A new species of velvet mite from meridional South America of the genus Clavismaris ( Acari , Erythraeoidea , Smarididae , Hirstiosomatinae )

A new species of Clavismaris Southcott, 1963 is described from the southern limit of distribution of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest at Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The specimens were collected by pyrethroid tree canopy fogging in preserved mountain slopes forests areas around 120 m of altitude.

Smaridid mites are moderately large and worldwide distributed predator mites found mainly in litter and grassland habitats being the larva of some species parasites of insects (Krantz & Walter, 2009).
According to Beron (2008) and Makol & Wohltmann (2012), there is only one endemic smaridid species registered for South America, actually Smaris nicoleti (Gervais, 1849) from Chile.Although dubious (see Beron, 2008:55), there is another record of a Smarididae to South America, actually the european species Hirstiosoma ampulligera (Berlese, 1887).The species is registered for several South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile).However, the above cited distribution of the species for South America is not listed or commented by Wohltmann (2010) or Makol & Wohltmann (2012).
Clavismaris was proposed by Southcott (1963) to include C. conifera Southcott, 1963 andC. cybaea Southcott, 1963, described respectively from Mexico and USA.The same author above considered Clavismaris close to the New World Trichosmaris Southcott, 1963 andto the Australian Sphaerotarsus Womersley, 1936, differing from the first by the clavate shape of the posterior cristal sensilla and from the second by the less enlarged tarsus IV of males.
The material included in this paper was collected by canopy fogging at the southern limit of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and represents the second Smaridid and for now the first known species of Clavimaris from South America.
Based on morphological and morfometrical data we conclude that the examined specimens belong to an undescribed species of Clavismaris and are herein presenting the description of this new species.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Examined material is deposited at the Acarological collection of the Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (MCN).The specimens were collected on tree canopies using pyrethroid fogging, preserved in ethanol 80% and posteriorly mounted in slides with Hoyer's medium according to Jeppson et al. (1975).

Clavismaris
Etymology.The specific name is taken from the typelocality, Maquiné, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Diagnosis.Clavismaris maquine sp.nov.differs from C. cybaea by the number of nasu scobalae, being 11-12 in males, 14-18 in females and eight in the last species.On the other hand, the number of nasu scobalae in the new species is similar to the number present at C. conifera (17); however the new species differs from the last one in the number of dorsal spicules on the nasu scobalae, being around 20 in C. maquine sp.nov.(Fig. 14) and 6-8 in C. conifera (Southcott, 1963:235).Based on females data, the combined measures of C. maquine sp.nov.ISD (340-460 μm) and the ratio of the tibia/genu IV (1.15-1.22)are confirmatory characters for the species, being respectively 381 μm and 0.85 in C. conifera (only the holotype available) and 267 μm and 1.00-1.02 in A new species of velvet mite from meridional South America of the genus...
Dorsal idiosomal scobalae lightly chitinized, variable shaped and typically smaridid.Nasus with 17 scobalaee forming an oblong or oval band with five tectal projecting columns of spicules, two being along the tectal borders, and three placed in a paramedian situation along the setae comprising together abouth 16-20 spicules.The appearance of the dorsal scobalae strongly prismatic depending of view (Fig. 6).
Ventral surface normal, the central ventralae smaller, bushy with longer ciliations.External genital plates covered with 20-30 needle like setae (Fig. 12).Internal genitalia region with characteristic shape showing an anterior pair of sclerotized plates, a median narrow sclerotized structure and a posterior rounded sclerotized area bearing two oblique inserted narrow and heavier sclerotized processes (Fig. 5).External genitalia 202 μm long.Anus oval, 80 μm long, 47 μm wide.Anal valves covered with around ten pairs of heavy ciliated ventralae, usually something smaller as remaining surrounding ventralae (Fig. 13).
Eyes one on each side, cornea 19 μm across, but with surrounding part included the eye is 26 μm across.Line joining centres of eyes is 10 μm anterior to the midpoint of ISD (OAS= 150 μm, OPS = 200 μm).
Internal genitalia clearly of male type; presenting a central column of sinuose sides and a central inverted "V" shaped sclerotized structure (Figs 7-10); in ventral portion is also possible to observe a paired oval sac-like structure (Fig. 10 Remarks.The number of nasus scobalae in males (11-12) of C. maquine sp.nov. is lower as in females (14-18).The number of nasus scobalae was only provided for the female holotype of C. conifera (17) and the male holotype of C. cybea (8) (Southcott, 1963).However in the original description of the last species an additional male paratype and female were described, this character was not presented for any of them by the author.In this way, it could be expected that C. cybaea females would have large numbers of nasus scobalae, the opposite is expected regarding unknown males of C. conifer sp.nov.. Natural history.Species was collected at tree canopies in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Distribution.Known only for the type-locality, Maquiné, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.