Chen, Jian-Xin ¹ ; Yao, Mao-Yuan ² ; Guo, Jian-Jun ³ ; Yi, Tian-Ci ⁴ ; Jin, Dao-Chao ⁵ and Peng, Pei-Ying ⁶

¹College of Agriculture, Anshun University, Anshun, 561000, P. R. China.
²College of Agriculture, Anshun University, Anshun, 561000, P. R. China.
³Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region; Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop Pest in Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the P. R. China, Guiyang 550025. P. R. China.
⁴Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region; Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop Pest in Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the P. R. China, Guiyang 550025. P. R. China.
⁵✉ Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region; Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop Pest in Guiyang, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the P. R. China, Guiyang 550025. P. R. China.
⁶Institute of Microbiology, Qujing Medical College, Qujing 655100, Yunnan, P. R. China

2024 - Volume: 64 Issue: 2 pages: 344-352

ZooBank LSID: 3583C522-AC70-4B74-8E8D-F1E4EFD8B093

Original research

Keywords

Abstract

Introduction

Mites of the family Cunaxidae are important predators in terrestrial ecosystems and prey on nematodes and small arthropods like mites, springtails, bark lice, scale insects, and thrips (Skvarla et al. 2014, Hernandes et al. 2015, Al-Azzazy and Al-Rehiayani 2022). They inhabit soil, leaf litter, moss, shrubs, trees or even birds and mammals' nests as well as occasionally stored food, etc. (Smiley 1992, Skvarla et al. 2014).

Castro and Den Heyer (2009) established the genus Lupaeus with the type species Pulaus martini Den Heyer, 1981a, and moved into some species with two pointed apophyses on the palp tibiotarsus and basifemur IV with one simple seta from the genus Pulaeus. Currently, the genus Lupaeus includes 31 known species all around the world (Skvarla et al. 2014, Ripka et al. 2015, Bagheri et al. 2016, Paktinat-Saeij et al. 2016, Corpuz-Raros et al. 2019, Skvarla and Dowling 2019, Wurlitzer et al. 2020, 2022). Whereas, only two species, L. minutus (Baker and Hoffmann, 1948) and L. platygnathus (Bu and Li, 1991) were recorded in China (Bu and Li 1991, Lin and Zhang 2010).

In this work, we describe a new species of the genus Lupaeus from Southwestern China (Yunnan Province) and provide a key to adult female species of the genus Lupaeus from China.

Material and methods

Samples of bamboo fallen leaves were collected from Dahe Village Protection Station, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous, Yunnan Province, China. Mites were isolated from the samples by using Berlese-Tullgren funnels for eight to twelve hours, preserved in 75% ethanol and then mounted in Hoyer's medium on slides (Walter and Krantz 2009). Line drawings were prepared with the aid of a drawing tube attached to a phase contrast and DIC Nikon Ni E microscope. Photographs were taken using a camera (Nikon DS-Ri 2) attached to the Nikon Ni E microscope and figures were edited with Adobe Photoshop CC 2019. The length of the gnathosoma was measured from the base to the top of the subcapitulum, the length of the idiosoma, from the suture between the gnathosoma and idiosoma to the posterior margin of the idiosoma, the width of the idiosoma at its broadest level and the length of the legs from the ventral insertion of coxae to the tip of the claw. All measurements were taken in micrometers (µm) using the software Nikon NIS Elements AR 4.50 and provided for the holotype and the paratypes. The dorsal and ventral setal nomenclature follows Fisher et al. (2011) and Paktinat-Saeij et al. (2017), legs setal notation follows Den Heyer (1981b).

Abbreviations: ag—aggenital seta, at—anterior trichobothria, asl—attenuate solenidion, bsl—blunt rod-like solenidion, fam—famulus (=peg organ), hg—hypognathal seta, hgs—hysterogastral seta, lps—lateral proterosomal seta, mps—median proterosomal seta, mst—microseta, ppgs—propodogastral seta, ps—pseudanal seta, pt—posterior trichobothria, sts—simple tactile seta, T—trichobothrium.

