Tetranychus neocaledonicus André, 1933 (Figures 26- 30)

Diagnosis:

Male: Spinneret longer thrice than wide (6-7 x 2-3). Length of the palp tarsus is twice the width (6-7 x 3-4). Dorsal palp-femoral setae (d PFe) modified into a ‘spearlike’ structure with a length of 7-8. Tarsus I bears 4 tactile setae and 2 solenidia proximal to the proximal duplex setae. Empodia of each leg tri-digitae and split into 6 proximoventral hairs. Empodia of legs I-IV with minute dorso-median spur. Aedeagal knob with short projections, rounded anterior and posterior margins, appears ‘berry-like’ and forms an angle of 40° with the shaft. Female: Spinneret globular, almost as long as it is wide (4-5 x 3-4). Length and width of the palp tarsus 7-8 x 10-11. Peritreme hook with four chambers. Length of the peritreme 26-28. The dorsal striation between setae e1 and f1 appears ‘diamond shape’. ‘Duplex set’ of setae of tarsus I 28-30 between the proximal and the distal duplex setae. Tarsus I with four tactile setae proximal to proximal duplex setae. Empodia of each leg are split into 6 proximoventral hairs devoid of dorso-median spurs. Pregenital striation pattern broken. Genital coverflap transverse.

Material examined: 12 males (Acarol. lab/ BCKV/3195−3206 /25) and 12 females (Acarol. lab/ BCKV/3206−3217 /25), Hibiscus diversifolius J. from Jaguli (22.9276° N, 88.5505° E), Nadia, West Bengal, India.

Remarks: Tetranychus neocaledonicus specimens were collected from Prickly hibiscus (Hibiscus diversifolius J.) from Jaguli, Nadia. Infested leaves exhibited downward curling accompanied by prominent chlorosis. Bright red–colored female mites and greenish–yellow males were found actively feeding on the undersurface of the leaves. This species is reported from 64 countries, in Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental and Palearctic regions of the world (Migeon and Dorkeld, 2025).