. The new genus includes only one species V. subiasi sp. nov. described herein.

Differential diagnosis. The new genus belongs to the tribe Cheletogenini Volgin, 1969 , which includes three genera: Eutogenes Baker, 1949 , Prosocheyla Volgin, 1969 , and Cheletogenes Oudemans, 1905 and are characterized by the complete absence of pretarsus on tarsus I ( Bochkov & Fain 2001). The new genus is most similar to Eutogenes in having edentate palpal tibial claw and similar shape and number of dorsal idiosomal setae. The new genus differs from Eutogenes mainly by the presence of ocelli (vs. absent in Eutogenes ), and also differs from Eutogenes in having four short ventral setae on tarsus I (p”, u’, u”, vs) (vs. only two setae (u, vs) in Eutogenes ).

Etymology. The name of the new genus is a combination of two words: vieto, the first part of the country name Vietnam, and cheyla, the typical ending in cheyletid genera, and refers to distribution in Vietnam.