Afroleius decurvatus, Coetzee, 2013

Coetzee, L., 2013, New Species Of The Genus Afroleius Mahunka, 1984 (Acari, Oribatida, Mycobatidae) From South Africa, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 59 (4), pp. 307-319 : 312-315

Afroleius decurvatus sp. n.

(Fig 8–14)

Diagnosis – Dorsalandventralsurfacesreticulate; bothridialsetaclavate, finelybarbed, stalksharplydecurvedproximallyatabout 1/3 oflength ofstalk, directedposteriorly; rostralsetashort, finelybarbed; lamellarseta long, smooth, curvedmedially, apicesmeetinginfrontofrostrum; interlamellarsetaveryshort; notogastralsetaeminute; fourpairsofthick-walled, tubularsacculipresent; tarsiIandIIeachwithlarge, curveddorsaldens; genuI andIIeachwithlargeantiaxialdistalcusp.

Dimensions – Holotype (female): Length 314 μm, width 239 μm. Paratypes: Females (n = 8) Length 312 μm (range 306–322 μm); width 222 μm (range 211–230 μm). Males (n = 4) Length 293 μm (range 282–304 μm); width 206 μm (range 196–213 μm).

Prodorsum (Figs 8 & 9) – Rostrumroundedindorsalview; prodorsalprofileinlat- eralviewwithslightindentationatleveloflamellarapices; prodorsalsurfacereticulate; bandofsmalltuberclespresentanteriorofdorsosejugalfurrow, uptolevelofinterlamellar setae; lamellawide, extendingslightlyoverlateralmarginofprodorsum; rostralsetashort (~ 19 μm), barbed, slightlyphyliform, visibleventrallyandlaterally, insertedbelowapex oftutorium; lamellarsetalong (~ 53 μm), smooth, curvingmedially, apicesoverlapping slightlyinfrontofrostrum; interlamellarsetaveryshort (~ 13 μm), smooth, curvingmedially; headofbothridialsetaclavate, finelybarbed; stalklong, sharplydecurvedproximally atabout 1/3 oflengthofstalk, directedposteriorly, totallengthfromwherestalkemergesfrom bothridiumtotipofbothridialhead ~ 52 μm; bothridiumventrallywithoverlappingslit.

Notogaster (Figs 8 & 9) – Notogastralsetaeminute (~ 5 μm), allsetaemoreorlessthe samelength, smooth; surfacereticulate, forminglargeirregularcircles; octotaxicsaccules tubular, thick-walled, openingswide; opisthosomalglandverysmall, difficulttodetect, situatedclosetoS1; pteromorphaelarge, distaledgewithoutreticulationbutsurfaceir- regular; posteriornotogastraltectumwide.

Podosomaandgnathosoma (Figs 9 & 10) – Surfaceofmentumfaintlypatterened; axillarysacculeshort; genaltoothshort, broad; epimeralsetaeminute, seta 1c absent; epimeralsurfacereticulate; longitudinallinepresentonlateralsidesofepimeresstretching moreorlessfrom 1b to 4b; tutoriumnarrow, anteriorsurfacebelow tu withsmalltubercles; rostralsetainsertedbelowapexoftutorium; pedotectumIlarge, wide, surfacereticulate; pedotectumIIsmall.

Ventralplate (Fig. 10) – Surfaceofgenitalplatefaintlypatterned, surfaceofanalplate faintlyreticulate; ventralplatereticulate; iad situatedlaterallyofanalplates; ad 1–2 inserted closetoeachotherposteriorlytoanalplate, ad 3 insertedmedio- laterallytoanalplate, posteriorto iad; postanalporoseareaabsent; preanalorganshort.

Figs 8–10. Afroleiusdecurvatus sp. n.: 8 = dorsalaspect, 9 = lateralaspect, 10 = ventralaspect. Scale bar 100 μm.

