Ameroseius dipankari, Bhattacharyya, Asit K., 2004

Bhattacharyya, Asit K., 2004, A new species of Ameroseius (Mesostigmata: Ameroseiidae) from the Indian Thar Desert, Zootaxa 620, pp. 1-7 : 2-6

Ameroseius dipankari sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–7 )

Diagnosis: Dorsum sclerotized, ornamented, 26 pairs of dorsal setae heterogenous in length. Ventri­anal shield with two pairs of opisthogastric setae in addition to circumanal setae, genital shield with conspicuous marking; tectum uniramous, genu II with 2 ventral setae.

Female: Holodorsal shield (345µ long, 203µ wide) darkly sclerotized, irregularly reticulated, ornamented, without pitlike depression; 26 pairs of setae present on dorsal shield; setae j1 20µ long, densely plumose; other setae lanceolate ( Fig. 1 ); setae j2–j4 and z2 are the shortest dorsal setae; J1, J3 and J5 setae subequal (36–37), Z4 and S3 setae subequal (32).

Tritosternum with moderately pilose lacinae, length of lacinae and base almost equal. Sternal shield roughly rectangular in shape, 59 long along midline, 68µ wide at widest point, reticulated as in fig. 2, with two pairs of subequal (20–21µ) sternal setae; third pair of sternal setae (16) placed on platelets; metasternal setae (14µ) placed on ventral interscutal membrane at level of anterior half of coxae III. Genital shield bell­shaped, concave laterally, reticulated, bearing setae st5; four small platelets present between genital and ventri­anal shield and two pairs of simple, smooth setae, posterior most pair (Jv5) of opisthogastric setae (36µ) lanceolate, similar to dorsal setae. Ventri­anal shield reticulated, opisthogastric setae smooth; para­ and post­anal setae (27µ) pilose; cribrum present posteriorly; variation in the shape of ventri­anal shield as depicted in fig. 3. Metapodal shield sclerotized, large, discrete, lying laterally along anterior half of ventri­anal shield. Peritreme moderately wide, extending beyond coxae I, stigma placed between coxae III and IV, post­stigmatal prolongation of peritrematal shield partly encircling coxae IV.

Tectum uniramous; variation in the shape of tectum delineated in figs. 4 and 5. Corniculi undivided, very weakly sclerotized, almost parallel to each other, all setae simple. Hypostomal groove narrow, two anterior rows of denticles with 14–16 denticles each, third row with 20 denticles ( Fig. 6 ). Fixed digit of chelicera with one large and three small triangular teeth ( Fig. 7 ), movable digit bidentate, pilus dentilis simple.

Legs I–IV with pulvilli and claws; length (excluding ambulacra) of legs I–IV, 280, 200, 220 and 270 respectively.

Male: Unknown.

Type: Holotype female, Zoological Survey of India compound, Jhalamand, Jodhpur, Rajasthan; ex. decomposed grass litter collected from semi­dried drainage system; 2 July 2003; A.K. Bhattacharyya coll. Paratypes: 3 females, collection data same as for holotype.

Distribution: INDIA: Rajasthan.

Differential diagnosis: Ameroseius dipankari sp. nov. shows similarities with its congeneric species, Ameroseius eumorphus Bregetova, 1977 , in respect of similar nature of dorsal shield reticulation, similar nature of setae, similar shape of sternal, genital and ventri­anal shield and also in similar type of tectum and chelicera. However, the new species differs from Bregetova’s species in the following aspects: corniculi, central setae j3, j4, j5, J1 and J3 shorter, their tips do not reach the bases of the following setae, shape of metasternal shield and shorter length of pre­anal setae.

Etymology: The author has named the species in honour of Prof. Dipankar Sengupta, who taught him the basics of acarology.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Ameroseius dipankari sp. nov., holotype female. I. Dorsum. Scale bar: 50.

FIGURE 2: Ameroseius dipankari sp. nov., holotype, female. 2. Venter. Scale bar: 50.

FIGURE 3 – 7: Ameroseius dipankari sp. nov., female. 3. Venti­anal shield, paratype, 4. Tectum, holotype, 5. Tectum, paratype, 6. Gnathosoma, holotype, 7. Chelicera, holotype. Scale bar: 3, 6 = 50, 4, 5, 7 = 28.