Suctobelbella sanjiangensis, 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 : 135

Suctobelbella sanjiangensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 17-23 )

Material examined: Holotype: adult (in alcohol, LD-10-124), China: Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi City, Fuyuan County (48°21'41.52"N, 134°17'10.52"E), from litter under Betula platyphylla , 87 m a.s.l., 10 Aug., 2010, leg. Dong Liu and Donghui Wu. Paratypes: 6 adults (in alcohol, LD-10-137), same data as holotype.

Etymology. The new specific name “ sanjiangensis ” refers to the type locality, Sanjiang Plain.

Measurements: Holotype: length of body: 195, width of body: 102, length of prodorsum: 80, width of prodorsum: 72.

Rostral apex smooth and rounded; one pair of large and acute rostral teeth present; tectopedial fields with irregular inner margin, oval in shape and closed anteriorly; lamellar knob comparatively large and triangular in shape; interbothridial fields arcuate and bothridial lobes distinct; head of sensilla long and slender, with many bristles on outer margin; rostral setae geniculate and ciliated in the basal half; lamellar setae medium long and thin, directed forward; interlamellar and exobothridial setae short and fine.

Notogaster oval in shape; notogastral condyles small and triangular, co.nl smaller, separated from co.nm; nine pairs of notogastral setae present, short, rigid and smooth; all setae nearly same length; setae c close to the posterior margin of co.nl; notogastral setae thin, straight, short (at least twice shorter than the distance to the next row), setae la inserted nearly at the level lm, far from setae c; a median notogastral light spot found at the level of setae c.

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, g1 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)-18(2); II: 1-4-2(1)-4(1)-14(2), III: 2-3-1(1)-2(1)-14, IV: 1-2-1-2(1)-10; all legs monodactylous.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Remark. This new species is similar to Suctobelbella elegantula ( Hammer, 1958) in the presence of short notogastral setae and setae c close to the posterior margin of co.nl, but differs from the latter species by following characters: In S. sanjiangensis sp. nov., rostral apex with one pair of large and acute rostral teeth; rostral surface smooth; head of sensilla pointed at end. In S. elegantula , rostral apex with three pairs of rostral teeth; rostral surface granulated; head of sensilla terminates as a thin thread. In addition, these two species differ from each other by slightly different shape of external notogastral condyles.

Figures

FIGURES 17 ̵ 23. Suctobelbella sanjiangensis sp. nov.: 17, dorsal view of body (legs removed); 18, ventral view of body (legs removed); 19, lateral view of rostral teeth; 20, leg I; 21, leg II; 22, leg III; 23, leg IV. Scale bars = 50 μm.