Figs 11–14. Afroleius decurvatus sp. n.: 11 = leg I, right side, paraxial aspect, 12 = leg II, right side, paraxialaspect, 13 = leftside, paraxialaspect, 14 = leftside, paraxialaspect. Diagonal tectumindicated. Scalebar 50 μm.

Legs (Figs 11–14) – Setalformula (trochantertotarsus, famulusincluded): LegI 1–5– 3–4–20; LegII 1–5–3–4–15; LegIII 2–2–1–3–15; LegIV 1–2–2–3–12; Solenidialformula (genu to tarsus): Leg I 1–2–2; Leg II 1–1–2; Leg III 1–1–0; Leg IV 0–1–0.

Legsrelativelyshort; dorsalintegumentoftarsiI, IIandIVandtibiaeI, IIandIV thick; poroseareasonfemoraIandIIlarge; poroseareasonfemoraIIIandIVnarrow, situateddorsally; poroseareasontrochantersIIIandIVlarge. LegI: Large, curveddens presentondorsalsideoftarsus, situatedproximaltotectalsetae; antiaxialfastigialseta (ft ”) short, thin; famulus (ε) minute; distalendofgenuantiaxiallywithventralcusp (indicated byarrow). LegII: Tarsusshort, broad; large, curveddenspresentondorsalsideoftarsus, situatedproximaltotectalsetae; distalendofgenuantiaxiallywithlargecusp (indicated byarrow). LegIII: Allsetae (except (p) and (u )) barbed. LegIV: Dorsalsurfaceoftarsusand tibiauneven; diagonaltectumantiaxiallypresentontarsusrunningdorsallyfrominsertion of ft” toproximo- ventralbaseofsegment; femurventrallywithwideflange; dorsalseta (d) onfemurthick, roughened.

Materialexamined – Holotype (female) ( NMB 1735.10.1) ( Fig. 18 ) and 12 paratypes (fourmales, eightfemales) ( NMB 1735.10.2) – Frankfort, easternFreeState 27°17’S 28°30’E, 18 January 1982 (C. M. Engelbrecht), soilandplantdebrisassociatedwithshrubs.

Additionalmaterial: Grasslandbiome – soilandlittersamplesfromnaturalgrassland, soilandlitterassociatedwithshrubsandurbanenvironmentscollectedatGolden Gate (28°29’S 28°38’E), Fouriesburg (28°37’S 28°12’E), Kroonstad (27°39’S 27°14’E), Potchefstroom (26°42’S 27°05’E), Northam (24°57’S 27°16’E), Rosendal (28°30’S 27°55’E), Reitz (27°48’S 28°25’E), Heilbron (27°17’S 27°58’E), Clarens (28°31’S 28°25’E), Weenen (28°51’S 30°03’E). NorthernMistbeltForests – forestlittercollectedatMontrose (25°27’S 30°42’E), Sabie (25°04’S 30°47’E). KalahariThornvled-litterunder Rhuslancea Warrenton (28°06’S 24°50’E). IndianOceancoastalbelt – litterfromcoastalduneforests – CapeVidal (28°07’S 32°33’E), St Lucia (28°07’S 32°33’E).

Etymology – Thespeciesnamereferstothesharplydecurvedsensillarstalk.

Remarks – This species is superficially similar to Afoleius simplex Mahunka, 1984 , butthethick-walled, tubularsacculiandsharplydecurvedsensillar stalkarecharacteristicofthisspeciesanddistinguishitfromcongeners. The absenceofthepostanalporoseareaisprobablyasecondaryloss. Thisspecies seemstobeecologicallytolerantasithasbeencollectedfromdiversehabitats suchasKalahariThornveldinthearidwesternpartofthecountry, tocoastal duneforestsinthemoisteasternpartofthecountry.

Figures

Fig. 18. Known distribution of A. crassus sp. n. (circle); A. decurvatus sp. n. (triangle) and A. deformatoides sp. n. (cross) in South Africa.