Sperchonopsis (Sperchonopsella) whiteshellensis Conroy, 1991

Zhang, Xu & Jin, Dao-Chao, 2011, New records of water mites of the family Sperchontidae Thor, 1900 from China (Acari, Hydrachnidia), with descriptions of two new species, ZooKeys 158, pp. 89-109 : 101-104

Sperchonopsis (Sperchonopsella) whiteshellensis Conroy, 1991 Figures 4351

Material examined.

3 males and 6 females, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Altay City, Kanas Lake (48°48'52"N, 86°57'47"E), 14 August 1997, coll. Dao-Chao Jin; 24 males and 33 females, Yunnan Province, Tengchong country, Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, an unnamed stream (25°33'12"N, 98°35'18"E), 15 July 2002, coll. Jian-Jun Guo.

Description.

Male (n = 4):Idiosoma oval in outline, 578 (562-675) in length, 418 (410-457) in width. Cuticle yellow-brown in color, and covered with papillae. The eye capsules in some young specimens well developed and somewhat projected over the idiosoma margin (Fig. 43). Glandularia greatly enlarged and projected with well-developed papillae, and encircled by platelet. Chitinous platelets and glandularia on dorsum and ventrum as showed in Fig. 43 and Fig. 44. Coxae in four groups, surface of coxae reticulated. ACG 152 (151-157) in length, posterior apodeme indistinct. Anterior tip of CxI with a tuft of hair-like setae. E2 laterally between ACG and PCG. PCG 167 (164-175) in length. Glandularia absent from CxIII. Approximately two-thirds of genital field lying between PCG. Genital valves not covering the genital acetabula, 176 (174-188) in length, 145 (143-152) in width. One round platelet in front of genital field. Pre- and postgenital sclerites small. Three pairs of small and rounded genital acetabula, the second pair much close to the third one and far away from the first one. V1 on sclerites in medium size and without accompanying glandularia. Excretory pore lying between V1 and V2 and on a protuberance surrounded by a well-developed sclerotized ring.

Infracapitulum with a relatively long rostrum, length 196 (194-207). Chelicera total length 207 (204-222), claw length 151 (149-162), basal segment length 56 (55-60), basal segment/claw length ratio 2.7 (2.7). Dorsal lengths of palpal segments: P-I, 24 (24-27); P-II, 104 (101-112); P-III, 94 (92-100); P-IV, 96 (93-105); P-V, 33 (32-36). P-I short and without seta. P-II with a long ventro-distal projection bearing one long and one short setae. About four setae on the lateral and dorsal side of P-II and none of them plumose. P-III with five smooth stae, of them two on the venter and other three on the latero-dorsal side. P-IV without peg-like setae, but with a ventral projection bearing two setae. Two setae on the dorsal and the ventral distal of P-IV respectively. Dorsal lengths of the first leg: I-L-1, 44 (42-49); I-L-2, 43 (42-48); I-L-3, 57 (54-64); I-L-4, 97 (93-108); I-L-5, 87 (84-97); I-L-6, 51 (49-57). Dorsal lengths of the fourth leg: IV-L-1, 70 (67-77); IV-L-2, 68 (62-74); IV-L-3, 88 (85-97); IV-L-4, 168 (160-181); IV-L-5, 169 (158-184); IV-L-6, 152 (148-164). The distal edge of I-IV-L-2-I-IV-L-5 with several thick and plumose setae (Fig. 48). Ambulacrum with two claws and each claw with well protruded claw-blade and two clawets, a long dorsal and a shorter ventral one (Fig. 49).

Female (n = 3): Similar to male except the characteristics of genital field and the size of idiosoma. Idiosoma length 886 (853-936), width 626 (607-645). ACG 200 (194-205) in length, PCG 212 (204-221) in length. Distance between anterior end of ACG and posterior end of PCG 438 (424-452). Genital field 213 (207-217) in length, 170 (167-175) in width. Pregenital sclerite well developed. Infracapitulum length 266 (257-276). Chelicera total length 279 (272-289), basal segment length 193 (189-199), claw length 86 (83-90), basal segment/claw length ratio 2.2 (2.2-2.3). Dorsal lengths of the palpal segments: P-I, 36 (34-40); P-II, 155 (148-162); P-III, 132 (126-140); P-IV, 136 (125-143); P-V, 45 (42-48). Dorsal lengths of the first leg: I-L-1, 73 (66-81); I-L-2, 75 (67-83); I-L-3, 84 (77-93); I-L-4, 122 (114-131); I-L-5, 127 (119-138); I-L-6, 108 (101-117). Dorsal lengths of the fourth leg: IV-L-1, 108 (102-117); IV-L-2, 104 (98-112); IV-L-3, 126 (118-135); IV-L-4, 222 (213-233); IV-L-5, 195 (186-207); IV-L-6, 181 (173-190).

Remarks.

The subgenus Sperchonopsella is a small group with only two known species, Sperchonopsis whiteshellensis Conroy, 1991 and Sperchonopsis nipponicus Uchida, 1934 ( Conroy 1991).

Due to the papillate cuticle with the greatly enlarged glandularia, the second and the third pair of acetabula approached to each other and the ventral projections on P-I and P-IV, the specimens from China are similar to Sperchonopsis whiteshellensis from North America ( Conroy 1991) and Sperchonopsis nipponicus from Japan ( Uchida 1934). The arrangement of dorsalia and ventralia are in a good agreement with description of Sperchonopsis whiteshellensis , and differs from Sperchonopsis nipponicus (see illustration in Uchida 1934). Hence we assigned our specimens to Sperchonopsis whiteshellensis . This is the first record of the subgenus Sperchonopsella from China.

Distribution.

China (present study); North America ( Conroy 1991)