Results

Family Cunaxidae Thor, 1902

Subfamily Cunaxoidinae Den Heyer, 1978

Tribe Pulaeini Den Heyer, 1980

Genus Lupaeus Castro & Den Heyer, 2009

Generic diagnosis: see Castro and Den Heyer (2009) and Skvarla et al. (2014).

Type species: Pulaeus martini Den Heyer, 1981a.

Lupaeus neomartini Chen & Jin sp. nov.

ZOOBANK: 6EC7E86F-CF8F-43A2-80C4-E4409C56BF7B

(Figures 1–6)

Diagnosis

Female dorsal shield almost completely smooth (except some broken striae present around at) and a small median platelet present between edges of divided sternal plate; three pairs of hysterogastral setae (hgs1–hgs3); genital setae (g1–g4) arranged longitudinally and genu IV with 1 asl, 5 sts. Male similar to female, differing as follows: two pairs of hysterogastral setae (hgs1–hgs2); without aggenital setae; genital shields small; genus I–IV, tibia I and tarsus I each with one long bsl, and tarsus II with two bsl.

Description

Female (n=1; Figs 1–3)

Idiosoma 288 long, 183 wide (Figs 1A–B).

Dorsum (Fig. 1A) — Propodosomal shield concave anteromedially, and at situated off the shield though very close to the edge of the concaves, some broken striae present around at. Proterosomal and hysterosomal shields fused, forming a large dorsocentral shield, smooth, 228 long, 152 wide, bearing one pair of trichobothria (pt), six pairs of simple setae (lps, mps, c1, c2, d1, e1); f1 and f2 closed together on one small platelet, f1 longer than f2; setae h1 and h2 separately situated on small platelets, h1 longer than h2; lateral area outside dorsocentral shield with lengthwise striation. lps longer than mps, c1, c2, d1, e1; lps much closer to at than to pt; mps near to pt. One pair of lyrifissures (ip) situated on lateral soft integument anterior to f1. Setal lengths and distances: at 94, pt 86, lps 34, mps 30, c1 16, c2 19, d1 20, e1 19, f1 28, f2 9, h1 34, h2 15, at–at 28, pt–pt 84, lps–lps 59, mps–mps 67, lps–mps 53, at–lps 18, pt–mps 9, pt–lps 52, at–mps 68, at–pt 73, c1–c1 52, c2–c2 121, d1–d1 54, e1–e1 41, f1–f1 56, f2–f2 61, h1–h1 27, c1–c2 38, c1–d1 42, c2–d1 49, d1–e1 67, e1–f1 22, f1–h1 25, e1–f2 30, f1–h2 28, f2–h1 23, f2–h2 24, f1–f2 3, h1–h2 11.

Venter (Fig. 1B) — Coxae I–II divided medially, small oval median platelet, 23 long, 10 wide, located between posterior edges coxisternal plates I–II. Coxisternal plates III–IV with longitudinal striation; areas between coxae I–II groups, coxae III–IV groups, hgs1 and hgs2 with longitudinal striation; areas outside genital plates and anal region with longitudinal striation, area between hgs2 and genital plates with transverse striation. With small rounded platelet anterior to genital plates; posterior end of coxisternal plates IV extending beyond to g3 level. Setal formula of coxisternal plates I–IV: 3(1a–c)–3(2a–c)–3(3a–c)–3(4a–c) sts, length of setae: 1a 8, 1b 11, 1c 12, 2a 9, 2b 11, 2c 17, 3a 11, 3b 18, 3c 20, 4a 12, 4b 9, 4c 13. Three pairs of hysterogastral setae (hgs1–hgs3), lengths of hgs1–hgs3: 9, 8 and 8. Genital plates 54 long, 18 wide, with longitudinal striation, two pairs of visible genital papillae and four pairs of genital setae (g1–g4) arranged longitudinally, 7, 9, 7, 9 in length, respectively; one pair of aggenital setae (ag), 8 long, almost at g2 level. Anal region with two pairs of pseudanal setae (ps1–ps2) 7 and 9 in length, respectively, and one pair of lyrifissures (ih).

