Epidamaeus florida ( Wilson, 1936 )

Norton, Roy A. & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2021, Redescriptions of North American Epidamaeus (Acari, Oribatida, Damaeidae) species proposed by N. Banks, H. E. Ewing, A. P. Jacot, and J. W. Wilson, Zootaxa 5021 (1), pp. 1-65 : 38-40

Epidamaeus florida ( Wilson, 1936)

( Figs 18–21 )

Belba globifer florida Wilson, 1936 ; p. 260

Epidamaeus florida ( Wilson, 1936) ; Marshall et al. (1987, p. 139)

Damaeus (Epidamaeus) floridus: Subías (2004, p. 79) ; see R16

Belba alachua Wilson, 1936 (p. 265); Subías (2004, p. 79); see R18

Epidamaeus alachua ( Wilson, 1936) ; Marshall et al. (1987, p. 137)

Diagnosis

Epidamaeus species with total length of adult 315–413. Cerotegument mostly with thick layer of filamentous excrescences; exuvial scalps usually present on notogaster. Prodorsum without enantiophyses or propodolateral apophysis. Bothridial seta long, flagellate, smooth, with distal shepherd’s crook or S-curve. Notogaster with spina adnata relatively small, thin, straight or slightly curved; setae of c -, l - and h -series acicular, smooth slightly arched, radially directed. Parastigmatic enantiophysis dimorphic: with Sa horn-like, Sp a shorter tubercle. Ventral enantiophyses E2, V and M absent; discidium small, straight, spiniform, directed slightly anteriad. Seta ad 3 well lateral to anal plate. Leg IV 1.0–1.1 times body length; femur IV shorter than trochanter IV (~1: 1.2).

Adult

Dimensions (see R19). Total length and maximum width (n = 6 females, 4 males) 315–392 × 191–240; males usually smaller (315–348) than females (352–392).

Integument ( Fig. 18 ). Color of preserved specimens light to medium brown. Cerotegument with mostly filamentous excrescences, forming thick, woolly mat on legs and in sejugal region, long, loose filaments on notogaster, shorter, loose filaments on venter; becoming very short (columnar to granular) or absent in distal region of leg tarsi. Filaments present, often thickly, on most setae and solenidia. Most ventral body setae and notogastral setae (except p -row) without intrinsic cerotegument but often entangled at base with excrescences from surrounding region. Procuticle smooth, except locally microtuberculate (tubercles, trochanters III–IV, femoral stalks). Usually with full stack of juvenile exuvial scalps, usually lacking adherent fecal pellets, eggshells, or other large debris ( Fig. 20A ).

Prodorsum ( Figs 18A, B , 19A–D ). Body wall anterior to acetabula I, II oblique, slightly rounded in dorsal view; propodolateral apophysis absent. Surface simple: without enantiophysis or strong contour anterior to bothridium, but with small, circular depression posterior to seta in. Sigillar patches of cheliceral and subcapitular muscles conspicuous in transmitted light. Setae le and ro attenuate, weakly barbed, curved anteromedially, similar in length (57–61) but le slightly thicker than ro. Interlamellar seta (41–49) attenuate, inclined posterior, slightly arched posterolaterally. Seta ex (41–49) attenuate, weakly barbed, usually curved dorsolaterally; vestige exv inconspicuous, immediately posterodorsal to ex alveolus ( Fig. 19D , insert). Bothridium with external part funnel- to goblet-shaped, with vertical bands. Bothridial seta long (188–200), smooth, finely flagellate; usually with distinct shepherd’scrook bend or unbalanced S-curve distally ( Fig. 19C ); curve often relaxed and tip often broken with treatment and manipulation); cerotegument mostly thick layer of filaments, even on fine tip, but gradually becoming shorter in middle part and absent basally.

Notogaster ( Figs 18A –C , 20A, D–F ). Nearly circular in outline, about 1.1 times longer than broad; uniformly curved, hemispherical with maximum height in middle. Spina adnata of medium size (20–32), narrowly spiniform, straight or slightly curved anterolaterally; pair usually slightly divergent, mutual distance less than that of setal pair in. Setae of c -, l - and h -series directed radially, inserted in shallow curve, such that mutual distance of lyrifissure im almost twice that of lm in dorsal view; acicular, smooth, weakly bowed; pigmented grayish brown except for pale, birefringent base ( Fig. 19F ); mostly 57–69, c 2, lp longest, h 1 (35 –45) shortest. Setae of p -row unpigmented, finely attenuate, weakly barbed, bent laterad near base to follow notogastral surface; p 1 (49–57) thicker than p 2, p 3 (36–45).

