Description of nine new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Sikkim, a north eastern States of India Author Kar, Anamika 0000-0001-5318-8308 Department of Agricultural Entomology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur- 741252, Nadia, West Bengal, India. anamika_kar7@rediffmail.com Author Karmakar, Krishna 0000-0002-5582-3560 Department of Agricultural Entomology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur- 741252, Nadia, West Bengal, India. kkbckv64@gmail.com & karmakar.krishna@bckv.edu.in text Zootaxa 2022 2022-09-06 5182 3 201 237 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5182.3.1 7979d7d5-c5fe-40d7-832a-da2fb5f3334b 1175-5326 7052935 491D9918-2B5B-4F22-9B64-CEB10C981807 Typhlodromus ( Anthoseius ) himaliniae sp. nov. ( Figs. 36–42 ; 79 –81) Diagnosis. Dorsum smooth; all dorsal setae pointed, long and serrated; ventrianal shield lightly reticulated with three pairs of preanal setae; fixed digit of chelicera with four teeth and movable digit with one; macroseta of SgeIV bulbous while macrosetae of StiIV and StaIV are pointed; spermatheca tubular with flower bud shaped atrium. Description. Female (n = 3). Dorsum ( Fig. 36 ). Dorsal shield 345 ( 342–350) long, 176 ( 175–180) wide, strongly reticulated, with five pairs of solenostomes ( gd2 , gd5 , gd6 , gd8 and gd9 ); 18 pairs of setae on dorsal shield and two pairs of setae on unsclerotised cuticle: j1 25 (24–27), j3 40 (38–41), j4 25 (24–27), j5 25 (24–27), j6 40 (39–42), J2 58 (56–59), J5 12 (10–13), z2 22 (21–24), z3 45 (44–46), z4 50 (49–51), z5 30 (29–31), Z4 65 (63–66), Z5 73 (70–74), s4 50 (49–51), s6 58 (57–59), S2 58 (56–58), S4 63 (60–64), S5 28 (27–30), r3 30 (30–32), R1 38 (37–40). All setae long and slightly serrated, with pointed tip. Peritreme ( Fig. 36 ). Extending to bases of j3 . Venter ( Fig. 37 ). All shields almost smooth to faintly reticulated. Sternal shield 52 (50–53) long, 45 (44–46) wide at level of setae st1-st3 and st3-st3 respectively, with two pairs of setae and two pairs of lyrifissures; setae st3 off sternal shield and one pair of setae ( st4 ) and a pair of lyrifissures on conspicuous metasternal shield; posterior margin of sternal shield indistinct. Distances between st2- st2 41 (40–43), st5-st5 48 (48–50). Genital shield, posterior margin straight and truncated. Two pairs of metapodal shields present, primary shield 25 (24–26) long, 4 (3–5) secondary shield small, 10 (8–10) long. Ventrianal shield broad, faintly reticulated, 105 (104–108) long, 72 (72–76) wide at level of ZV2 setae, and 53 (52–55) at anus level with three pairs of pre-anal setae JV1 12 (10–13), JV2 10 (10–13), ZV2 10 (10–13) and one pair of pre-anal pores. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae ZV1 12 (12–15), ZV3 8 (7–9), JV4 10 (9–12) and JV5 55 (54–58), JV5 long and serrated with pointed tip. Chelicera ( Fig. 38 ). Fixed digit 26 (25–28) long with four teeth and distinct pilus dentilis, movable digit 25 (25–26) long with one tooth. Spermatheca ( Fig. 39 ). Calyx elongated, 28 (25–29) long, wider at base of vesicle, tubular terminating very conspicuous flower bud shaped atrium from where clearly visible minor duct and major duct arises. Leg ( Fig. 40 ). Length of leg I 350 (346–355), leg II 275 (270–278), leg III 270 (269–275) and leg IV 338 (336–342). Chaetotactic formula of Sge II 1-2/0 2/1-1 and Sge III 1-2/1 2/0-1. Leg IV with three macrosetae on genu, tibia and tarsus. All leg setae smooth; tips of macroseta on genu is bulbous while the remaining macrosetae are pointed and of following lengths: SgeIV 31 (31–33), StiIV 26 (25–30) and StaIV 45 (44–48). FIGURES 36–42 . Typhlodromus ( Anthoseius ) himaliniae (female). 36. Dorsal view of idiosoma; 37. Ventral view of idiosoma; 38. Chelicera; 39. Spermatheca; 40. Genu, tibia and basitarsus of leg IV; 41. Male ventral surface; 42. Spermatodactyl TABLE 8 . Differences in diagnostic characters between Typhlodromus ( Anthoseius ) himaliniae sp . nov . and T. ( A. ) orissaensis Gupta, 1977 , T . ( A. ) xini ( Wu, 1983 ) and T. ( A. ) transvaalensis ( Nesbitt, 1951 )

Characteristics	T. ( A .) himaliniae sp. nov.	T . ( A .) xini	T . ( A .) transvalensis	T . ( A .) orissaensis
