A new species of rake-legged mite Neocaeculus ( Acari , Caeculidae ) from Brazilian semiarid and new data on distribution of Andocaeculus caioi

A new caeculid species Neocaeculus setecidades sp. nov. from the semiarid is described from the National Park Sete Cidades located in the state of Piauí, Brazil. The species is included in Neocaeculus Coineau, 1967 due the presence of different sized claws on leg I, absence of bothridia in the tarsi of anterior legs and the aspidosomal sclerite not overhanging the gnathosoma in lateral view. New data on distribution of Andocaeculus caioi Ott & Ott, 2014 is presented.

overhanging of the gnathosoma by the aspidosomal sclerite.We do agree whit the author position but a deeper examination of the both genera types would be necessary to give more fundament to this question.However, it is very possible that both genera could be regarded as valid considering the genera types, with many species, for now, arbitrary placed in one or another genus.
The species herein described present aspidosomal sclerite not overhanging the gnathosoma, absence of dorsal bothridia in the tarsi legs I and II and differently sized claws of leg I. Based on this arguments we decide to place the new species into Neocaeculus.However it is very possible that this species are indeed not congeneric with N. luxtoni due the differently shaped nasus bothridial setae (bo) which could be a good character to define the both above discussed genera.The absence of the bothridium in the legs I and II could be also considered to place the new species in Microcaeculus but as stated by Taylor (2014) and Ott & Ott (2014) it is very likely that the genus does not have representatives in South America being all three species described by H. Franz for the continent possible belonging to Andocaeculus.
In this paper we describe a new species of Neocaeculus from South America, the second species of the genus known for the continent and the first of the genus known from Brazil; new distribution data is provided for A. caioi.Ott & Ott (2014), with six positions for spines and spine rows considered : d, dorsal; a, anterior; p, posterior; v, ventral; va, ventro-anterior; vp, ventro-posterior.Only leg articles with spines are indicated.Additional abbreviations used in text: tr, trochanter; bf, basifemur; fe, femur; ti, tibia; ta, tarsus.

Descriptions follow mainly
Specimen for transmitted light examination was cleared with Nesbitt's fluid along two weeks and posteriorly washed out with acetic acid over one day and transferred to 80% ethanol; examination on compound microscope was made with the help of a excavated slide containing clove oil.Spines location and counts were accomplished using compound and stereomicroscope for confirmation.Incident light images of female paratype were taken using a Leica M205A stereomicroscope with attached DFC420 camera and assembled using the Leica application suite (LAS) software package.Transmited light images of male holotype were taken through a Zeiss Standard compound microscope with attached Canon A620 camera and processed with Helicon Focus 5.3 multi-range program (Kozub et al., 2012).Drawings were made using printed images as models and compound microscope and stereomicroscope as threedimensional shape confirmation tools.Electron scanning microscope (SEM) images were taken using a Jeol-JSM-5200 with attached SLR digital camera.All measurements are in micrometers.Locality data in brackets was taken from Google Earth for the main buildings of the National Park Sete Cidades, Piauí, Brazil.
Examined material is deposited at acarological Etymology.The noun in apposition is taken from the type locality.
Description.Male (MPEG ACA 0081, holotype).Idiossoma 1,481 long, 950 wide.Dorsum: yellowish brown tegument with dark brown markings surrounding sclerites (in ethanol, as in Figs 1-3).Aspidosomal sclerite yellowish brown with brown markings, mesal portion lighter, anterior portion much lighter, almost whitish, 531 long, 580 wide; setae Pa close together, on anterior border of sclerite; setae Pm close together on the anterior third of sclerite; setae Pp wide appart, on the posterior third of sclerite, just behind the posterior eyes line (Figs 6,8).Two pair of eyes on small rounded and brown sclerite at level of posterior third of aspidosomal sclerite (Figs 1,4,6,8).Centrodorsal sclerite yellowish brown with brown markings, 612 long, 483 wide; setae a1, b1, c1 present; setae a1 and b1 closer together as both c1, a1 separated from each other around one and a half time their length and b1 about two times their length, setae c1 wider apart from each other, around three to four times their length (Figs 6,8).Lateral sclerite yellowish brown with brown markings, 692 long, 193 wide; setae a2, b2, c2 present, all positioned on middle line of sclerite, a2, b2 single, c2 double but not close together; lyrifissure ia transversal, between a2 and b2, on the ectal border of sclerite; lyrifissure im obliquous between b2 and c2, somewhat apart from the ectal border of the sclerite (Figs 6,8).Medial sclerite in one piece, occupying the whole width of posterior portion of idiossoma, yellowish brown with brown markings, narrow trapezoidal shaped, 225 long, 757 wide; setae d1, d2 present, single, ds present; all setae almost in transversal straight line with d2 at lateral border of sclerite.
Venter: yellowish brown tegument with brown ridges; epimeres brown, wrinkled aspect; dark brown genital valve, brown anal valves (Figs 2, 7).Epimeres I not touching the gnathosoma, with a clear seam between them; epimeres I and II totally fused from the base to half of its length showing a groove from this point until distal end; epimeres I with four A new species of rake-legged mite Neocaeculus (Acari, Caeculidae)...

