THREE NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS CHAUNOPROCTUS PEARCE ( 1906 ) ( ACARINA : ORIBATIDA ) FROM INDIA

The genus Chaunoproetus was established by Pearce (1906) with C. cancellatus as the type collected from Sikkim Himalaya. Berlese (1916) erected a genus Zetorchella with Z. pedestris as the type species from Somaliland. Balogh (1958) erected another genus Caloppia with C. basilewskyi as the type from Angola, Africa. Both the genera, Zetorehella and Caloppia were regarded by Balogh (1965) as synonyms of the genus Chaunoproetus, but later in 1972 he considered them as distinct genera.


INTRODUCTION
The genus Chaunoproetus was established by Pearce (1906) with C. cancellatus as the type collected from Sikkim Himalaya.Berlese (1916) erected a genus Zetorchella with Z. pedestris as the type species from Somaliland.Balogh (1958) erected another genus Caloppia with C. basilewskyi as the type from Angola, Africa.Both the genera, Zetorehella and Caloppia were regarded by Balogh (1965) as synonyms of the genus Chaunoproetus, but later in 1972 he considered them as distinct genera.
Recently J. Balogh and P. Balogh (1992) again considered both Caloppia and Zetorehella as synonyms of the genus Chaunoproetus.
Ano-Genital Region: Genital plate trapezoidal (length: 59, width: 52) with 6 pairs of setae of which 2 pairs located at anterior margin, 2 pairs at lateral margin and 2 pairs at posterior margin of genital plates; distance between genital and anal plates exactly equal to length of genital plates; anal plates longer (length: 92, width: 78) than genital plates, with 2 pairs of setae; adanal setae 3 pairs, ad.located at postero-Iateral, ad 2 at latero-median and ad 3 at antero-Iateral margin of anal field; ventral plate with foveolae.
Legs : Leg tridactylous, middle claw stronger than lateral ones.
Remarks : The new species approached close to C. clavisetosus Bhaduri et al., 1975 in the shape of body, position of prodorsal and notogastral setae and body foveolation, but can easily be separated from the latter species in having sensillus with rounded and barbed head, short interlamellar setae not touching the translamellar line, densely barbed notogastral setae and having distance ti-ms > r rms.
Ano-Genital Region: Genital plate almost rounded (length: 75, width 75) with six pairs of setae of which 2 pairs located at anterior margin, 2 pairs at lateral margin and 2 pairs at posterior margin of genital plates; distance between genital and anal plates exactly equal to length of anal plates (132); anal plates (length : 132, width : 122) with two pairs of setae; three pairs of adanal setae; ventral plate densely foveolated.

Remarks:
The new species is comparable to C. longisetosus Dhali and Bhaduri, 1980 regarding body shape and nature of notogastral and prodorsal setae.But it shows dissimilarities with longisetosus in having long, barbed sensillus without any distinct head and in possessing barbed setae tao The species also shows similarities with C. amarpurensis sp.nov. in shape of body, long prodorsum and notogastral setae and shape of sensillus.However, it markedly differs from amarpurensis sp.nov. in having barbed prodorsal and notogastral setae and without any punctation on the body.
reported the genus from Tripura.