Atractides cf. lunipes Lundblad, 1956

Pesic, Vladimir, Saboori, Alireza, Asadi, Mahdieh & Vafaei, Reza, 2004, Studies on water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Iran, I. The water mite genus Atractides Koch, with the description of five new species, Zootaxa 495, pp. 1-40 : 24-28

Atractides cf. lunipes Lundblad, 1956

( Figs. 41–49 )

Material examined: Iran: IR30 Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province, Omid Abad stream near Eisa Abad (After Farsan to Kuhrang) (ca. 32° 18'N, 50° 29'E), 2077 m asl., 0 1.08.2003, leg. Pesic (1/8/0); IR31 Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province, Omid Abad stream near Eisa Abad (After Fill Abad to Kuhrang), 0 1.08.2003, leg. Pesic (0/9/0).

Description

Male: Length of idiosoma 604, width 443. Dorsally the integument is lineated; muscle attachments: unsclerotized. Coxal field ( Fig. 41 ): Cx­1+2 short and large, posterior margin Cx­1 medially straight, apodemes of Cx­ 2 in an acute angle; length between anterior end of first coxae and posterior end of fourth coxae 354; Cx­3 width 438, Cx­1+2 width 350; Cx­1+2 medial suture 105 in length; distance from lateralmost tips of Cx­2 to the medioposterior edge of Cx­1+2 238. Measurements of mouthparts: chelicera length 200, claw 59.6; palp total length 312, dorsal length and relative length (% total length, in parentheses) of single segments: P­1 32 (10.3), P­2 73 (23.4), P­3 71 (22.8), P­4 103 (33), P­5 33 (10.6); ratio length P­2/P­4 0.70;palp ( Fig. 42 ): ventral margin of P­2 with a strongly developed ventrodistal projection ending in a long, digitiform tip, P­3 slightly concave, P­ 4 ventral margin weakly extended near proximal hair insertion, sword seta curved and inserted between ventral hairs. Genital field ( Fig. 44 ): anterior margin with shallow indentations; 111.5 in length, 123 in width, Ac­1­3 length 34­38.5­31.5; excretory pore smooth; Vgl­1: fused with Vgl­2 ( Fig. 45 ).

I­L ( Fig. 43 ): S­1/2 distanced, heteromorphic; I­L­6 slender and curved; I­L­3/4/5 forming distal sheaths each covering the base of the following segment; I­L­5 dorsal length 202, I­L­5 ventral length 124, ratio dorsal length I­L­5 /ventral length 1.63, I­L­5 central height 55.1, ratio dorsal length I­L­5/central height 3.67, S­1 length 102.5, ratio length S­1/width 11.4, S­2 length 77.6, ratio length S­2/ width 6.75, distance between sword setae of I­L­5 25.6; ratio length S­1/2 1.32; I­L­6 length 142.3, I­L­6 central height 19.2, ratio length I­L­6 /central height 7.4; ratio length I­L­5/6 1.42.

Female (measurements based on two specimens): Length of idiosoma 907­1057, width 793­893. Dorsally the integument is lineated; muscle attachments: unsclerotized. Coxal field: Cx­1+2 short and large, posterior margin Cx­1 medially slightly concave, apodemes of Cx­ 2 in an acute angle; coxal plates with distinct medial and posterior margins with secondary sclerotization ( Fig. 46 ); length between anterior end of first coxae and posterior end of fourth coxae 416­508; Cx­3 width 585­696, Cx­1+2 width 473; Cx­1+2 medial suture 123­146 in length; distance from lateralmost tips of Cx­2 to the medioposterior edge of Cx­1+2 277­315. Measurements of mouthparts: chelicera 242­292, claw 73­ 82.7; palp total length 397.5­467.5, dorsal length and relative length (% total length, in parenthesis) of single segments: P­1 38.5­44 (9.4­9.7), P­2 85­106 (21.4­22.7), P­3 110­ 133 (27.7­28.5), P­4 122­138.5 (29.6­30.7), P­5 42­46 (9.8­10.6); ratio length P­2/P­4 0.7­ 0.77; palp ( Fig. 48 ): P­2 ventral margin distally slightly protruding and convex, P­3 ventrally straight, P­4 more slender than in male, ventral margin weakly extended near proximal hair insertion, sword seta located halfway between ventral hairs. Genital field ( Fig. 49 ): 186.5 in length, 221in width, Ac­1­3 length 42­46­44; praegenital sclerite compact, thick, genital plates curved; excretory pore smooth; Vgl­1: fused with Vgl­2.

I­L ( Fig. 47 ): I­L­5 protruding between ventral seta and S­1 insertion, S­1/2 much distanced, heteromorphic; I­L­6 very slender and curved; I­L­5 dorsal length 271­298, I­L­5 ventral length 158­186.5, ratio dorsal length I­L­5/ventral length 1.6­1.71, I­L­5 central height 73­86, ratio dorsal length I­L­5/central height 3.47­3.7, S­1 length 122­131, ratio length S­1/width 11.4­12.7, S­2 length 99­102, ratio length S­2/ width 5.72­6.38, distance between sword setae of I­L­5 46­48; ratio length S­1/2 1.2­1.32; I­L­6 length 194­222, I­ L­6 central height 18­21.5, ratio length I­L­6 /central height 10.3­11.0; ratio length I­L­5/6 1.34­1.4.

Remarks: After the original description from the French Pyrenees ( Lundblad 1956), the only other records of A. lunipes were published from Macedonia (Pesic 2003). Until now, only the female of A. lunipes was known. According to Gerecke (2003) A. lunipes differs from all Western Palaearctic species in the very fine and slender seta S­1 (L/W ratio 20.4). The females from Macedonia (see Pesic 2003) and from Iran, differ from the original description (in parentheses the data of the holotype given by Gerecke 2003) by the following measurements: S­1 length <130 m (143 m), ratio length S­1/width <13 (20.4); ratio length S­2/width <6.5 (7.7); ratio length I­L­5/6 1.3–1.45 (1.17); genital field L/W> 180.0/200 (L/ W 162.0 /166.0). From the Iranian females, the Macedonian specimens (in parentheses data from Pesic 2003) differ in shorter segments I­L­5/6 (L I­L­5 235­239; L I­L­6 165­180), more slender I­L­5 (L/H 4.0­4.2), shorter S­2 (L<85.0 m) and a more heteromorphic setae S­1/2 (ratio length S­1/2 1.5–1.6). For the time being they all are considered conspecific with A. lunipes , in this concept a very variable species. However, the assignement of the Macedonian and Iranian populations to this species should be verified by studying male specimens from Macedonia and the French Pyrenees.

Distribution: Presently, Atractides cf. lunipes is known from the French Pyrenees, Macedonia, and Iran. The only three findings in widely separate geographical regions is probably due its rareness as well as to our restricted knowledge of the genus Atractides Koch in large parts of Palaearctic region.

Figures

FIGURES 41 – 45. Atractides cf. lunipes Lundblad, 1956, male: 41 = coxal field; 42 = palp; 43 = I­ L­ 5 / 6; 44 = genital field; 45 = Vgl­ 1 / 2. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 46 – 49. Atractides cf. lunipes Lundblad, 1956, male: 46 = coxal field; 47 = I­L­ 5 / 6; 48 = palp; 49 = genital field. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.