Coxisternum and lateral podosoma ( Figs 18B, D ). Tectum of podocephalic fossa normally developed, without lateral tooth-like projection. Epimere I without medial coxisternal pit. Tubercles of parastigmatic enantiophysis dimorphic: Sa horn-like, slightly bowed; Sp short, conical, directed toward Sa. Enantiophyses E2, M and V absent. Epimeral setae attenuate, weakly barbed, most inserted on small tubercles; setation: 3–1–3–4; approximate lengths 1a, 1c, 2a, 3a (20–28), 1b, 3b, 4a, 4b (28–32), 3c, 4c, 4d (36–41). Seta 3c slightly removed mediad from Sp and acetabulum III. Discidium relatively small, straight, sharply spiniform, directed at slight anterior angle.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 18C, D ). Genital, aggenital, anal, and adanal setae attenuate, weakly barbed, similar in length (28–32). Adanal seta ad 3 removed from anal aperture, with ad 1 – ad 3 forming oblique row directed toward acetabulum IV. Lyrifissure iad oriented diagonally, close to anal aperture; ian anterolateral to seta an 2, minute, length about equal to setal alveolus diameter. Medial edge of anal plate with usual narrow longitudinal band, sharply demarcated by carina.

Gnathosoma . Subcapitulum longer than wide (86–94 × 65–69). Setae (a, 16; m, h, 24–28) attenuate, weakly, barbed. Adoral setae (8) attenuate, thin, smooth. Palp (77–82) with normal setation: 0–2–1–3–9(+ω). Solenidion bacilliform, appressed to tarsal surface. Postpalpal setae (4) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera (86–94) typical of family; attenuate seta cha (20–24) barbed throughout, chb (20–24) barbed unilaterally in middle part.

Legs ( Figs 19A, G–I , 20 ). Relative lengths (I to IV) 1.0: 0.8: 0.9: 1.2; leg IV 1.0–1.1 times body length. Femur IV shorter than trochanter IV (~1: 1.2); approximate length of leg segments shown in Table 1. Proximal stalk of femur IV slightly shorter than distal bulb (~1:1.5). Claw of each leg smooth, without basal tooth. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–7–4–4–20) [1–2–2], II (1–6–4–4–17) [1–1–2], III (2–4–3–3–17) [1–1–0], IV (1–4–3–3– 13) [0–1–0]. Notably: tarsi I–III with proximal accessory pair (v) (pair v 2 absent) but only v’ present on IV; seta v 2 ʺ absent from femora I, II, vʺ absent from femur III. Setae d and l of femora similar to other setae (barbed, acuminate to attenuate); seta d of genua I–III equal to or only slightly longer than respective coupled solenidia. Solenidion φ 1 on tibia I and φ on tibia IV both flagellate (‘tactile’), other solenidia tapered but blunt (‘ceratiform’), curved to various degrees. Famulus of tarsus I acicular to acuminate, erect. Shapes and relative sizes of other setae shown in Fig. 20 .

Juveniles

Unknown, except for exuvial scalps on adult notogaster ( Fig. 21A–C ). Observable features similar to those of

E. bituberculatus . Notably, seta h 1 of nymphs pigmented, long, flagellate, with fine, curled tips (often broken); attachment cornicle k elongated, narrow, straight.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Epidamaeus florida (Wilson, 1936), adult:A—dorsal view (legs not shown except trochanters I); B—anterior half of body, right lateral view (gnathosoma and legs not shown) C—posterior region of body, right lateral view; D— ventral view (legs represented only by trochanters). Scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURE 19. Epidamaeus florida (Wilson, 1936), light photographs of adult female from South Carolina (A, B, E, H) and cotype female (remainder): A—habitus, lateral view; B—same, closeup of bothridial region; C—left bothridial region, dorsal view (slightly angled); D—right bothridial region (insert = enlargement showing vestige exv); E—sejugal region, dorsal view; F— partial left side of notogaster, same view; G—seta c1, showing birefringent base typical of Damaeidae (orientation as in D); H—right leg IV, abaxial view; I—base of right leg III; J—base of right leg IV. Scale bars 5 μm (B, D), 10 μm (E–G), 20 μm (C, G–J), 50 μm (A).

FIGURE 20. Epidamaeus florida (Wilson, 1936), adult: A—right leg I, without trochanter, abaxial view; B—femur, genu and tibia of right leg II, abaxial view; C—femur, genu and tibia of right leg III right leg III, near dorsal view; D—left leg IV, without trochanter, abaxial view. Scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURE 21. Epidamaeus florida (Wilson, 1936) (A–C) and Belba alachua Wilson, 1936 (D, E), light photographs of adult:A—