Kongsbergia Thor, 1899

Tuzovskij, Petr V., 2021, Description of a new water mite species of the genus Kongsbergia Thor, 1899 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Aturidae) from Kazakhstan, Zootaxa 4999 (5), pp. 494-500 : 494-499

Genus Kongsbergia Thor, 1899

Subgenus Kongsbergia s.s.

Kongsbergia (Kongsbergia) turkestanica sp. n.

Figs. 1–11

Type series. Holotype: male, slide 9942, Asia , Kazakhstan, Turkestan Province , Tyulkubaskiy District , Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve, Taldybulak stream, 42°25’01.9”N 70°28’22.3”E, 1230 m, depth 20–40 cm, bottom: large stones, mosses, 10.08.2019, leg. V. Stolbov . Paratypes: 1 male and 1 female, same locality and data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with numerous centripetally arranged strips, bearing all dorsal idiosomal setae, the first pair of slit organs (i1) and, caudally, the excretory pore; genital field with numerous acetabula (45–60 pairs) in three to five rows and three pairs of genital setae; capitulum with short rostrum; ventral margin slightly convex; pedipalp and posterior pair of legs with strong sexual dimorphism.

Description. Both sexes. Colour red. Interscutal membrane bearing four pairs of slit organs (i2–i5). Idiosoma al-

most egg-shaped, frontal margin trapezoidal with small median incision, lateral margin slightly convex, posterior margin rounded or weakly concave. Dorsal shield with numerous distinct, centripetally arranged strips, bearing the first pair of slit organs (i1) and caudally the excretory pore. Suture lines between coxal plates distinctly visible only in theirs lateral sectors. Tips of coxal plates I slightly extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Suture lines between coxal plates I/II longer than suture lines between coxal plates II/III and III/IV. Surface of all coxal plates porous. Capitular bay well developed, V-shaped. Genital field with numerous acetabula (45–60 pairs), extending over the posterolateral idiosoma margin, in three to five rows; three fine genital setae on each side (two pairs located anteromedially on ventral shield and one pair in the interscutal membrane. Capitulum ( Fig. 4 ) with short rostrum, ventral margin slightly convex, proximoventral projections large. Basal segment of chelicera large, with slightly convex dorsal margin, chela short and sickle-shaped ( Fig. 5 ). Legs without swimming setae. Leg claws with three pointed clawlets, dorsal clawlet a little shorter than central and ventral ones; claw blade moderately developed with straight ventral margin ( Fig. 9 ).

Male. Dorsal shield bearing both pairs of trichobothria (Fp, Oi) and 12 pairs of glandularia (Fch, Vi, Ve, Oe, Hi, He, Sci, Li, Le, Si, Se and Ci ( Fig. 1 ). Three pairs of muscle attachment scars also present on dorsal shield, the first pair located laterally to trichobothria Oi, the second pair medially to setae He and the third pair medially to setae Le. Excretory pore located near dorsal shield posterior margin. Coxal plates III narrowed medially, suture line between coxal plates III–IV curved ( Fig. 2 ). Seta Hv located in posterolateral part of coxal plate II on each side; setae Pe and Sce situated closely to genital field anterior margin. Gonopore small elongate, located between setae Pi in terminal position on a slightly protruding projection. Ejaculatory complex proximal chamber relatively large, with three anterior lobes, proximal and distal arms long, thin and nearly equal in shape and size ( Fig. 3 ). Pedipalp ( Fig. 6 ) stout, P-1 short with single dorsodistal seta; P-2 extremely inflated, notably higher than other segments, dorsal margin convex and bearing six subequal setae, ventral margin proximally with a narrow projection directed anteriorly, distally with a blunt protrusion bearing two small unequal peg-like setae near middle of segment, one birfucated; P-3 short, with fine dorsoproximal seta and two dorsodistal setae; P-4 slender and longer than P-2 (length ratio P-4/P-2 1.16–1.17), maximum height in proximal quarter, ventral margin basally a little concave, centrally and distally straight, both ventral seta located distal to middle of segment, proximal seta much longer than distal one; P-5 slender, with straight ventral margin. First pair of legs not modified ( Fig. 7 ). Posterior pair of legs modified, IV-Leg-4 dorsal and ventral margins distally slightly diverging, with five thick unequal distoven- tral pectinate setae; IV-Leg-5 ventral margin with an obtuse protrusion in the centre and in distal part bearing two thick, unequal, weakly curved setae, the proximal one shorter than the distal one, both distal peg-like setae short, straight and subequal in size and shape; IV-Leg-6 basally narrow, distally expanded, weakly curved in basal third ( Fig. 8 ).

Measurements (n=2). Idiosoma L 360–410, W 300–320; dorsal shield L 350–380, W 275–290; capitular bay L 95–97; ejaculatory complex L 29; capitulum L 90; cheliceral segments: base L 105–115, chela L 42–48; pedipalp seg- ments (P-1–5) L/H: 24–30/30–45, 100–108/84–90, 39–42/53–55, 120–125/29–32, 40–42/18–19; legs segments L: I-Leg- 1–6: 42–45, 42–55, 53–55, 60–66, 84–90, 78–90; II-Leg-1–6: 42–48, 48–60, 54–60, 60–65, 72–78, 84–90; III-Leg-1–6: 42–48, 48–55, 59–61, 65–72, 84–90, 90–96; IV-Leg-1–6: 80–102, 84–90, 59–61, 70–80, 83–85, 84–90.

