Neumania (Soarella) ghanaensis, Smit, 2021

Smit, Harry, 2021, Water mites from West Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 61 (3), pp. 700-746 : 728-730

Neumania (Soarella) ghanaensis n. sp.

Zoobank: 70EA4C7E-81B6-462A-9550-0F87411A49A8

( Figure 19 A-D)

Material examined. Holotype male, Apkonu stream, downstream of falls, Logba Tota, Ghana, 6°53.054′ N 0°28.024′ E, 362 m a.s.l., 21 Feb. 2013 ( RMNH) . Paratypes (all RMNH):

one female, same data as holotype ; one female, tributary of Oguntwe, Ankasa NP, 5°16.563

N 2°38.733 W, 78 m a.s.l., 14 Feb. 2013 ; six females ([one young], unnamed stream between Apepem and Koju Amu, Atewa Hills, Ghana, 6°10.252′ N 0°36.520′ W, 424 m a.s.l., 27

Feb. 2013; one female, one deutonymph, Tagbo River, downstream of falls, Ghana, 7°00.708′ N 0°34.326′ E, 394 m a.s.l., 23 Feb. 2013.

Diagnosis. Male: Acetabula in two distinctly separated groups, anteriorly 4-5 pairs, posteriorly 11-14 pairs; one of the claws of P5 large. Female: Acetabula as in male, but genital field with a lateral extension.

Description. Integument covered with long, spiny setae. Glandularia, postocularia and excretory pore on relatively short tubercles ( Figure 19A ). Apodemes of anterior coxae extending to anterior part of Cx-IV. Posterior margin of Cx-IV with a short extension. Cx-III anterolaterally with an extension. Venter without secondary sclerotization. Male: Idiosoma 522 long and 429 wide, ventrally 514 long. Dorsum without platelets. Gonopore 60 long and 34 wide, genital field 206 wide. Acetabula in two groups, a group of 4or 5 anterior acetabula distinctly separated from 11-14 posterior pairs ( Figure 19B ). Length of P1–5: 22, 92, 38, 82,

28. P2 relatively long, P4 relatively stocky, the latter segment anteroventrally with a blunt seta, dorsally with two long, curved setae. P5 with one large claw ( Figure 19C ). Length of I-leg-4–6: 124, 146, 148. Grooved or fluted setae of first leg larger than those of second and third legs. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 138, 186, 118. IV-leg-3, -4 and -5 ventrally with two, three and four pectinate setae, respectively. Swimming setae: IV-leg-4 and -4 three, IV-leg-3 one, III-leg-3

one (relatively short), III-leg-4 four, III-leg-5 three. I-leg-5 and II-leg-5 with one and two short swimming setae, respectively.

Female: Idiosoma dorsally 575 (518-624) long and 486 (462-563) wide, ventrally 567 (543-591) long. Dorsum with two small platelets, 16 in diameter. Genital field with two (fused) groups of acetabula, anteriorly 3-4 pairs of acetabula well separated from the posterior acetabula, posteriorly 10-11 pairs of acetabula; genital field with a lateral extension with three pairs of acetabula ( Figure 19D ). Length of P1–5: 22, 88, 42, 72, 26. P2 slender as in male, but

P5 with the large claw. Length of I-leg-4–6: 139, 152, 134. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 162, 202, 158. Legs as in male, but IV-leg-5 with two or three swimming setae.

Etymology. Named after the country where the new species was collected.

Remarks. The new species is somewhat similar to N. ecphyma Cook, 1966 from Liberia.

The new species has smaller tubercles, and three of the dorsal tubercles are located medially (in ecphyma all tubercles are located near the lateral idiosoma margin). Moreover, the lateral extension of the genital field is absent in N. ecphyma .

Figures

Figure 19 Neumania(Soarella) ghanaensisn. sp., A-C holotype male, D paratype female. A – dorsum; B – venter; C – palp; D – venter. Scale bars: A-B, D = 100 100 µm, C = 50 µm.