Tripiloppia alpina, Ermilov, Sergey G. & Minor, Maria A., 2015

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Minor, Maria A., 2015, New Oppiidae (Acari, Oribatida) from New Zealand, Zootaxa 4007 (2), pp. 181-194 : 186-188

Tripiloppia alpina sp. nov.

( Figures 10–13 )

Diagnosis. Body size: 332–348 × 166–174. Rostrum tripartite, with conical medial tooth and two broad incisions. Rostral setae longer than lamellar and interlamellar setae. Lamellar setae barbed. Bothridial setae lanceolate, with 5 to 7 short cilia unilaterally. Costulae short, located diagonally. Anterior notogastral border with rectangular protrusion. Humeral regions with triangular teeth. Notogastral setae la inserted antero-laterally to lm. Five pairs of genital setae.

Description. Measurements. Body length: 332 (holotype, female), 332–348 (7 paratypes: 4 females, 3 males); notogaster width: 174 (holotype), 166–174 (7 paratypes).

Integument. Body color light brownish. Body surface smooth, but lateral sides near acetabula II–IV with tuberculate cerotegument (diameter of tubercles up to 4).

Prodorsum. Rostrum tripartite, with conical, distally rounded medial tooth and two basally broad incisions. Rostral (24–28), interlamellar (20) and exobothridial (41) setae setiform, thin, smooth. Lamellar setae (20) thickened, barbed, inserted posteriorly to costulae. Bothridial setae (45–53) lanceolate, with thin, straight apex and 5 to 7 short cilia unilaterally. Costulae slightly developed, short, diagonal, convergent anteriorly. Longitudinal rows of lighter spots, comprising several muscle sigillae, present in front of bothridia. Interbothridial region with 1 pair of triangular tubercles and 2 pairs of rounded muscle sigillae. Postbothridial tubercles present, simple.

Notogaster. Anterior border with 1 pair of short cristae and rectangular protrusion. Each humeral region with strong, triangular tooth and distinct crista. Ten pairs of notogastral setae short; c (32–41) slightly barbed, other shorter (20–24), smooth. Setae la inserted antero-laterally to lm. Lyrifissures and opisthonotal gland openings well visible.

Gnathosoma . Similar to Tripiloppia frigida sp. nov. Subcapitulum longer than wide (65–77 × 53–57). Subcapitular setae setiform; m (20) and h (16) smooth, longer than slightly barbed a (12). Two pairs of adoral setae (2) spiniform. Palps (36–41) with setation 0–2–1–3–8(+ω); their solenidion longer than half of palptarsus, thickened, blunt-ended, pressed to the surface, attached distally to proximal part of seta ul" .. Chelicerae (69) with 2 setiform setae; cha (32) slightly barbed, longer than smooth chb (8–10). Trägårdh’s organ tapered.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions. Apodemes (1, 2, sejugal, 4) well visible. Epimeral setae setiform, smooth; medial setae 1a, 2a, 3a (8–10) shorter than others (14–16). Pedotecta I represented by small laminae. Discidia well developed, triangular.

Anogenital region. Five pairs of genital (8), 3 pairs of aggenital (8), 3 pairs of adanal (16), 2 pairs of anal (12) setae setiform, smooth. Adanal lyrifissures distinct, located very close to anal aperture.

Legs. Similar to Tripiloppia frigida sp. nov. Claw of each leg smooth, with small ventro-basal tubercle. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–5–2–4–20) [1–2–2], II (1–5–2–4–16) [1–1–2], III (2–3–1–3–15) [1–1– 0], IV (1–2–2–3–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Setae p setiform on tarsi I, and very short, conical on tarsi II–IV. Famuli (ɛ) setiform, thin, straight, inserted posteriorly to solenidia ω1 and setae ft".

Material examined. Holotype (female) and seven paratypes (four females and three males): New Zealand, South Island, Central Otago, Old Man’s Range, 45°18'58''S, 169°11'45''E, 1646 m a.s.l., in soil and debris under Dracophyllum muscoides cushion, 17 February 2014, collected by M. Minor.

Type deposition. The holotype and two paratypes are deposited in the New Zealand National Arthropod Collection, Auckland, New Zealand; two paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Senckenberg Institution, Frankfurt, Germany; three paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.

Etymology. The specific name alpina refers to the high alpine habitat of this species in New Zealand.

Remarks. Tripiloppia alpina sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to T. frigida sp. nov. (see above) in having lanceolate bothridial setae with short cilia and five pairs of genital setae. However, it differs from the latter by the short, diagonal costulae (vs. long, longitudinally oriented), strong teeth in humeral regions (vs. without teeth), barbed lamellar setae (vs. smooth) and interlamellar setae shorter than rostral setae (vs. interlamellar setae longer than rostral setae).

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 11. Tripiloppia alpina sp. nov., adult: 10 — dorsal view (right bothridial seta not illustrated); 11 — ventral view (legs except trochanters not illustrated). Scale bar 50 Μm.

FIGURES 12 – 13. Tripiloppia alpina sp. nov., adult: 12 — anterior part of body, lateral view (legs not illustrated); 13 — posterior view. Scale bar 50 Μm.