Atractides (Atractides) cameronensis, Pesic, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2010

Pesic, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2010, New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Malaysia, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 2354, pp. 19-34 : 32-33

Atractides (Atractides) cameronensis sp. nov.

( Fig. 9A–D )

Type material. Holotype: male dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid, Malaysia, stream crossing Mt. Brinchang Road, Cameron Highlands, 4° 31.458 N 101° 23.353 E, alt. 1860 m, 19.ii.2009.

Diagnosis. Coxae fused to a coxal shield; setae S-1 and -2 narrow setal interspace; Leg-6 curved, from the centre to the claw furrow moderately tapering; Vgl-1 fused with Vgl-2.

Description. General features: Integument dorsally smooth. Muscle attachment plates unsclerotized. Coxae fused to a coxal shield; Cx-4 posteriorly with an extended posterior margin of secondary sclerotization. Genital field: Ac in an obtuse triangle; anterior margin convex, with a large border of secondary sclerotization. Excretory pore smooth; Vgl-1 fused with Vgl-2. Palp: weak sexual dimorphism; P-2 ventral margin straight, sword seta of P-4 between ventral setae insertions. I-Leg: setae S-1 and -2 narrow setal interspace, S-1 slender, with truncate tip, S-2 enlarged, bluntly pointed; I-Leg-6 curved, basally slightly thickened, from the centre to the claw furrow moderately tapering.

Male. Idiosoma L/W 342/288. Coxal field ( Fig. 9A ): L 222, Cx-3 W 234. Palp ( Fig. 9D ): total L 204, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 20 (9.8); P-2, 41 (20.1); P-3, 51 (25.0); P-4, 65 (31.9); P-5, 27 (13.2); L P-2/P-4 ratio, 0.63. Genital field ( Fig. 9B ): L/W 79/82, L Ac-1-3: 26–27, 26–27, 23–25.

I-Leg ( Fig. 9C ): I-Leg-5 dL 108, vL 72, dL/vL, HB 32, dL/HB 3.4, S-1 L 66, L/W 8.6, S-2 L 54, L/W 4.9, distance of sword setae at I-Leg-5 11, L S-1/2 1.2; I-Leg-6 L 92, HB 14, L/HB 6.57; L I-Leg-5/6 1.2

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after the Cameron Highlands, where it was collected.

Remarks. Due to the coxae fused to a coxal shield in the males, Atractides cameronensis sp. nov. resembles Atractides conjunctus ( Viets, 1935) and A. conjunctellus Lundblad, 1971 , both species known only from Java. From Atractides cameronensis sp. nov., the later species, differ in more slender I-Leg-6, and much wider setal interspace (see: Lundblad 1971). The new species from Malaysia differs from A. conjunctus in the fused Vgl-1+2 (unfused in A. conjunctus ; cannot be discussed for A. conjunctellus because information/ illustrations on this character are lacking in the original description), and a more slender I-Leg-6 (thickened in A. conjunctus – see: Viets 1935).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Malaysia.

Figures

FIGURE 9 A – D. Atractides cameronensis sp. nov., male: A = idiosoma, ventral view; B = genital field; C = I-Leg- 5 – 6; D = palp, medial view. Scale Bars = 100 μm.