Pennarhodeus decoris Karg

Castilho, Raphael C., De, Gilberto J. & Halliday, Bruce, 2012, Revision of the genera Interrhodeus, Pennarhodeus and Poropodalius (Acari: Rhodacaridae), Zootaxa 3335, pp. 1-28 : 7-9

Pennarhodeus decoris Karg

Pennarhodeus decoris Karg, 2000a: 255 .

Pennarhodeus decoris .— Karg, 2000b: 211.

Specimens examined. Holotype female: 6972 T, Kuba (= Cuba), 1976, Bodenpr. Nr. (soil sample number) 48, ZMB Kat. Nr. 45977. (in MNHB).

Diagnosis (adult female). Arthrodial process of chelicera elongate, three-pointed; epistome with three, well separated projections, the antero-medial about 1.2 times as long as the antero-lateral ones; epistome margin irregularly serrate; corniculi rather straight; dorsal idiosomal setae pilose; podonotal and opisthonotal shields imbricate; without scleronoduli; seta R5 present; genital shield lightly reticulate; unsclerotised integument between genital and ventrianal shields with a transverse elongate accessory platelet; peritreme extending anteriorly to level of anterior margin of coxa III.

Adult female ( Fig. 4 A–F) (holotype). Dorsal idiosomal setae, Jv5, para-anal and post-anal setae pilose; hypostomal, subcapitular, ventral idiosomal setae (except Jv5, para-anal and post-anal) and leg setae smooth.

Gnathosoma. Chelicerae narrow and elongate ( Fig. 4 A); fixed cheliceral digit 88 long, with three teeth in addition to apical tooth and a setiform pilus dentilis; movable cheliceral digit 90 long, with three teeth in addition to apical tooth. Arthrodial process of chelicerae elongate, three-pointed. Epistome with three well separated projections; antero-medial projection smooth of about uniform width and provided with two apical denticles; antero-lateral projections slightly shorter, each provided with two or three lateral and three apical denticles ( Fig. 4 B); epistome margin irregularly serrate. Deutosternal denticles in eight roughly transverse rows, each with 11–16 denticles ( Fig. 4 C). With two pairs of rows of denticles outside of the deutosternal groove, one between deutosternal denticle rows fifth and sixth and the other in level with basal most row. Corniculi rather straight. Measurements of setae: h 1 14, h 2 10, h 3 11, sc 12.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 4 D). Podonotal shield imbricate, except for a punctate band along posterior margin; 217 long and 207 wide at widest point; with 22 pairs of setae (setae r1 and r4 absent); without scleronoduli and with six pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Opisthonotal shield imbricate, except for a punctate band along anterior margin; 150 long and 208 wide at widest point; with 15 pairs of setae and four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Unsclerotised integument laterad to opisthonotal shield with four pairs of setae (R2–R5); seta R1 absent. Measurements of setae: j1 18, j2 25, j3 24, j4 26, j5 25, j6 24, z1 21, z2 27, z3 26, z4 25, z5 25, z6 26, s1 17, s2 21, s3 25, s4 31, s5 31, s6 28, r2 29, r3 31, r5 27, r6 30, J1 26, J2 27, J3 27, J4 32, J5 16, Z1 28, Z2 30, Z3 32, Z4 46, Z5 59, S1 32, S2 31, S3 32, S4 39, S5 48, R2 10, R3 7, R4 9, R5 8.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 4 E). Base of tritosternum 19 long and 12 wide proximally ( Fig. 4 F); laciniae 45, separated for about 90% of their total length, pilose. Sternal shield smooth, except for a few light longitudinal lines along margin of posterior half, anterior margin indistinct; region anterior to the first pair of lyrifissures (iv 1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; posterior margin slightly concave; approximately 115 long, including the lightly sclerotised punctate region, 73 wide at widest point; with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures. Subtriangular remnants of exopodal shield present between coxae II–III and III–IV. Genital shield lightly reticulate; longer than wide; extending posteriorly behind coxa IV; distance between st 5– st 5 47; posterior margin straight. Unsclerotised integument between genital and ventrianal shields with a transverse elongate accessory platelet, with setae Jv1 and Zv1 and a pair of rounded metapodal plates. Ventrianal shield reticulate; 108 long and 158 wide at widest point, not fused to dorsal shield; with five pairs of setae (Jv2, Jv3, Jv5, Zv2 and Zv3) in addition to circum-anal setae and three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures; post-anal seta longer than para-anal setae. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level of anterior margin of coxa III. Peritrematal shield narrow, not extending beyond peritreme. Measurements of setae: st1 12, st2 15, st3 15, st4 11, st5 14, Jv1 12, Jv2 13, Jv3 17, Jv5 44, Zv1 12, Zv2 17, Zv3 23, para-anal 24, post-anal 35.

Legs: Lengths: I: 280; II: 220; III: 201; IV: 279. Genu and tibia IV each with ten setae. Pretarsus I, a single, sessile, curved claw; pretarsi II–IV, an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strong claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes.

Remarks. This species is known only from the adult female holotype. The following characteristics appear in the original description and illustrations of the species ( Karg, 2000a), but do not agree with our observations of the holotype: fixed cheliceral digit with two teeth in addition to apical tooth; epistome with antero-medial projection about as long as antero-lateral projections; podonotal shield without punctate band along posterior margin and with 20 pairs of setae; opisthonotal shield without punctate band along anterior margin and with 15 pairs of setae; unsclerotised integument laterad to opisthonotal shield with three pairs of setae; genital shield smooth; peritrematal shield fused to podonotal shield; lyrifissures present only on sternal shield (one pair). No information was provided about the tritosternum and leg setal counts. The measurements provided in the original description referred to the length of the movable cheliceral digit (90), length of the idiosoma (340), width of idiosoma (200), length of setae j1 (cited as i1) (20), j5 (cited as i4) (25), r3 (cited as r5) (25), J1 (cited as I1) (25), Z4 (45), Z5 (53), S5 (50), range of all st (12–15), Jv5 (cited as V8) (45), post-anal (cited as Ps) (35), range of other ventrianal setae (13–20), length of legs I (280), II (220), III (200) and IV (280).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pennarhodeus decoris Karg. Female. A. Lateral (antiaxial) view of chelicera; B. Epistome; C. Hypostome; D. Dorsal idiosoma; E. Ventral idiosoma; F. Tritosternum. Lyrifissures enlarged for improved visibility.