Suctobelbella obtusa, Liu, Dong & Wu, Donghui, 2013

Liu, Dong & Wu, Donghui, 2013, Three new species of the genus Suctobelbella (Acari: Oribatida: Suctobelbidae) from Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China, Zootaxa 3637 (2), pp. 131-138 : 132-135

Suctobelbella obtusa sp. nov.

( Figs. 10-16 )

Material examined: Holotype: adult (in alcohol, LD-10-86), China: Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi City, Tongjiang County, Honghe Nature Reserve (47°47'37.24"N, 133°41'9.92"E), from litter under Quercus mongolica , 25 m a.s.l., 26 Aug., 2010, leg. Dong Liu and Donghui Wu. Paratypes: 5 adults (in alcohol, LD-10-83), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The new specific name “ obtusa ” is from Latin and refers to the obtuse tip of notogastral condyles.

Measurements: Holotype: length of body: 236, width of body: 125, length of prodorsum: 95, width of prodorsum: 76.

Surface of prodorsum covered with many tubercles except tectopedial fields smooth; rostral apex widely rounded and concave dorsally, followed by one pair of large and rounded rostral teeth; tectopedial fields with irregular inner margin, elongate oval in shape and acute anteriorly; lamellar knob comparatively large, rather rounded, but narrow and truncate anteriorly; interbothridial fields long and ribbon-like, connected with lamellar knob; bothridial lobes distinct; sensilla with thick stalk and spindle-shaped head; the head sharply pointed at tip as spine, with bristles densely on outer edge; head and stalk nearly of same length; rostral setae geniculate and ciliated on the basalin the basal half; lamellar setae medium long and thin, directed forward; interlamellar and exobothridial setae short and fine.

Notogaster oval in shape; notogastral condyles conspicuously large with obtuse tips, co.nl slightly slender, connected with co.nm; nine pairs of notogastral setae present, smooth, long setiform and gently curved; all setae nearly same length except for h1, p1, p2 which are short; setae c reach the posterior margin of co.nl; setae la inserted at the level between c and lm; setae lm not reaching the insertion of setae lp.

Epimeral borders not touching medially, epimeral cavity observed; epimeral setae short and fine, no essential difference among them; epimeral formula: 3–1-2-3; six pairs of genital setae present, g 1 longer than the rest setae, setae g5 and g6 situated closely at a middle portion along the width of plate, setae g1 to g4 converging anteriorly to inner margin; one pair of aggenital setae present, arising far laterally; three pairs of adanal setae and two pairs of anal setae present; setae ad1 inserted at the level between setae an1 and an2; lyrifissures iad paraanal near anal anterior margin; relative length of setal intervals: ag - ag> ad2 - ad2> ad3 - ad3 ≈ ad1 - ad1.

Setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them; setal counts for leg segments: I: 1–4-2(1)-4(2)-19(2); II: 1-4-2(1)-4(1)-14(2), III: 2-3-1(1)-2(1)-14, IV: 1-2-1-3(1)-10; all legs monodactylous.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Remark. This new species is primarily characterized by the widely and dorsally concave rostral apex, with one pair of rounded rostral teeth. It is also well characterized by the shape of lamellar knob and ribbon-like interbothridial fields, conspicuously large and connected notogastral condyles. These and some other characteristics are unique in the genus Suctobelbella .

Figures

FIGURES 10̵16. Suctobelbella obtusa sp. nov.: 10, dorsal view of body (legs removed); 11, ventral view of body (legs removed); 12, lateral view of rostral teeth; 13, leg I; 14, leg II; 15, leg III; 16, leg IV. Scale bars=50μm.