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. 9 A–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. 9 A): L 222, Cx- 3 W 234. Palp ( Fig. 9 D): 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. 9 B): L/W 79 / 82, L Ac- 1-3: 26 –27, 26–27, 23– 25.

I-Leg ( Fig. 9 C): 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.