Trichouropoda madagascarica, Kontschán, Jenő & Starý, Josef, 2014

Kontschán, Jenő & Starý, Josef, 2014, New species of Uropodina from Madagascar (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 3895 (4), pp. 547-569 : 553-556

Trichouropoda madagascarica sp. nov

( Figs 24–34 )

Material examined. Holotype. Female. MAG-048, Madagascar, NW, AKF/12/2011/ Ankarafantsika National Park, sifting sample of forest litter, Winkler apparatus extraction, 16°18'47.7"S, 46°48'57.1"E, 83m, 25. IV. 2011, L.S. Rahanitriniaina and R. Raveloson coll. Paratype. One female and two male. Locality and date same as in holotype ( NHMG).

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 640–650 µm, width 480–500 µm (n=2). Idiosoma oval, dorsally domed.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 24 ). Dorsal and marginal shields completely separated. Dorsal shield covered by weblike sculptural pattern and bearing very short (ca 11–14 µm) and needle-like setae. Central part of dorsal shield elevated and clearly delimited from the surrounding regions. Elevated area covered by web-like sculptural pattern and bearing several smooth and needle-like setae. Posterior to this elevated area an elevated, a wide finger-like process, covered by numerous short and needle-like setae. Posterior to this process a wide and deep depression on caudal margin of dorsal shield. Inner margins of this depression bordered by long needle-like setae. Surface of dorsal shield covered by reticulate sculptural pattern lateral to caudal depression. Marginal shield without sculptural pattern, its inner margin undulate. Marginal setae similar in shape and length to dorsal setae, except caudal area with three pairs of apically serrate setae (ca 12–14 µm) can be seen ( Fig. 26 ).

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 25 ). Surface of sternal shield smooth except for numerous small pits. Four pairs of sternal setae smooth and needle-like (ca 4–6 µm), St1 inserted near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 at level of anterior margin of coxae II, St3 at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St4 at level of anterior margin of coxae IV.

One pair of lyriform fissures situated near anterior margin of sternal shield, Ventral shield covered with web-like and reticulate sculptural pattern. Setae on ventral shield short (ca 4–6 µm) and needle-like. Pedofossae deep, their surfaces covered by reticulate sculptural pattern, separate furrows for tarsi IV absent. Anal opening situated on elevated area. Adanal setae smooth and needle-like (ca 4–6 µm), postanal setae absent, one pair of sensory pores situated between adanal setae. Genital shield linguliform, situated between coxae II-IV, apical margin with a long process, its surface without sculptural pattern. Prestigmatid part of peritremes with one shallow and one deep Ushaped bends, poststigmatid part short and curved. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III. Base of tritosternum ( Fig. 27 ) narrow, laciniae marginally serrate and divided into two short and smooth apical branches.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 29 ). Corniculi horn-like, with one ventral tooth, internal malae smooth, narrow and longer than corniculi. Hypostomal setae h1 needle-like and long (ca 24–25 µm), h2 short robust and antler-shaped (ca 10–12 µm), h3 (ca 20–21 µm) long, with two spine-like lateral branches, h4 short and apically serrate (ca 5–6 µm). Trochanter of palp bearing two ventral setae, one long and smooth, the other long and marginally serrate, other setae on palp needle-like. Fixed digit of chelicera longer than movable digit, both digits with several teeth. Internal sclerotised node present ( Fig. 30 ). Epistome marginally serrate.

Legs ( Figs 31–33 ). Leg I with a small ambulacral claw, all legs bearing smooth and needle-like setae, femora II–IV bearing wide flap-like prolongations.

Male. Length of idiosoma 640–650 µm, width 480–500 µm. Sternal shield without ornamentation. The positions of five sternal setae as in Fig. 28 . Sternal setae ca 4–6 µm long. Genital shield circular and placed between coxae III. Ventral part of gnathosoma with three pairs of setae ( Fig. 34 ), hypostomal setae h1 needle-like and long (ca 24–25 µm), h2 absent, h3 (ca 20–21 µm) long with two spine-like lateral branches, h4 short and apically serrate (ca 5–6 µm). Other characters as in female.

Etymology. The new species is named after island where it was collected.

Remarks. The three pairs of apically serrate setae on the caudal part of the marginal shield, the caudal depression and the elevated area on the dorsal shield are previously unknown in the genus Trichouropoda .

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 28. Trichouropoda madagascarica sp. nov. holotype, female. 24. Body in dorsal view. 25. Body in ventral view. 26. Caudal part of dorsal body. 27. Tritosternum. 28. Intercoxal area of male paratype.

FIGURES 29 – 34. Trichouropoda madagascarica sp. nov. holotype, female. 29. Ventral view of gnathosoma and palp. 30. Chelicera. 31. Leg I. 32. Leg II. 33. Leg III and IV. 34. Ventral view of gnathosoma of male paratype.