Africoseiulella flechtmanni Kreiter, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kreiter, Serge
name: Tixier, Marie-Stéphane
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2006
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy

description: Type species Africoseiulella flechtmanni Kreiter, sp. nov.
(Figs 1–9)
Diagnosis
Specific features of the genus Africoseiulella: This genus is unique in the following combination of characteristics: dorsal shield of both sexes, and male ventri­anal shield eroded; all dorsal shield setae minute; peritreme very short; setae JV1, JV3, JV4 and ZV1 absent; hypostome elongate; chelicera with long median segment but digits short and edentate; legs short and without macrosetae. The absence of ZV1 is unique in the whole family (except, perhaps, for Phytoseiulus robertsi Baker, 1990).
Comment on the taxonomic position of the genus Africoseiulella within the classification of the Phytoseiidae
The presence of z3 and s6 places this genus in the Typhlodrominae. Taking into account Chant and McMurtry’s concepts concerning this sub­family (1994), it keys out as Metaseiulini in Chant and McMurtry (1994), by lacking S4 and JV4, considered as a synapomorphy by those authors, and by having z 2 in line with z4 and s4, inferred as a symplesiomorphy by the same authors. Using the key of Chant & McMurtry (1994) for the genera included in that tribe, the new species here reported would be identified as belonging to Galendromus, by having S2 and lacking R1; however, it differs from all species in that genus by having the dorsal shield smooth, an idiosomal setal pattern unknown for the genus Galendromus (12A:6A / JV­1, 3, 4: ZV­1), cervix not elongate and tubular, and cheliceral digits edentate. Considering all the characteristics provided in Chant & McMurtry (1994) for the genera included in Metaseiulini, this new genus would also seem similar to Gigagnathus, by the elongate hypostome, palps and chelicerae, the short dorsal shield setae, and the presence of z3, s6, J2, S5, JV2 and ZV3. It differs from the species of that genus by the shape of the setae and spermatheca, the absence of JV1, JV3 and ZV1, and the absence of cheliceral teeth.
However, even if it keys to Metaseiulini, it also resembles genera of other tribes. It resembles Africoseiulus of the Typhloseiopsini, by lacking S4, Z1 and R1 (Ueckermann, Character n° Character CI RC 1988; Chant & McMurtry, 1994), but differs by lacking JV1, JV3 and ZV1, by the smooth dorsal shield, z 4 in line with z2 and s4, very short peritreme, idiosomal setal pattern unknown for the genus, long median cheliceral segment, short, edentate cheliceral digits, and absence of leg macrosetae. It resembles Meyerius, of the same tribe, by lacking S4 and Z1, but differs from it by lacking R1, JV1, ZV1, ZV3 and leg macrosetae, by the short peritreme, and the shape of the spermatheca.
Finally, some morphological characters are very similar to those of Eharius (Kolodochka, 1995; Chant & McMurtry, 2003) of the Amblyseiinae: the elongate gnathosoma (hypostome, palps and chelicerae) more than two times longer than wide, short dorsal shield setae, absence of S4, short peritreme, chelicera not multidentate, similar shape of spermatheca, reduced number of ventral opisthosomal setae, eroded male ventrianal shield, elongate male and female ventral shields, and JV5 anteriorly located, transversely aligned with the posterior margin of the anus. However, it differs from E harius by having z3 and lacking R1, Z1, and the transverse striation of the idiosoma (Kolodochka, 1995).
Description
Adult Female (Figs 1–4). All shields smooth; dorsal shield eroded, with 17 pairs of smooth, minute dorsal setae, which together with a pair of setae on the lateral membrane of the idiosoma, represent a new idiosomal setal pattern for the Phytoseiidae, 12A:6A / JV­ 1,3,4: ZV­1 (according to Chant & Yoshida­Shaul, 1992): 7 pairs of setae in the j­J series (j1, j3, j4, j5, j6, J2, J5), 6 pairs in the z­Z series (z2, z3, z4, z5, Z4, Z5), 4 pairs in the s­S series (s4, s6, S2, S5), 1 pair in the r­R series (r3), 5 pairs of sternal setae (ST1­ST3 on sternal shield, ST4 on the membrane, ST5 on genital shield), 4 pairs of caudoventral setae (JV2 and ZV2 inserted on the ventri­anal shield, ZV3 and JV5 inserted on the membrane), 2 para­anal and 1 post­anal setae.
Sternal shield elongate, with anterior and posterior margins convex and with 2 pairs of lyrifissures. With a pair of long metapodal shields. Ventri­anal shield without pre­anal pores. JV5 inserted so far anteriorly (to level of anus) that it can be confused with JV4. Peritremes very short.
Legs without macrosetae.
Chelicera with a long median segment and short edentate digits.
Adult Male (Figs 5–7). Idiosomal shields smooth; chaetotaxy of dorsal shield similar to female. Anterior margin of sterno­genital shield with a prominent conical projection and convex posterior margin; with ST4 and ST5 off sterno­genital shield; with one pair of pores on the shield. Ventri­anal shield fragmented into three sections, the central section much larger than the lateral sections; JV2 on the central section, ZV2 at the margin of that section; ZV3 at the margin of the same section or at the margin of the lateral sections; without pre­anal pores. Membrane surrounding ventri­anal shield with one pair of setae (JV5) level with anal opening, and one pair of poroids just behind JV5.
Chelicerae with a single tooth on the fixed digit.
Deutonymph (Figs 8–9). Podonotal and opisthonotal shields not discernible. Legs without macrosetae; cheliceral digits without teeth.
Etymology
The name of the genus refers to the continent where the type species was collected.
description: Published as part of Kreiter, Serge & Tixier, Marie-Stéphane, 2006, A new genus and species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from southern Tunisia, with discussion of its phylogenetic position, pp. 1-18 in Zootaxa 1237 on pages 3-6, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.172799