Neotrombicula bolkarensis, Stekolnikov & Daniel, 2012

Stekolnikov, Alexandr & Daniel, Milan, 2012, 3216, Zootaxa 3216, pp. 1-104 : 60-62

Neotrombicula bolkarensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 40–42)

Diagnosis. SIF = 7BS-N-3-3111.1000; fPp = B/B/NNB; fCx = 1.1.1; fSt = 2.2; fSc: PL> AM> AL; Ip = 848–893; fD = 2H-6-(6–9)-(6–10)-(5–8)-(4–6)-(2–4); DS = 28–37; VS = 27–35; NDV = 62–72. Standard measurements are given in Table 20.

Description (larva). IDIOSOMA. Eyes 2 + 2. Cuticular striations on the dorsal side of idiosoma smoothly curved ( Fig. 41). One pair of humeral setae; 26–35 dorsal idiosomal setae moderately covered with thick long barbs, fD in holotype 2H-6-6-6-8-4-2; four sternal setae and 27–35 ventral setae; total number of idiosomal setae excluding coxal and sternal 62–72.

GNATHOSOMA. Cheliceral blade with tricuspid cap only; cheliceral base sparsely covered with puncta; gnathobase with dense puncta and one pair of branched setae; palpal femur moderately punctate, palpal genu and tibia without puncta; galeala nude; palpal claw with three prongs; setae on palpal femur and genu branched; dorsal and lateral palpal tibial setae nude, ventral palpal tibial seta branched; palpal tarsus with seven branched setae, nude subterminala, and tarsala.

SCUTUM. Nearly hexagonal, with rounded posterior margin and dense small puncta; AM base posterior to level of ALs; SB posterior to level of PLs (P-PL–PSB = 2–8, mean 4.4); PL> AM> AL; AM and PL barbed similarly to dorsal idiosomal setae, barbs of AL longer; flagelliform sensilla with about 3–4 long branches.

LEGS. All seven-segmented, with pair of claws and claw-like empodium. Leg I: coxa with one non-specialized branched seta (1B); trochanter 1B; basifemur 1B; telofemur 5B; genu 4B, three genualae (18, 18, and 20 long), microgenuala (2); tibia 8B, two tibialae (14 and 18), microtibiala (2); tarsus 22B, tarsala (19), microtarsala (1) distad tarsala, subterminala (18), parasubterminala (10), pretarsala (13). Leg II: coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; basifemur 2B; telofemur 4B; genu 3B, genuala (17); tibia 6B, two tibialae (11 and 12); tarsus 16B, tarsala (18), microtarsala (1) proximad tarsala, pretarsala (14). Leg III: coxa 1B; trochanter 1B; basifemur 2B; telofemur 3B; genu 3B, genuala (19–20); tibia 6B, tibiala (21–22); tarsus 14B, mastitarsala (61) nude.

Hosts. Microtus schidlovskii Argyropulo and Apodemus witherbyi Thomas.

Type material. Holotype (7810, T-Tr.-51) and 19 paratypes larvae (ZISP) ex Microtus schidlovskii , TURKEY: Mersin Prov., 12 km NW from Çamlıyayla (Namrun), 2467 m a.s.l., 11 May 2009, coll. AAS.

Additional material. One larva (ZISP) ex Microtus schidlovskii , TURKEY: Adana Prov., 2 km N from Karanfil Mt, 2135 m a.s.l., 2 May 2009, coll. AAS; 4 larvae (ZISP) ex Apodemus witherbyi , Adana Prov., 8 km NE from Karanfil Mt , 1678 m a.s.l., 4 May 2009, coll. AAS .

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the Bolkar mountain range where the type locality is situated.

Remarks. The new species is similar to N. kolebinovae sp. nov., but differs in having lesser scutum (AW 68–77 vs. 76–81, PW 86–93 vs. 95–100, ASB 32–34 vs. 36–41, P-PL 25–31 vs. 32–36), presence of six setae in 1 st row of dorsal idiosomal setae (in the type series of N. kolebinovae , only 1 specimen has six setae in 1 st row, while other specimens have 8 or 9), AM> AL vs. AM = AL, lesser lengths of setae (AL 41–48 vs. 49–62, PL 65–75 vs. 81–90, H 65–75 vs. 77–90, and D max 65–72 vs. 74–81), much shorter legs (Ip 848–893 vs. 1009–1072, TaIII 72–76 vs. 88–95), and in smoothly curved (vs. tortuous) cuticular striations on the dorsal side of idiosoma.

The new species differs from N. jordana Imaz et al., 2006 in having nude lateral palpal tibial seta vs. branched (fPp = B/B/NNB vs. B/B/NBB), presence of six setae in 1 st row of dorsal idiosomal setae vs. eight, larger scutum (AW 68–77 vs. 55–63, PW 86–93 vs. 70–80, and SD 55–61 vs. 45–50), longer AM (53–58 vs. 40–49), and longer PL (65–75 vs. 58–65).