First record of the family Cunaxidae (Acari: Trombidiformes) from Syria with description of a new species

A BSTRACT — This paper presents the ﬁrst record of cunaxid predatory mites from Syria. Two species were collected on Malva sylvestris L. growing within citrus orchards: Cunaxa capreolus Berlese and a new species named Cunaxa celineae n. sp. , herein described.


INTRODUCTION
Knowledge of mite fauna in Syria is very limited. Recent surveys (2011-2014) on these small arthropods were conducted in more than fifty citrus orchards in Latakia Governorate. The results showed the presence of eighteen predatory mite species of Phytoseiidae Berlese and four species of their common prey of the family Tetranychidae Donnadieu, on citrus trees, soil litter and on wild plants (Barbar, 2013(Barbar, , 2014. In addition to these two families, other mites were also collected and identified at least to the family level, including Cunaxidae mites. Cunaxidae family includes more than 400 species (Skvarla et al., 2014). Members of this family are fast-running, red, brown or yellow generalist predators and several species have been reported to feed on phytophagous mites, small insects [i.e. Cunaxa capreolus (Berlese)] and rootknot nematodes [i.e. Coleoscirus simplex (Ewing)] (Zaher et al. 1975;Walter and Kaplan 1991;Castro and Moraes 2010).
The genus Cunaxa Von Heyden includes the highest number of species in the Cunaxidae with a total of fifty species known from all continents, except for Antarctica (Skvarla et al., 2014). Two Cunaxa species were found during surveys on citrus orchards in Syria (see Barbar, 2013Barbar, , 2014. The first one is the cosmopolitan species C. capreolus, which was originally described by Berlese (1887) and redescribed several times (i.e. den Heyer, 1979den Heyer, , 2009den Heyer et al., 2011). The second one was identified as new for science.
In this paper, the new species is described and illustrated and C. capreolus is redescribed. Morphological differences with related species or previous descriptions are presented.
All measurements of specimens are given in micrometers (µm). Body length is measured from the anterior edge of the propodosomal shield to the posterior limit of the idiosoma. Leg length is measured from the proximal edge of the trochanter to the distal end of the claw (Skvarla et al., 2011). The setal notation follows Kethley (1990) as it has been applied to cunaxids by den Heyer and Castro (2008).

Cunaxa capreolus (Berlese)
Female (n=2) Gnathosoma -Surface of basifemur, telofemur, and genu of palps dorsally smooth and covered ventrally by a very few number of dots. Tibiotarsus of palps covered proximodorsally by denticles. Palpal chaetotaxy from trochanter to tibiotarsus: 0-1-1-3-5. Dorsolateral setae on the basiand telofemora simple. Stout spine-like setae on the genua and tibiotarsi present. Telofemoral apophysis uncinated, with an obtuse angle formed between its proximolateral side and distolateral side of trochanter. Dorsally the coxal region possesses a papillated area anterolaterally. Proximal segment of chelicerae papillate. Chelicera terminating in a claw-like digit and with one dorsolateral simple seta. The ventral surface of the hypognathum bears 4 pairs of simple hypognathal setae (hg1-hg4) and two pairs of adoral setae. Longitudinal lines and papillae extended from the central area of hypognathum to the insertions of setae hg1. Basic area patterned with rough spots.
Idiosomal dorsum -Propodosomal plate with two pairs of sensillae (vi, sce) and two pairs of simple setae (ve, sci). Propodosomal plate smooth except for the presence of papillae in areas laterally to setae sce and striae on anterolateral corners of propodosomal shield. Length of setae sci slightly shorter than half the distance between their bases. Hysterosomal shield smooth, bears four pairs of setae (c1, c2, d1 and e1). Setae f1 and h1 on integument. A transverse regular dorsal striae pattern runs from the posterior side of hysterosomal shield to the end of dorsum. Longitudinal striae dorsolaterally. Cupule im present on integument posteriolateral to e1. Setae h2 occur ventrally.
Idiosomal venter -Idiosomal venter with one pair of propodogastral, four pairs of hysterogastral, four pairs of genital setae (g1-4, subequel in length) and a pair of anal setae. Genital valves with longitudinal striae. A transverse striae anterior to setae g1 and posterior to setae g4.
Differential diagnosis -This new species closely resembles C. anomala Khaustov and Kuznetzov (1998) by the absence of setae ve, but differs from the latter species by possessing the following combination of characters: (1) the presence of a very short bulbous solenidion bbsl anterior to the trichobothrium on tibiae IV (absence of this seta in C. anomala); (2) proximal segment of chelicerae papillate, second segment has some denticles proximally and dorsolaterally and followed distally by some "furrow-like" lines in different lengths (only the proximal segment is papillate in C. anomala) (3) hypognathum with short transverse lines at its base (smooth in C. anomala) (4) the presence of an oval area of thin broken striae around setae sci (absence of this area on dorsal propodosomal in C. anomala) and (5) idiosomal length of C. celineae is 540 µm and about 1.5 times longer than that in C. anomala (363 µm).
Etymology -The name of the species refers to the first name of author's daughter, Celine Barbar, to whom this species is dedicated.