Neocypholaelaps ceylonicus

Gnathosoma (Figs 1 A – C): Fixed cheliceral digit 19 (18 – 20) long, apparently with a small tooth posterior to the apical tooth; with a membranous lobe externally attached to it, probably representing the pilus dentilis; movable cheliceral digit 24 (23 – 25) long, edentate. Antiaxial and dorsal lyrifissures of the median cheliceral segment distinct; dorsal seta absent. Epistome with anterior projection rounded to triangular and denticulate, with two rows of denticles at the base of the projection. Palp apotele 2 - tined. Deutosternum narrow; transverse rows of denticles not discernible. Hypostome with three pairs of rows of denticles laterad of deutosternal margin, one posterior to sc and two between sc and h 2. Corniculi undivided, subparallel to each other, each superposed by a membranous lobe whose bases are partially overlapped by a shorter central lobe. Hypostomal seta lengths: h 1 21 – 22, h 2 22 (20 – 23), h 3 25 – 26, sc 21 – 22. Dorsal idiosoma (Figs 1 D – G): Dorsal shield entire, totally reticulated; reticula formed by double punctate lines; 435 (425 – 445) long and 295 (290 – 300) wide at level of s 6. Apparently with three pairs of pores and 18 pairs of lyrifissures. Lengths of the dorsal setae: j 1 29 (28 – 30), j 2 21 (20 – 22), j 3 19 (18 – 20), j 4 21 (20 – 22), j 5 22 (20 – 24), j 6 25 (22 – 26), J 2 26 (23 – 29), J 4 27; z 2 24 (22 – 25), z 4 22 (20 – 24), z 5 20 (18 – 22), z 6 26 (25 – 27), Z 1 24 (22 – 25), Z 2 26 (25 – 27), Z 4 27 (25 – 30), Z 5 33 (30 – 35); s 1 24 (22 – 25), s 2 25 (23 – 27), s 4 24 (22 – 25), s 5 26 (25 – 27), s 6 27, S 2 29 (27 – 30), S 3 30 (27 – 32), S 4 30 (27 – 33), S 5 33 (30 – 35); r 2 22 (20 – 24), r 3 24 (22 – 25), r 4 24 (22 – 25), r 5 23 (20 – 25). Seta j 1 leaf-shaped and barbed; other dorsal setae stout and barbed. Ventral idiosoma (Figs 1 H – I): Base of tritosternum 10 long; laciniae fused along ca. basal third of its total length (70 long). Sternal shield smooth, 73 (69 – 76) long at midline and 84 (83 – 85) wide at level of st 2, bearing two pairs of setae (st 1 - st 2) and two pairs of lyrifissures. Setae st 3 on platelets and st 4 on unsclerotised cuticle. Third pair of lyrifissures anterior to st 4. Genital shield smooth, 100 wide at the widest level, posteriorly convex, bearing st 5 and flanked by two pairs of lyrifissures, the anterior, next to st 5 distinctly larger than the posterior. Anal shield with sparse lines, oval, 100 long and 131 (130 – 132) wide at the widest level. Opisthogastric setae (Jv 1 - Jv 5, Zv 2) on unsclerotised cuticle. Opisthogaster with six pairs of lyrifissures and a single pair of metapodal shields. Lengths of ventral setae: st 1 24 (22 – 25), st 2 24 (22 – 25), st 3 20 (18 – 22), st 4 19 (18 – 20), st 5 24 (22 – 25), Jv 1 19 (18 – 20), Jv 2 18 (15 – 20), Jv 3 18 (15 – 20), Jv 4 38 (35 – 40), Jv 5 40 (38 – 42), Zv 2 17 (15 – 18), para-anal 15, post-anal 25. Setae Jv 4 and Jv 5 stout and barbed; other ventral setae setiform and smooth. Endopodal shield represented by a curved, narrow platelet between coxae III and IV. Exopodal shield of irregular width, with projections between coxae II and III and coxae III and IV; with a large pore at level between coxae I and II and a small pore behind coxa IV. Peritreme and peritrematal shield (Figs 1 D, J): Peritreme reaching level of seta j 1. Peritrematal shields narrow, fused to each other and to dorsal idiosomal shield at region anterior to setae j 1, and to exopodal shield behind stigma; with a pore at level of coxae III (gd 3 of Athias-Henriot, 1975; gp 2 of Lindquist & Moraza, 2009) surrounded by a stippled region which probably corresponds to muscle insertion (see Athias-Henriot, 1975); with a lyrifissure and a pore (ip 2 and gv 2) posterior to stigma. Spermathecal apparatus (Fig. 1 K): Induction pore apparently at postero-proximal region of coxa III; tubuli fusing before entering sacculus by a common duct that is ca. 50 long. Legs (Fig. 1 L): All legs with pulvilli and claws. Lengths of legs: I – 370 (365 – 375); II – 345 (340 – 350); III – 351 (348 – 355); IV – 420 (415 – 425). Chaetotaxy of legs I – IV: coxae: 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanters: 6, 5, 5, 5; femora: 12 (2 - 3 / 1, 2 / 2 - 2), 10 (2 - 2 / 1, 2 / 2 - 1), 6 (1 - 2 / 1, 1 / 0 - 1), 6 (1 - 2 / 1, 1 / 0 - 1); genua: 12 (2 - 3 / 2, 2 / 1 - 2), 11 (2 - 3 / 1, 2 / 1 - 2), 9 (2 - 2 / 1, 2 / 1 - 1), 9 (2 - 2 / 1, 3 / 0 - 1); tibiae: 12 (2 - 3 / 2, 2 / 1 - 2), 10 (2 - 2 / 1, 2 / 1 - 2), 8 (2 - 1 / 1, 2 / 1 - 1), 9 (2 - 2 / 1, 2 / 1 - 1); tarsi: not counted, 17, 17, 17. Many (mostly dorsal) setae of femur, genu and tibia of all legs barbed; other setae smooth.