Gnathosoma (Fig. 2A–C) — Palp (Fig. 2A). Three-segmented, 75 long, smooth but with sparse punctation. Palp chaetotaxy: trochanter none; femorogenu six simple setae, of which one proximal, two medial, one distal on dorsum, one medial and one mediolateral on venter; tibiotarsus with five simple setae, of which base mediolaterally one the longest, two pointed apophyses and one knob-like apophysis; claw well-developed and simple. Chelicera (Fig. 2B) 108 long, the first segment and second segments with longitudinal broken striation; one cheliceral seta 7 in length; chela developed. Subcapitulum (Fig. 2C) 116 long, 96 wide; areas between hg3, and the around hg3 with punctation, area lateral to hg3 with sparse denticles and the base area with polygonal pattern. Two pairs of short adoral setae (ads1–ads2); four pairs of hypognathal setae (hg1–hg4), lengths of hg1–hg4: 22, 25, 13 and 35. Distances of hg setae: hg1–hg1 8, hg2–hg2 12, hg3–hg3 27, hg4–hg4 50, hg1–hg2 26, hg2–hg3 41, hg3–hg4 32.

Legs (Fig. 3A–D) — Lengths of legs I–IV: 162, 145, 143, 195. Lengths of tarsi I–IV: 58, 49, 43, 56. Seta T on tibia IV 70 in length. Legs I–IV chaetotaxy: trochanters I–IV 1–1–2–1 sts; basifemora I–IV: 4–6–3–1 sts; telofemora I–IV 5–5–4–3 sts. Genu I 2 asl, \{1 asl, 1 mst\}, 4 sts; genu II 2 asl, 5 sts; genu III 1 asl, 5 sts; genu IV 1 asl, 5 sts. Tibia I 2 asl, 5 sts; tibia II 1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia III 1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia IV 1 smooth T, 4 sts. Tarsus I 3 asl, 1 fam, 22 sts; tarsus II 1 bsl, 17 sts; tarsus III 17 sts; tarsus IV 14 sts.

Male (n=2; Figs. 4–6)

Idiosoma 177–178 long, 122–127 wide (Fig. 4A–B).

Dorsum (Fig. 4A) — Resembling that of female, dorsocentral shield 153–156 long, 105–108 wide; h1 on integument. Setal lengths and distances: at 72–77, pt 74–76, lps 27–28, mps 21–26, c1 15–17, c2 14–15, d1 14–14, e1 21–22, f1 17–18, h1 17–19, f2 7–10, h2 10–10; at–at 20–23, pt–pt 51–64, lps–lps 40–43, mps–mps 47–48, lps–mps 39–40, at–lps 16–16, pt–mps 7–8, pt–lps 38–40, at–mps 47–49, at–pt 50–53, c1–c1 36–40, c2–c2 84–86, d1–d1 35–36, e1–e1 26–26, f1–f1 23–26, f2–f2 30–32, h1–h1 24–25, c1–c2 23–25, c1–d1 31–35, c2–d1 35–40, d1–e1 37–41, e1–f1 9–14, f1–h1 14–16, e1–f2 12–12, f1–h2 11–15, f2–h1 13–13, f2–h2 14–15, f1–f2 4–4, h1–h2 8–8.

Venter (Fig. 4B) — Resembling that of female, a small and oval median platelet, 14–17 long, 6–7 wide; platelet absent anterior to genital plates. Setal formula of coxisternal plates I–IV: 3(1a–c)–3(2a–c)–3(3a–c)–3(4a–c) sts, lengths of setae: 1a 8–9, 1b 9–10, 1c 9–11, 2a 7–10, 2b 7–10, 2c 13–13, 3a 6–7, 3b 10–10, 3c 14–18, 4a 6–7, 4b 8–9, 4c 10–11. Two pairs of hysterogastral setae (hgs1–hgs2), 7–8 and 7–8 in length, respectively. Genital shields relatively small, 14–17 long, 7–8 wide; lengths of setae g1–g4: 5–7, 6–6, 5–6, 7–7; aggenital setae (ag) absent; two pairs of pseudanal setae (ps1–ps2) 5–6 and 7–7 in length.

