Benoibates minimus Mahunka, 1985

Ermilov, Sergey G., Alvarado-Rodriguez, Olman, Kontschan, Jeno & Retana-Salazar, Axel P., 2014, The oribatid mite genus Benoibates (Acari, Oribatida, Oripodidae), ZooKeys 442, pp. 51-72 : 54-61

Taxon classification Animalia Oribatida Oripodidae

Benoibates minimus Mahunka, 1985 Figs 43-83

Diagnosis.

Body size: 344-481 × 176-249. Body surface heavily foveolate. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae setiform, barbed; latter are longest. Bothridial setae short, clavate. Ten pairs of notogastral setae of medium size. Sacculi Sa large than other. Subcapitular setae h longer than a and m. Apodemes 2 connected medially and removed from the anterior margin of genital aperture. Pedotecta II with one pointed tip anteriorly Genital and aggenital setae short. Anal and adanal setae very long, flagellate.

Description.

Measurements. Body length: 344-481 (five specimens); notogaster width: 176-249 (five specimens).

Integument. Body color yellowish brown. Body surface heavily foveolate: prodorsum with distinct, round foveoles, larger in antero-medial part (up to 4) than in basal part (up to 1); epimeral region, subcapitular mentum and gena, and genital figs with round foveoles (up to 4); notogaster and anogenital region and legs with distinct (except weak between genital and anal apertures), round or oval foveoles (up to 4), simultaneously also with longitudinal foveoles (length up to 12). Body surface of ventral side covered by microgranular cerotegument (less than 1; visible only high magnification, × 1000).

Prodorsum. Rostrum weakly protruding, rounded. Lamellae located dorso-laterally, half length of prodorsum (measured in lateral view), without cusps. Translamella absent. Prolamellar lines thin, reaching the insertions of rostral setae and bend ventrally to meet the rostral margins. Sublamellar lines distinct, long. Sublamellar porose areas small, rounded (4). Keel-shaped ridges well developed. Rostral (36-49), lamellar (41-53) and interlamellar (49-61) setae setiform, barbed. Lamellar and interlamellar straight, blunt-ended. Bothridial setae (24-32) with short stalk (8-12) and larger, clavate, barbed head (16-20). Exobothridial setae (6-8) thin, smooth.

Notogaster. Anterior notogastral margin convex, trapezoid. Dorsophragmata elongated, not reaching pleurophragmata. Notogastral shoulders rectangular in dorsal view, anterior margin almost transverse straight. Ten pairs of notogastral setae of medium size (24-36; p1-p3 shorter, 20-24), setiform, smooth. Four pairs of sacculi developed: Sa largest, located postero-medially to setae c; S1 - postero-laterally to lyrifissures im; S2 - between setae h2 and h3; S3 - anteriorly to p1. Lyrifissures ia not visible; im located between setae lm and lp, in diagonal position; ip - laterally to p1; ih - anteriorly to p1; ips - between p2 and p3. Opisthonotal glands located between setae lm and lp, but their openings not visible.

Gnathosoma. Subcapitulum longer than wide (86-98 × 61-69). Subcapitular setae setiform, slightly barbed; h (28-32) slightly thicker and longer than a and m (both 18-20). Two pairs of adoral setae (12) setiform, densely barbed. Palps (length 45-53) with setation 0 –2–1–3– 9(+ω). Solenidion attached to eupathidium. Chelicerae (length 90-102) with one barbed setae (cha, 28-36), chb and their alveoli absent. Trägårdh’s organ long, tapered.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions. Apodemes 1, 2, 3, sejugal and sternal apodemes distinct. Apodemes 2 connected medially and removed from the anterior margin of genital aperture. Sternal apodeme of medium size, not reaching the apodemes 2. Epimeral setal formula: 3 –1–3– 2. Centroventral setae 1a, 3a smooth, other slightly barbed; 1b (20) longer than 1c, 2a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b (12-16) and 1a, 3a (4-6). Setae 3c thickest. Pedotecta I large, concave (measured in dorsal view) and scale-like (measured in lateral view); pedotecta II smaller, trapezoid, with one pointed tip anteriorly (measured in ventral view) and scale-like (measured in lateral view). Discidia elongated, weakly triangular. Circumpedal carinae distinct.

Anogenital region. Two pairs of genital setae (8) setae thin, slightly barbed. One pair of aggenital setae (6-8) setae thin, smooth. One pair of anal (106-135) and two pairs of adanal setae (114-143) very long, flagellate. Often anal setae brokened, only alveoli visible. Lyrifissures iad not visible.

Legs. Median claw weakly thicker than two lateral claws; all with several minute barbs on dorsal side. Lateral claws with ventral tooth. Formulae of leg setation and solenidia: I (1 –5–2–4– 16) [1 –2– 2], II (1 –5–2–4– 13) [1 –1– 2], III (2 –3–1–3– 13) [1 –1– 0], IV (1 –2–2–3– 11) [0 –1– 0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Famulus short, straight, slightly dilated distally, truncated. Solenidia ω 2 on tarsi I, ω 1 and ω 2 on tarsi II, σ on genua II, III of medium size, thickened, blunt-ended. Other solenidia long, setiform.

Remarks.

Costa Rican specimens of Benoibates minimus are similar in all morphological characters to Antilles specimens from the original description ( Mahunka 1985).

Distribution.

Neotropical region.