Axonopsis longigenitalis, Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2014

Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2014, Water mites from Mount Kinabalu and the Crocker Range, Borneo, Malaysia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of 34 new species, Zootaxa 3876 (1), pp. 1-71 : 50-52

Axonopsis longigenitalis n. sp.

( Figs. 30A–D )

Type series. Holotype male, Kibamabangan River at waterfall, Inobong, Crocker Range, Borneo, Malaysia, 5º 51.280 N 116º 0 8.417 E, alt. 433 m asl, 18-ix-2012.

Diagnosis. Genital skeleton very long. In ventral view, gonopore appearing anteriorly and posteriorly truncated, dorsal furrow with two small glandularia platelets.

Description. Male: Colour yellow, in posterior half of dorsum reddish, idiosoma 338 long and 282 wide. Lateral eyes distanced from anterior idiosoma margin. Dorsal shield with five pairs of glandularia, anterior part with three pairs of hyaline, posteriorly directed processes, excretory pore fused with dorsal shield. Dorsal furrow posteriorly with two pairs of small glandularia platelets. Tips of Cx-I extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin, lateral margins with a line of blunt teeth; apodemes of gnathosoma relatively short. Venter anteriorly with a ridge on both sides, which extends posteriorly beyond fourth leg sockets. Genital field with four pairs of acetabula, lateral three pairs in a triangle, medial pair more posteriorly. Gonopore appearing truncated anteriorly and posteriorly in ventral view, but with rounded anterior margin when posterior idiosoma uplifted; lateral to gonopore a row of eight small setae. Genital skeleton (visible in dorsal view in the undissected specimen) very long, length 182. Length/height of P1-P5: 21/10, 44/41, 22/24, 62/26, 33/16; P4 rather stocky. Length of I-leg-4–6: 40, 42, 50. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 62, 70, 60. III-leg-4, IV-leg-4 and -5 each with two, III-leg-5 with three swimming setae.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named for the long genital skeleton.

Remarks. The very long genital skeleton is characteristic for the new species. However, for many Axonopsis species the shape of the genital skeleton is not known. Axonopsis hyporheica Pešić, Smit & Saboori, 2012 from SE Iran has a similarly long genital skeleton, but differs in an elongated idiosoma shape and the presence of three glandularia platelets in the dorsal furrow, the most posterior being longish. Axonopsis gracilipalpis K. Viets, 1935 from Sumatra has a more slender palp, while the four acetabula are lying in an arc.

Distribution. Borneo; known only from the locus typicus.

Figures

FIGURES 30 A – D. Axonopsis longigenitalis n. sp., holotype male. A = dorsal view; B = ventral view; C = palp; D = genital skeleton. Scale bars = 50 Μm.