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield ornamented with reticulation formed by double punctate lines, bearing 29 pairs of setae, none of which inserted in tubercles; seta j 1 leaf-shaped and barbed, other dorsal setae stout and barbed. Sternal shield wider than long; setae st 3 on platelets. Opisthogastric integument with six pairs of setae. Peritreme reaching level of seta j 1. Adult female (5 specimens measured) (Fig. 1).

Remarks. Females of this new species can be distinguished from N. rotundus (Womersley) by having no dorsal shield setae inserted on tubercles; from N. novaehollandiae Elsen and N. xylocopae Elsen by having 29 pairs of dorsal shield setae; from N. hongkongensis Mo by having rounded posterior margin of dorsal shield; from N. breviperitremata Elsen by having long peritreme, reaching level of coxa I; from N. apicola Delfinado-Baker & Baker, N. capitis Elsen, N. favus Ishikawa, N. geonomae Moraes & Narita, N. leopoldi Elsen, N. nova Elsen and N. varipilosa Elsen by having Jv 4 about as long as Jv 5; from N. ampullula (Berlese), N. crocisae Elsen, N. indica Evans and N. pradhani Gupta by having Jv 4 stout; from N. cocos Evans, N. malayensis Delfinado-Baker, Baker & Phoon and N. phooni Baker & Delfinado-Baker by having all dorsal shield setae stout and barbed (except j 1, leaf-shaped and barbed); from N. stridulans (Evans) by having sternal shield wider than long. The key provided by Moraes & Narita (2010) could be modified to allow the separation of this new species from the other Neocypholaelaps, by including a new couplet between couplets 8 and 9 and modifying the latter, as follows: 8 a. Setae j 2 – J 2 and z 2 – Z 1, s 1 and s 2 slender and smooth; ornamentation of dorsal shield consisting of a polygonal network of simple lines enclosing smooth cells ........................................... Neocypholaelaps cocos Evans, 1963 - All dorsal shield setae stout and barbed (except j 1, leaf-shaped and barbed); ornamentation of dorsal shield consisting of a polygonal network of double punctuate lines enclosing punctuate cells ........................................... 9 9. Sternal shield longer than wide .......................................... Neocypholaelaps stridulans (Evans, 1955) - Sternal shield wider than long ................................... Neocypholaelaps ceylonicus Narita & Moraes n. sp.

Etymology. The epithet ceylonicus indicates “ from Ceylon ”, referring to the country where the type specimens were collected; Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka.

Material examined. Holotype female from inflorescences of Erythrina sp. (Fabaceae), in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka (8 o 14 ’ N, 79 o 46 ’ E). Two paratype females from inflorescences of Hibiscus sp. (Malvaceae), in Kalpitiya. Two paratype females from inflorescences of Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae), in Madurankuliya (7 o 54 ’ N, 79 o 49 ’ E). All types collected by G. J. de Moraes in July, 2003, and deposited at Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “ Luiz de Queiroz ”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil.