Kongsbergia cooki, Radwell & Smith, 2012

Radwell, Andrea J. & Smith, Ian M., 2012, North American members of the reticulata-like species group of the water mite genus Kongsbergia (Acari: Hydrachnidiae: Aturidae), Zootaxa 3540, pp. 1-49 : 9-11

Kongsbergia (s.s.) cooki sp. nov.

( Figs. 8–12, 81, 82)

Description. Character states of the reticulata subgroup. Male: Idiosoma in dorsal view nearly round or slightly elongate and shield-shaped with sides nearly parallel from humeral region to midlength, tapering posteriorly. Dorsal shield ( Figs. 8, 81) with anterior margin slightly convex or nearly transverse and with a small depression medially, lacking a nipple- or dome-shaped projection; with edge linear or slightly convex in area between eyes and humeral region and with a modest humeral angle; with reticulate sculpturing very weakly developed and diffuse in area between and anterior to postocular setae; anteromedial hump very small, lateral ridges weakly developed and fading toward lateral edges of shield near midlength, posterior depression shallow; ridge bearing excretory pore low; bearing three pairs of slender setae near posterior edge; variable in color but usually pale yellow with pale red patches anteriorly and posteriorly. Ventral shield ( Fig. 10) rounded posteriorly and bearing three pairs of slender setae near posterior edge; with projections covering insertions of fourth legs well developed. Pedipalp ( Fig. 11) with femur enlarged and bearing three papillate projections proximoventrally with the most proximal one elongate and curved. Fourth leg ( Fig. 12) with segments and setae as illustrated. Female: Dorsal shield ( Figs. 9, 82) similar in shape, sculpturing and color to that of male but often somewhat more elongate and with ridges relatively weakly developed. Measurements: Male (n=5): Length/width dorsal shield 330–362(332)/240–266(266), length/width ventral shield 332–360(332)/272–280(272). Lengths pedipalp segments: Tr 22–25(22), Fe 73–90(82), Ge 30–36(35), Ti 80–87(83), Ta 32–34(32). Height pedipalp femur 71–90(80). Lengths leg segments: IGe 52–60(60), ITi 75–83(83), ITa 82–92(82); IIGe 61–70(61), IITi 75–84(75), IITa 86–92(88); IIIGe 65–72(70), IIITi 86–93(93), IIITa 99–109(102); IVTr 65–70(65), IVBFe 73–85(80), IVTFe 62–68(62), IVGe 64–66(65), IVTi 74–80(80), IVTa 95–104(101). Female (n=5): Length/width dorsal shield 350–410/246–320, length/width ventral shield 336–406/ 264–320. Lengths pedipalp segments: Tr 22–25, Fe 58–75, Ge 25–33, Ti 85–105, Ta 31–34. Lengths leg segments: IVTr 55–62, IVBFe 52–65, IVTFe 45–60, IVGe 55–72, IVTi 75–100, IVTa 90–100.