Ott & Ott
equaly spaced medial clavate setae, which increases in size from the proximal to the distal position; epimeres II with two medial clavate setae, close together and positioned at half length of the epimere; epimeres II and III, separated by a seam; epimeres III and IV fused, with a groove between them on its total length; both with two small medial, almost same sized clavate setae.
Genital valves with five pairs of small and thin needle like setae, each valve 290 long, 32 wide, genital; agenital sclerite well sclerotized, brown, triangular in shape, 225 long, 161, wide.Anal valves with two-three clavate setae, 209 long, 64 wide; pseudoanal sclerites, brown, semicircular, with two-three clavate setae, 242 long, 80 wide, reaching until three quarters of the total length of the anal valves (Figs 7, 9).Remaining ventral a genital seta distribution as in Fig. 9. Internal genital sclerite bell shaped, with 4 pairs of visible setae forming a circular pattern on the anterior portion, no visible acetabula (Figs. 7,14).
Gnathosoma: nasu seta Po very short, bothridia bo long and narrow (Fig. 11); subcapitulum dark brown, wrinkled aspect, with two pairs of clavate setae.Hypostome with one pair of clavate setae near base.Chelicera with one dorso-distal needle like seta; movable finger terminal, fixed finger regressed and tooth like.Palp (Figs 12, 13) four segmented, with femur-genu not fused, femur with two dorsal clavate setae and genu with a single clavate seta; tibia with five setae being two dorso-retrolateral clavate and three robust prolateral spiniform setae, being the proximal one sharp pointed and both distal with blunt tip; tibia also with one dorsal solenidion (Fig. 12); tarsus with three setae, one ventral, one prolateral and one retrolaterally directed, five eupathidia: four more prolateral positioned being the two median very close together, the fifth one slightly in retrolateral position (Fig. 13).
Other examined material.None.Distribution.Known only for the type locality.
differently from the another species registered to Brazil, A. caioi, which was until now found exclusively in outcrops under stones (Ott & Ott, 2014).

Andocaeculus caioi Ott & Ott, 2014
Andocaeculus caioi Ott & Ott, 2014:356, figs 1-42.Notes.Regarding recent information about caeculids collected some time ago in a cemetery in Botucatú, São Paulo (G.R. S. Ruiz, pers.comm.), it was possible to locate, examinate and identify the specimens as A. caioi.Besides of some variations in chaetotaxy in aspidosomal and dorsal plates it was not possible to identify consistent differences on the specimens with the material from Rio Grande do Sul.Interestingly specimens of both populations were collected in areas with basalt and sandstone formations.Locally the both formations are popularly called also "cuestas" ("Cuesta do Haedo" in Rio Grande do Sul and "Cuesta de Botucatú" in São Paulo).Cuestas are defined by plateau slopes were, in this case, the sandstone layers emerge beneath the basalt.However, the regions are some thousand kilometers apart and the species distribution range is considerably enhanced.