Lebertia (Lebertia) khatrii, Gerecke & Smit, 2022

Gerecke, Reinhard & Smit, Harry, 2022, Water mites of the genusLebertia Neuman, 1880 from the eastern Himalayas (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Lebertiidae), Acarologia 62 (2), pp. 302-316 : 305-307

Lebertia (Lebertia) khatrii n. sp.

Zoobank: 9FB20554-994E-4E0C-8D7C-D423BD7BFCFB

( Figures 2 A-E, 6B)

Type series — Holotype ♂, Bhutan 01, Bhutan , Royal Botanical Park Lampelri, 27°30.450′

N, 89°45.162′ E, alt 2667 m, 10 Aug. 2016, leg. W. Klein, slide mounted ( NBC). Paratypes: Same site and date, 2 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ (2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ slide mounted, 6 ♀ in liquid) ( NBC); Bhutan 02, E of Takchu, springs in meadow, 27°21.492′ N, 89°17.173′ E, 2907 m a.s.l., 07 Aug. 2016,

leg. W. Klein, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ slide mounted, 2 ♀♀ in liquid; Bhutan 03, Dumcho, Haa river, pool 3, 27°21.883′ N, 89°17.738′ E, 2675 m a.s.l., 07 Aug. 2016, leg. W. Klein, 1 ♂ slide mounted.

Other material – Bhutan 03, Dumcho, Haa river, pool 3, 27°21.883′ N, 89°17.738′ E, 2675

m a.s.l., 07 Aug.2016, leg. W. Klein ( Figure 6A ), 1 dn slide mounted; Nepal 04, Surke Khola, stream, 27°40.327′ N, 86°43.297′ E, 2290 m a.s.l., 11 Apr. 2016 leg P.W. Veel ( Figure 6D ), 1

♀ slide mounted (juvenile, grading L to. veeli n. sp. possibly due to incomplete sclerotization); Nepal 06, Sertu Khola stream, 27°33.899′ N, 86°35.752′ E, 2563 m a.s.l., 14 Apr. 2016 leg P.W.

Veel ( Figure 6B ), 1 ♀ slide mounted; Nepal 09, Bhujekhung, Stream, 28°31.709′ N, 83°01.598′

E, 3100 m a.s.l., 10 Oct. 2016 leg P.W. Veel 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ slide mounted; Nepal 10, Rupgad, Thuli Beri River, 28°58.460′ N, 82°51.991′ E, 2067 m a.s.l., 01 Nov. 2016 leg P.W. Veel, 2 ♀♀ slide mounted.

Diagnosis — Integument lineated, with lines in parts of the dorsum shortened and fusing to form a reticulate pattern; legs without swimming setae; P-3 basally relatively narrow (ratio maximum H/basal H 1.3-1.4), with 5 long setae, distal setae nearly equidistant or centrodistal seta closer to dorsodistal seta (A/B 1.3-2.1); P-4 maximum H in central part, insertions of setae dividing ventral margin in general into a short proximal, and subequal central and distal sector(s) (17-27/33-48/26-50 %).

Description — Integument lines surrounding longish fields of fine porosity, in parts of the dorsum shortened and fusing to form a characteristic reticulation, extension of this reticulation highly variable, in most specimens covering most of the dorsum, in others restricted to small dorsocentral fields. Cx-I medially distinctly longer than Cx-II (ratio 1.1-1.4), posterior margin W 25-35. Posterolateral margin of Cx-IV equally rounded or with a nearly straight sector on the level of glandularia V3. These and setae V1 not fused to coxal shield, but V3 often very close to Cx-IV margin ( Figure 2D ). Proportions and setation of distal segments of I- and IV-L as in Figure 2 A-B; distal 2/3 of the ventral surface of IV-L-5 with more than 10 setae inserting close to each other, IV-L-6 slightly bowed, with 2-3 fine and short ventral setae; IV-L- claw L 55-67. Genital field ( Figure 2E ) with lateral margins of genital flaps strongly diverging from anterior to posterior end, medial setae (♂:> 30, ♀: ca 15), in general in a single row (posteriorly doubled in a few ♂♂). Excretory pore smooth. Gnathosoma ventral margin in distal part nearly straight. P-2 relatively robust (L/H 1.37-1.54), ventral seta inserted 7-10 from distoventral edge, basally strong, distinctly shorter than L of segment ( Figure 2C ); P-3 slender, in basal part narrower than distally, dorsal and ventral diverging distally, 2 of the 5 long setae arranged near the centre of the dorsum (close to, or clearly away from each other), centrodistal seta closer to dorsodistal one, distoventral seta near segment edge; P-4 with maximum H in centre or proximal part, mediodistal peg seta strong, pointed; proximoventral seta rather close to proximal segment edge, distoventral seta halfway between proximoventral seta and distal segment edge (in one exceptional case, the central sector is enlarged (26/48/26 %).

Etymology — Named after Rajan Khatri (Kathmandu), for his assistance with the collecting of the material.

Discussion — From the Asian fauna the only Lebertia (s.str.) species reported to have a reticulated integument is L. acuta Sokolow, 1934 , described from the Ussuri catchment. This species differs from L. khatrii n. sp. in the position of the centrodistal of P-3 which is very close to the dorsodistal one (A/B 3.0). The same is true for L. hissarica Sokolow, 1948 , a species from Tadjikistan that might have a similar integument structure (but not described explicitly, ratio A/B> 3.0). In the European fauna, two Lebertia s.str. species are known to have a reticulated integument, both differing from the new species, among others, in the position of ventral setae on P-4: Lebertia salebrosa Koenike, 1908 , in comparison with the new species with a distinctly finer integument lineation locally producing a rather irregular reticulation, is generally minor in dimensions (e.g., P-4 L ♂ <115, ♀ <130), a farther distance between P-3 ventro- and centrodistal setae (ratio A/B 2.2-4.0), and the two proximal ventral sectors of P-4 shorter than the distal one (25/25/50 %), rarely equal in size (33/33/33 %). Specimens of L. reticulata Koenike, 1919 differ in presence of one swimming seta each on III-/IV-L-5, and a row of strong ventral setae on IV-L-6. Furthermore, their P-4 is club-shaped (maximum H in distal part) and both ventral setae insert in the distal segment sector.

Several specimens from Nepal do not show a distinct integument reticulation, but a pattern of longer or shorter lines similar to the situation in L. veeli n. sp., but they agree with the diagnosis in palp morphology.

Figures

Figure 2 Lebertia(Lebertia) khatriin. sp., type series. A-D, ♂; A – I-L-4-5; B – IV-L-4-6; C – right palp medial; D – coxal and genital field; E – ♀ genital. Scale bars: 100 µm.

Figure 6 Collection sites. A – Haa River (Bhutan 03); B – Sertu Khola, Nunthala (Nepal 06); C – Garden stream, Nunthala (Nepal 05); D – Surke Khola (Nepal 04); E – stream S of Gokyo (Nepal 01); F – stream Dudh Kosi Nadi (Nepal 02). Authors: W. Klein (A), P.V. Veel (B-F).