Types. Holotype: Male from Mountain Creek beside Rt. 26 between Dayville and Mitchell, Wheeler Co., Oregon, USA, 5 July 1985 by IMS (slide) . Paratypes: CANADA: British Columbia: Kettle River at Kettle River Provincial Park, Rock Creek , 30 July 1985, IMS – 1 male (slide), 6 males, 16 females (GAW) . USA: Arizona: Apache Co. : Black River 12 miles west of Alpine , 4 May 1963, HH – 1 male (GAW, NBM, CNC). Greenlee Co.: Blue River at Upper Blue Campground off Forest Road 281 north of Blue , 16 September 1994, IMS – 1 male (slide) . Colorado: Fremont Co.: Arkansas River beside Rt. 50 at Pinnacle Rock Picnic Area , 8.3 km east of Texas Creek , 12 September 1994, IMS – 1 male, 1 female (slides), 6 males, 17 females, 1 deutonymph (GAW). Gunnison Co. : Gunnison River beside Neversink Trail at Curecanti National Recreation Area of Rt. 50 west of Gunnison , 16 September 1999, IMS – 1 male (GAW) . Idaho: Lincoln Co.: Little Wood River beside Rt. 26 ca. 14.4 km northeast of Richfield , 8 August 1961, DRC – 4 males, 1 female (slides), 3 males, 2 females (GAW) . Montana: Lincoln Co.: Yaak River beside Rt. 2 ca. 16 km northwest of Troy , 21 August 1961, DRC – 1 male (slide) . New Mexico: Grant Co.: East Fork of Gila River 39 miles north of Silver City , 23 March 1963, HH – 1 male (slide, NBM, CNC). Mora Co. : Coyote Creek beside Rt. 434, 4 km north of Coyote Creek State Park , Guadalupita, 25 May 1991, IMS – 1 male, 2 females (slides). Sandoval Co. : Rio San Antonio at La Cueva Recreation Area beside Rt. 26, 26 May 1991, IMS – 2 males, 3 females (GAW). San Miguel Co. : Pecos River 2 miles north of Pecos , 2 August 1954, DRC – 1 female (slide) . Oregon: Coos Co.: Rock Creek beside Upper Rock Creek Road 0.5 km north of Rt. 42, Remote , 29 September 2002, IMS – 2 males (slide), 11 males, 9 females (GAW). Rock Creek beside Upper Rock Creek Road 3.1 km north of Rt. 42, Remote, 30 September 2002, IMS – 1 male, 1 female (GAW). Rock Creek beside Upper Rock Creek Road , 0.7 km north of Rt. 42, Remote, 9 September 2004, IMS – 2 males, 2 females (slides), 4 males, 3 females (GAW). Douglas Co. : Smith River ca. 28.8 km east of Gardiner , 12 August 1961, DRC – 2 males, 1 female (slides). Bear Creek at Bear Creek Recreation Area off Rt. 42, 10 km east of Upper Rock Creek Road near Remote, 9 September 2004, IMS – 5 males, 5 females (slides), 47 males, 51 females (GAW). Grant Co. : John Day River beside Rt. 26 just east of John Day , 5 July 1985, IMS – 1 male (GAW). Lane Co. : Algae on exposed rocks at Neptune State Park , Pacific Ocean, 15 August 1961, DRC – 1 female (slide). Lincoln Co. : Alsea River at Blackberry Campground near Tidewater, 23 June 1983, IMS and A.B. Smith – 1 male, 1 female (GAW). Wheeler Co. : same data as holotype, 1 male, 2 females (slides), 34 males, 13 females (GAW) . Wyoming: Teton Co.: Snake River beside Rt. 89/287 just south of Yellowstone National Park , 4 July 1954, DRC – 1 female (GAW). Madison River in Yellowstone National Park beside Rt. 20/191 between Madison Junction and West Yellowstone, 5 July 1954, DRC – 1 female (GAW). Madison River in Yellowstone National Park , 28 July 1954, DRC – 2 males, 1 female (slides). Madison River in Yellowstone National Park ca. 6.4 km east of West Yellowstone , 1 September 1961, DRC – 2 males (slides), 1 male, 2 females (GAW) .

Etymology. Named for David Cook who collected the earliest known specimens of this species and in honor of his remarkable contributions to water mite systematics.

Distribution. Western North America (British Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wyoming).

Remarks. Members of Kongsbergia cooki sp. nov. are similar to and appear to be closely related to those of K. reticulata and females of the two species are morphologically indistinguishable. Males of K. cooki differ from those of K. reticulata in that the ridges on the dorsal shield are less strongly developed and cover most of the dorsal plate, the dorsal hump is lower and the intensity of the color pattern is usually very faint. The known distributions of these species are separated by hundreds of miles of prairie grasslands in both Canada and the United States. It will be instructive to compare homologous genetic sequences from specimens of various populations of K. cooki and K. reticulata in order to better understand the degree of relationship between them.