Oribatella manningensis, Behan-Pelletier & Walter, 2012

Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M. & Walter, David E., 2012, 3432, Zootaxa 3432, pp. 1-62 : 24-27

Oribatella manningensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 11, 12A–G, 28D)

Material examined. Holotype: female, Canada, British Columbia, Manning Provincial Park, Skyline Trail , 10, vii.1986 ( VBP) from moss and bark on standing dead Douglas fir; deposited in the CNC, type number 24040 . Paratypes: 40 (20 males, 20 females) with same data as holotype; Manning Provincial Park, Sapello Grove, 7.ix.1988 ( VBP) 5 from moss from trunks of western red cedar; Spruce Bay Beach, 1200m, 13.vii.1986 ( VBP) 1 from sifted alder, willow and Equisetum litter; Vancouver Island , 10mi NW Cayeuse, 4.viii.1975 ( EEL) 1 male from bracket fungi on log at 3000’; Carmanah Provincial Park, old-growth temperate rainforest, 24.iv.1997 ( VBP) 2 females from lichens on bark of Sitka spruce in riparian; Canopy Study, 31.v.1990 (N.N. Winchester) 1 female from canopy soil cores; 1 male, 1 female from platform at 55m in Sitka spruce tree; Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park , Rowe Lakes Trail, 1829m, 19.vii.1986 ( VBP) 9 from Pinus litter with some Vaccinium and beargrass; same data except, 22.vii.1980 ( EEL) 1 female from beargrass leaves and bulbs; Cypress Hills Provincial Park , Firetower area plateau, 3 mi S Elkwater, 29.vii.1978 ( EEL) 1 female from prairie herbage and soil; USA, Washington, Spokane Co., Mt. Spokane , ca. 5500’, 18.vii.1985 ( EEL) 3 from shortgrass herb clumps and soil . Paratypes deposited in the CNC, PMAE . IZ, RNC and USNM .

Diagnosis. Total length of adult 350–400 µm. Rostrum with deep medial indentation, edges of indentation each with 3 teeth; with ridge extending from teeth at edge of indentation to insertion of seta ro. Integument of lamellae densely striate, except densely punctate distally. Translamella without tooth. Medial dens on lamellar cusp about 31 µm long; lateral dens 31–40 µm long with 2–3 teeth on lateral margin, 0–1 tooth on medial margin. Bothridial seta about 102 µm long, with barbed, fusiform head, tapered to flattened distally. Notogastral porose areas with minimal pore depth evident, about 10 µm in diameter. Ten pairs of weakly barbed notogastral setae present (24–44 µm long) c seta longest, lm posterior of Aa, lp anterior of A1. Mutual distance p 1 –p 1 about 15 µm, mutual distance h 1 –h 1 about 24 µm. Epimeral seta 4c 29–34 µm long, thin, barbed, subequal in length to custodium. Tarsi heterotridactylous.

Description. Adult. Dimensions: Mean total length: female (n = 5) 381 µ m (range 370–400); male (n = 6) 368 µ m (range 350–385). Mean notogastral width: female (n = 4) 254 µ m (range 250–260); male (n =5) 251 µ m (range 250–255).

Integument: Prodorsum, notogaster, anal plates, genital plates, venter and mentum micropunctate; lamellae densely striate, densely punctate distally ( Fig. 12A, B). Coxisternum with distinct striae; epimere I distinctly foveate laterally ( Fig. 12D, E). Pedotectum I tuberculate and with short striae. Pteromorph with striae distally ( Fig. 12F).