Form of dorsal setae	All setae are pointed	reticulated	All setae except J5 , z2 and S5 serrated and knobbed	Z4 , Z5 and S5 bulbous and all other pointed
Form of sternal shield	Smooth	Smooth	Smooth	Reticulated
j1	24–27	24–26	23–25	26–29
j3	38–41	37–39	33–37	35–38
j4	24–27	30–32	27–29	25–29
j5	24–27	34–36	31–33	34–37
j6	39–42	44–46	33–35	47–49
J2	56–59	57–59	40–43	54–58
J5	10–13	12–14	7–9	8–11
z2	21–24	32–34	21–23	31–34
z3	44–46	38–40	35–37	38–41
z4	49–51	44–46	38–41	32–34
z5	29–31	38–40	29–31	37–39
Z4	63–66	58–60	50–53	53–56
Z5	68–72	52–55	51–53	54–56
s4	49–51	53–55	41–43	52–54
s6	57–59	53–55	43–45	52–54
S2	56–58	54–56	41–43	56–58
S4	60–64	55–56	43–45	52–54
S5	27–30	53–55	8–10	47–49
r3	30–32	38–40	19–21	42–44
R1	37–40	45–47	34–37	41–43
Position of peritreme	Base between z2 to j3	-	Base of j3	Base of j3
JV5	57–60	63–65	54–57	61–64
Posterior margin of sternal shield	Slightly convex	Convex	Forms a loop	Straight
Form of ventrianal shield	Slightly reticulted	reticulated	reticulated	reticulated
Vsl	104–108	-	112–120	116–119
Vsw at ZV2	70–74	-	71–73	84–86
Vsw at anus	52–55	-	72–75	59–61
FD number of teeth	4	-	2	3
MD number of teeth	1	-	1	2
SgeIV	31–33	30–32	25–27	31–33
StiIV	25–30	26–28	26–28	28–31
StaIV	39–42	35–37	43–46	37–39
Form of macrosetae	All smooth, genu bulbous, tibia and tarsus pointed	Serrated and forked	Smooth with bulbous tip	Serrated with bulbous tip

Sources of measurement: Original paper of Nesbitt, 1951 ; Gupta, 1969, 1977; Wu, 1983 ; Gupta, 2003; ‘-’: not available Male (n = 2). Dorsum . Dorsal shield 295 ( 293–296) long, 155 ( 152–156) wide, smooth, with five pairs of solenostomes ( gd2 , gd5 , gd6 , gd8 and gd9 ); 18 pairs of setae on dorsal shield and two pairs of setae on unsclerotised cuticle: j1 25 (24–27), j3 35 (34–36), j4 28 (26–28), j5 30 (29–32), j6 43 (42–45), J2 53 (52–56), J5 10 (8–10), z2 25 (24–26), z3 38 (37–39), z4 43 (42–44), z5 28 (27–29), Z4 58 (57–59), Z5 65 (64–66), s4 53 (52–54), s6 58 (57–59), S2 58 (56–58), S4 53 (52–55), S5 28 (27–30), r3 25 (24–26), R1 32 (31–33). All setae long and slightly serrated, with pointed tip. Peritreme . Extending to bases of j3 . Venter ( Fig. 41 ). Sternogenital shield smooth, ventrianal shield striated. Sternogenital shield with five pairs of setae and three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Ventrianal shield 115 (114–117) long, 114 (112–115) wide at level of ZV2 setae and 58 (56–60) wide at level of anus; with three pairs of pre-anal setae, JV1 , JV2 and ZV2 arranged in a tangential line and one pair of large pre-anal pores. Membrane surrounding ventrianal shield with one pair of setae JV5 ; 30 (29–33) long and smooth. Chelicera ( Fig. 42 ). Spermatodactyl foot-shaped, shaft 10 (9–12) long and foot 8 (7–8) long. Leg. Length of leg I 350 (346–355), leg II 275 (270–278), leg III 270 (269–275) and leg IV 338 (336–342). Chaetotactic formula of Sge II 1-2/0 2/1-1 and Sge III 1-2/1 2/0-1. Leg IV with three macrosetae on genu, tibia and tarsus and of following lengths: Sge IV 28 (26–28), Sti IV 22 (21–24) and Sta IV 36 (35–38). Type specimens . Holotype female (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8649/2021 ) deposited in the NZC , Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, collected from Moss at East Sikkim: 27°22’52”N 88°38’15”E , 1732 m AMSL, East Sikkim , Sikkim on 29 th March , 2021. 2 paratype females collected on 29 th March , 2021 (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8649/2021 ) with same locality and host plant as holotype. 2 paratype males collected on 25 th February , 2021 (Acarol.lab/ BCKV/8650– 51/2021 ) with same locality and host plant as holotype. Etymology . The specific name himaliniae dedicated to the name of Goddess Parvati, better half of God Shiva resides in the Great Himalaya. Remarks . The T. ( Anthoseius ) himaliniae sp. nov. is close to T. ( A. ) gopali Gupta, 1969a ; T. ( A. ) orissaensis Gupta, 1977 ; T . ( A. ) xini ( Wu, 1983 ) and T. ( A. ) transvaalensis ( Nesbitt, 1951 ) by having similar type of dorsum and venter but differs from these close species by the length and form of dorsal setae; ventrianal shield; number of teeths in fixed and movable digit of chelicera; length and form of leg macrosetae. All the differences are presented in Table 8.