Aegyptobia insularis Stathakis & Vrettos, 2023

Aegyptobia insularis Stathakis & Vrettos sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 )

Type material. Holotype ( female) and 5 female paratypes ex Phagnalon rupestre ssp. graecum (Boiss. & Heldr.) Batt. (Asteraceae) , Greece, Kea Island, Fouski ( 37°34′33.4″N, 24°18′21.6″E), 19 January 2020, coll. D.P. Vrettos; GoogleMaps 3 female paratypes ex P. graecum , Greece, Kea Island , Dosonari ( 37°39′01.7″N, 24°21′06.1″E), 8 February 2020, coll. D.P. Vrettos. GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Tarsal claws uncinate ( tragardhi species group). Anterior margin of prodorsum rounded. Prodorsal and opisthosomal shields weakly defined, smooth, with 3 pairs of pore-like structures. All dorsal setae long, thickened, and serrate. Striae between setae 3a and 4a forming a rectangular pattern with concave margins. Genital plate smooth. Rostrum extending to midlength of tibia I. Palpal setal formula (trochanter–tarsus): 0–1–0–2–3(1). Setation of legs I–IV: trochanters 1–1–2–1; femora 4–4–2–1; genua 3–3–1–0; tibiae 4–4–3–3; tarsi 9(1)–9(1)–5–5. Dorsal setae on femora and genua of all legs lanceolate serrate.

Description. FEMALE (n = 9). Dorsum ( Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 3A View FIGURE 3 ). Body size measurements: distance between setae v 2 – h 1 215 (210–220); sc 2 – sc 2 120 (120); other measurements: v 2 – v 2 40 (36–42), sc 1 – sc 1 91 (83–89), c 1 – c 1 57 (50–51), c 2 – c 2 115 (110–120), c 3 – c 3 145 (140–150), d 1 – d 1 42 (40–42), d 2 – d 2 105 (100–110), d 3 – d 3 145 (140–150), e 1 – e 1 40 (34–40), e 2 – e 2 105 (97–100), e 3 – e 3 110 (105 – 115), f 2 – f 2 73 (71 – 77), f 3 – f 3 85 (85 – 89), h 1 – h 1 26 (26 – 34), h 2 – h 2 51 (50 – 53). Anterior margin of prodorsum rounded. Prodorsal shield weakly defined, smooth. Opisthosomal shield weakly defined, smooth, with few irregular wrinkles and 3 pairs of pore-like structures (between setae c 3 – d 3, d 3 – e 2 and e 2 – e 3). Cuticle laterad to shields smooth, posterolateral margin of body smooth, almost straight. All dorsal setae long, thickened, and serrate ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Length of seate: v 2 42 (38 – 40), sc 1 46 (42 – 48), sc 2 46 (40 – 50), c 1 42 (40 – 44), c 2 38 (38 – 42), c 3 42 (36 – 44), d 1 40 (40 – 46), d 2 44 (40 – 44), d 3 46 (40 – 44), e 1 40 (36 – 40), e 2 40 (40 – 42), e 3 40 (42 – 46), f 2 42 (40 – 42), f 3 40 (40 – 46), h 1 40 (32 – 38), h 2 40 (38 – 40).

Venter ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ). Cuticle with broad transverse striae between setae 1a and 3a and between 4a and ag; striae between setae3a and 4a forming a rectangular pattern with concave margins( Fig.3B View FIGURE 3 );pregenital area with longitudinal striae. Genital setae inserted along posterior margin of weakly developed, smooth genital plate. Pseudanal setae ps 1 – 3 inserted on well-defined anal plates. Coxal setae fine, smooth, except 2c slightly barbed; setae ag, g 1 – 2, ps 1 – 3 barbed. Setal measurements: 1a 65 (65 – 77), 1b 35 (33 – 39), 1c 9 (12–15), 2b 31 (23 – 31), 2c 31 (27–35), 3a 25 (23–31), 3b 21 (23–27), 4a 35 (27–39), 4b 23 (23), ag 27 (19–27), g 1 22 (16–22), g 2 14 (12–15), ps 1 16 (14–17), ps 2 12 (11–15), ps 3 7 (5–8). Spermathecal duct narrow, convoluted. Spermathecal vesicle trilobed, 4 long ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ).

Gnathosoma ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 3C View FIGURE 3 ). Rostrum extending to midlength of tibia I. Subcapitular setae m 13 (13–17) long. Palps 5-segmented 34 (30–36) in length. Setal formula 0-1-0-2-3(1); solenidion ω 5 (5–6) long.

Legs ( Figs 2A–C View FIGURE 2 ). Setal formula of legs I–IV (coxae to tarsi) corresponding to standard set of the genus: 2-1- 4-3-4-9(1), 2-1-4-3-4-9(1), 1-2-2-1-3-5, 1-1-1-0-3-5, respectively. Tarsi I, II, each with one thin abaxial solenidion, ω′′I 8 (8–9), and ω′′II 8 (8–9) long. Dorsal setae ( d) on femora and genua thickened and serrate.

MALE and IMMATURES. Unknown.

Etymology. The name of this new species ( insularis ) is a Latin adjective meaning “of or pertaining to an island” due to the discovery of this species on a Greek island.

Remarks. Among the 104 valid Aegyptobia species, A. insularis Stathakis & Vrettos sp. nov. is closely related to A. anvillea Kamran & Alatawi, 2017 , A. kermaniensis Farzan, 2015 and A. lippii Kamran & Alatawi, 2017 in having dorsal setae thickened and serrate and the anterior margin of prodorsum rounded. Aegyptobia insularis is easily distinguished from these species by the smooth surface of dorsal shields ( vs with distinctly striated sculpturing on dorsal shields in compared species), and by the greater length of hysterosomal setae of d -, e -, f - and h -series ( 32 – 46 in A. insularis sp. nov. ( vs 15 – 23 in A. anvillea , 16 – 23 in A. kermaniensis and 20 – 36 in A. lippii ) ( Farzan & Asadi 2015; Kamran et al. 2017). Additionally, this is the first record of a flat mite on a host plant genus Phagnalon ( Castro et al. 2022) .