Prodorsum: Rostrum with deep medial indentation, edges of indentation each with 3 teeth; with ridge extending from corner at edge of indentation to insertion of seta ro ( Fig. 12G); rostral margin strongly concave in dorsal aspect ( Figs 12C, F (arrow), G). Lamella 106–113 µm long, of which cusp 66–72 µm long, about 35 µm wide at level of insertion of seta le. Lamellar cusps contiguous anteromedially; separated posteromedially, leaving prodorsum visible through oval opening about 10–13 µm wide x 24 µm long; translamella without tooth, about 10 µm at greatest width, about 11 µm at greatest depth ( Fig. 11). Medial dens on lamellar cusp about 31 µm long, without teeth; lateral dens 31–40 µm long with 2–3 teeth on lateral margin, 0–1 tooth on medial margin. Seta ro 74–94 µm long, strongly barbed along length, acuminate, curved anteromedially ( Fig. 11). Seta le 66–92 µm long, thick, heavily barbed, tapered. Seta in 124–137 µm long, thick (less so than le), heavily barbed, tapered; mutual distance of pair 36–40 µm. Bothridial seta about 102 µm long, with barbed, fusiform head, tapered to flattened distally, stalk short, smooth; head directed slightly anterodorsally ( Figs 11, 12B). Exobothridial seta about 11 µm long, thin, smooth.

Lateral region of podosoma: Genal tooth broad, subrectangular, with dens ventrodistally, with longitudinal ridge ventrolaterally ( Fig. 12G). Tutorium broad, rectangular about 127 µm long, of which cusp about 67 µm long, rectangular, with microtubercles and puncta, distal margin with 5–7 teeth, with faint ridge running dorsoproximally to ventrodistally ( Figs 12F, G). Custodium 26–35 µm long, extending to middle of pedotectum II ( Fig. 12G). Porose area Al about 10 µm in diameter.

Notogaster: Length subequal to width. Anterior margin undulating, convex region lateral of bothridium with 5–9 transverse ridges. Pteromorph with striae distally; without small dens on anteroventral margin ( Fig. 12F). Octotaxic system in form of relatively small porose areas with mimimal pore depth evident, about 10 µm in diameter ( Fig. 11). Ten pairs of weakly barbed notogastral setae present (24–44 µm long) c seta longest, seta lm posterior of Aa, and lp anterior of A1 ( Fig. 11); distance p 1 –p 1 about 15 µm, shorter than distance h 1 –h 1 about 24 µm. Subtriangular lenticulus present.

Ventral Region: Epimeral setae 16–39 µm long, smooth, 4c 29–34 µm long, thin, barbed, subequal in length to custodium, similar in shape, but shorter than 3c, about 39 µm long ( Fig. 28D). Genital, aggenital, anal and adanal setae roughened, about 9–15 µm long; genital setae 2 + 4. Lyrifissure iad anterolateral and almost parallel to anal plate. Postanal porose area oval, 20–23 x 5–9 µm.

Gnathosoma : Anterior border of mentum with transverse ridge, without tectum ( Fig. 12E). Axillary saccule about 4 x 2 µm.

Legs: Setation (I to IV): trochanters, 1-1-2-1; femora, 5-5-3-2; genua, 3(1)-3(1)-1(1)-2; tibiae 4(2)-4(1)-3(1)- 3(1); tarsi, 20(2)-15(2)-15-12. Seta l” on genua I and II about 25 and 36 µm, respectively; l” on tibiae I and II about 29 µm. Tarsi heterotridactylous.

Etymology. This species is named for the general type locality, Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia, one of the most biologically and geologically rich parks in British Columbia ( Fraser et al. 1989).

Remarks. This species is similar to O. canadensis , which shows strong sexual dimorphism, and the two species easily can be confused when males are absent from samples. They share the dentate rostrum, with that of O. manningensis more deeply indented and more toothed than that of O. canadensis (compare Fig. 12C, G with Figs. 7, 14 in Behan-Pelletier & Eamer (2010)). The species are most easily distinguished by epimere 1 being distinctly foveate laterally in O. manningensis but with irregular ridges in O. canadensis (compare Fig. 12E with Fig. 8 in Behan-Pelletier & Eamer (2010)).

Distribution and Ecology. This is a species of the Montane Cordillera ecozone ( Atlas of Canada 2007), widely distributed in British Columbia and Alberta and to a lesser extent in Washington.