Female. Idiosoma similar to male, but dorsal shield bearing both pairs of trichobothria and 11 pairs of glandularia (Fch, Vi, Ve, Oe, Hi, He, Sci, Li, Le, Si and Se), muscle attachment scars comparatively more weakly developed, ventral shield indented posteromedially, suture line between coxal plates III/IV slightly curved on each side, setae Ci and Pi located ventrally on soft interscutal membrane ( Fig. 10 ).

Pedipalp ( Fig. 11 ) slender, P-1 short with single dorsodistal seta; P-2 ventral margin strongly convex without proxi- mal projection, with two small unequal central peg-like setae, and ventral to them with two or three rounded tips; P-4 slender, as long as P-2+P-3, maximum height in proximal quarter, ventral margin basally slightly concave, centrally and distally straight, both ventral setae slightly separated and located distally to middle of segment, the proximal one distinctly longer than the distal one. Posterior pair of legs not modified.

Measurements (n=1). Idiosoma L 420, W 310; dorsal shield L 410, W 310; capitulum L 85; cheliceral segments: base L 95, chela L 48; pedipalp segments (P-1–5) L/H: 24/30, 78/65, 42/42, 120/30, 36/18; legs segments L: I-Leg-1–6: 48, 48, 48, 55, 65, 65; II-Leg-1–6: 42, 48, 42, 55, 72, 72; III-Leg-1–6: 48, 48, 60, 65, 85, 78; IV-Leg-1–6: 60, 60, 55, 72, 90, 78.

Remarks. The present species is similar to K. materna Thor, 1899 and K. ermani Gülle & Boyaci, 2021 . Differences between the new species and K. materna are found in the following characters (character states of K. materna given in parentheses, data from Gerecke 2014, Gerecke et al. 2016): male: suture line between coxal plates III/IV distinctly developed, Fig. 2 (not developed, Fig. 12 ), P-2 dorsal margin proximally moderately convex, Fig. 6 (strongly protruding, Fig. 13 ), P-4 longer than P-2, (P-4 as long as P-2), P-5 ventral margin straight (P-5 with proximoventral hump); IV-Leg-4 with several thick pectinate distoventral setae, Fig. 8 (with thin smooth setae, Fig. 14 ), IV-Leg-5 proximoventral seta com- paratively large, thick but shorter than distoventral one, with two straight pointed subequal distoventral peg-like setae, distoventral segment edge smoothly rounded (IV-Leg-5 proximoventral seta shorter and distinctly thinner than distoven- tral one, with three distal peg-like setae, distoventral segment edge angular); female: P-4 as long as P-2+P-3, Fig. 11 (P-4 distinctly longer than P-2+P-3, Fig.15 ).

The idiosoma in K. ermani is elongate, the dorsal shield without centripetally arranged strips, part of idiosomal setae, besides trichobothria, not associated with glandularia, P-4 shorter than P-2, IV-Leg-6 extremely enlarged ( Gülle & Boyaci 2021).

In the diagnosis of the genus Kongsbergia as proposed by Cook (1974), Gerecke et al (2016) and Smit (2020) it is stated as follows:”Dorsal shield bearing postocularia (= Oi) and nine pairs of glandularia. Dorsal furrow facing laterally, complete in both sexes, not bearing glandularia”. However, the dorsal shield of K. turkestanica sp. n. bears both pairs of trichobothria in both sexes, 12 glandularia in the male and 11 glandularia in the female; the dorsal furrow (interscutal membrane) is without glandularia in the male, but in the female glandularia Ci are situated in the interscutal membrane ( Fig. 10 ). Thus, the diagnosis of the genus Kongsbergia needs correction in this sense.

Etymology. The species is named after the name of the Province (Turkestan) where it was collected.

Habitat. Running waters.

Distribution. Asia, Kazakhstan: Turkestan Province.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Kongsbergia turkestanica sp. n., male: 1, dorsal shield; 2, ventral view. Scale bar: 100 μm.

FIGURES 3–9. Kongsbergia turkestanica sp. n., male: 3, ejaculatory complex; 4, capitulum; 5, chelicera; 6, pedipalp; 7, I-Leg- 1–6; 8, IV-Leg-4–6; 9, leg claw. Scale bar: 50 μm.

FIGURES 10–11. Kongsbergia turkestanica sp. n., female: 10, ventral view; 11, pedipalp. Scale bars: 10 = 100 μm, 11 = 50 μm.

FIGURE 12–15. Kongsbergia materna: 12–14, male, 15, female, 12, ventral view; 13, 15, pedipalp; 14, IV-Leg-4–6; (after Gerecke 2014). Scale bar: 100 μm.