Phthiracarus pachys, Niedbała, Wojciech, 2015

Niedbała, Wojciech, 2015, Supplement to the knowledge of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Palaearctic Region, Zootaxa 4057 (3), pp. 301-339 : 304

Phthiracarus pachys sp. nov.

(Figs 1A–I)

Description. Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 414, width 303, height 162, setae: sensillus (ss) 30, interlamellar (in) 177, lamellar (le) 101, rostral (ro) 91, exobothridial (ex) 63; notogaster: length 788, width 525, height 586, setae: c 1 152, c 1/ c 1- d 1=0.8, h 1 114, ps 1 121; genitoaggenital plate 152×152; anoadanal plate 240×121. Measurements of one of paratypes: length of prodorsum 433, length of notogaster 795. Colour brown or dark brown. Integument finely punctate. Prodorsum with distinct sigillar fields. Lateral carinae very long. Sensilli small with short pedicel and fusiform head. Other setae simple, flagelliform, exobothridial setae longer than sensilli. Notogaster with smooth setae of two different shapes, all relatively short (c1 <c1-d1). Seta c 1, c 2, c 3, cp, d 1, d 2, h 3, ps 2, ps 3, ps 4 simple, slender, flagelliform, ending in a long point; setae e 1, e 2, h 1, h 2, ps 1 slightly shorter, thick, rigid and blunt. Setae c 1 and c 2 remote from anterior margin, setae c 3 shorter and situated near margin. Vestigial setae f 1 posteriorly of h 1 setae. Two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im. Ventral region. Setae h of mentum as long as distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 7(4+3): 2. Anoadanal plates with five pairs of well developed, fairly long setae. Leg setation complete. Seta d of femora I curved distally and situated at midlength of article.

Etymology. The specific epithet, pachys , is latinized Greek for “thick” and refers to the unusual thickest of setae e 1, e 2, h 1, h 2, ps 1 of notogaster.

Holotype and 9 paratypes: Spain, Puerto de Catrales, North slope, Province Burgos, ca 950 m a.s.l., beech forest, litter sample, 4.0 8.2004, leg. M. Svoboda.

4 paratypes: Spain, Cabana Vella, mixed forest with oak, birch and Ilex in wet clough, sample of decaying wood, 21.0 7.2002, leg. M. Svoboda; 15 paratypes: Spain, Minas, North slope of Puerto Alta Ventana, 1587 m a.s.l., growth of dwarf beech, sample of moss on old beech tree, 29.0 7.2004, leg. M. Svoboda.

Holotype and 20 paratypes are deposited at the Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Poznań, Poland (DATE), 4 paratypes at the Institute of Soil Biology BC ASCR, České Budějovice in the Czech Republic (ISB), 4 paratypes at the Natural History Museum, Geneva, Switzerland (NHMG).

Comparison to related species. The new species is distinguishable from congeners by the presence of the setae e 1, e 2, h 1, h 2, ps 1 thick, rigid and blunt. Two similar species, Phthiracarus spadix Niedbała, 1983 and P. incredibilis Niedbała, 1983 have only setae e 1, h 1 and ps 1 thick, rigid and blunt. Furthermore, P. spadix has setae ad 1 and ad 2 vestigial, longer sensilli (longer than exobothridial setae), and setae c 3 (as long as setae c2); P. incredibilis has setae ad 1 and ad 2 minute, vestigial setae f 1 situated anteriorly of h 1 setae, longer sensilli than exobothridial setae.

Both similar species are known from inland part of Palaearctic: P. spadix —from Central Europe and Balkan region and P. incredibilis in Pontic and Iranian areas, while the new species is known only from the western Iberian area.