Gnathosoma (Fig. 5A–C) — Palp (Fig. 5A) 47–50 long. Chelicera (Fig. 5B) 75–77 long; cheliceral seta 5–7 in length. Subcapitulum (Fig. 5C) 75–80 long, 60–69 wide; lengths of hg1–hg4: 14–16, 14–18, 10–12 and 22–27. Distances of hg setae: hg1–hg1 5–7, hg2–hg2 11–12, hg3–hg3 18–17, hg4–hg4 33–36, hg1–hg2 18–22, hg2–hg3 25–30, hg3–hg4 22–23.

Legs (Fig. 6A–D) — Resembling those of female, lengths of leg I–IV: 134–135, 107–120, 127–147 and 139–150. Lengths of tarsi I–IV: 50–51, 38–42, 41–46 and 39–45. Seta T 44–50 in length. Legs I–IV chaetotaxy: trochanters I–IV 1–1–2–1 sts; basifemora I–IV: 4–6–3–1 sts; telofemora I–IV 5–5–4–3 sts. Genu I 2 asl, 1 long bsl, \{1 asl, 1 mst\}, 4 sts; genu II 1 asl, 1 long bsl, 5 sts; genu III 1 asl, 1 long bsl, 5 sts; genu IV 1 asl, 1 long bsl, 5 sts. Tibia I 1 asl, 1 long bsl, 5 sts; tibia II 1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia III 1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia IV 1 smooth T, 4 sts. Tarsus I 1 asl, 1 bsl, 2 long bsl, 1 fam, 22 sts; tarsus II 2 bsl, 20 sts; tarsus III 16 sts; tarsus IV 15 sts.

Female and male are compared as follows: (1) female three pairs of hysterogastral setae (vs. two in male); (2) one pair of aggenital seta (vs. 0 in male); (3) genu I–IV, tibia I and tarsus I each without one long bsl, and tarsus II with one bsl (vs. each with one long bsl, and two bsl in male); (4) genital shields large (vs. small in male).

Other developmental stages

Unknown.

Etymology

The new species name was formed by adding neo- (meaning new) to the name, martini, indicating its similarity to the latter species.

Differential diagnoses

The new species is similar to type species L. martini (Den Heyer, 1981a) in having dorsal shield almost completely smooth and a small median platelet present between edges of divided sternal plate, but can be distinctly distinguished by the following features: (1) genu IV 1 asl, 5 sts (vs. 2 asl, 5 sts in L. martini); (2) four pairs of genital setae (g1–g4) arranged longitudinally (vs. g1, g2 and g4, arranged in a straight row, but g3 near out margin in L. martini); (3) three pairs of hysterogastral setae (vs. four in L. martini).

Type series

Holotype, female was collected from bamboo fallen leaves, Dahe Village Protection Station (21.9939° N, 100.4139° E, elevation 1369 m), Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous, Yunnan Province, China, on 20 May, 2018, by Mao-Yuan Yao, slide No., YN-CU-201805020201. Paratypes, two males, the same data as the holotype, slide No.: YN-CU-201805020202–YN-CU-201805020203. All types are deposited in the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P. R. China (GUGC).

Key to species of Lupaeus from China (adult females)

1. Basifemora I–IV 4–4–3–1 sts; telofemur I with 3 sts
...... L. minutus (Baker & Hoffmann, 1948)

— Basifemora I–IV 4–6–3–1 sts; telofemur I with 5 sts
...... 2

2. A small and oval median platelet present; f1 and f2 on small platelets
...... L. neomartini Chen & Jin sp. nov.

— A small and oval median platelet absent, f1 and f2 on integument
...... L. platygnathus (Bu & Li, 1991)

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Science and Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China (2022FY202100), Key Laboratory of Plants Protection Informatization for Featured and Efficient Agriculture in Central Guizhou Province (Qianjiaoji KY [2022] No. 052), Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects (Grant No. 202401AT070022), Expert Workstation in Qujing municipality (Approval Document No. [2023]10) and PhD Foundation of Anshun University (asxybsjj202211 and asxybsjj202212)

References

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