Jugatala angulata

Mahunka, S. & Mahunka-Papp, L., 2009, Topobates helveticus sp. n. and some other remarkable moss mites from Switzerland (Acari: Oribatida)., Revue suisse de Zoologie 116, pp. 325-336 : 332-335

Jugatala angulata (C. L. Koch, 1839)

Figs 15-18

Material Examined: VS-44: Switzerland: Valais: Saas-Almagell , waterlogged mosses, 1650 m; 5.VII.1997; leg. C. Besuchet (225).

Measurements: Length of body: 505-520 µm, width of body: 351-363 µm.

Description: Prodorsum: Rostrum rounded, without rostral apex. Surface of rostral part striated longitudinally. Other parts of surface polygonate. A distinct transversal, arched lath present in front of the lamellae. Lamellar complex well developed, wide, typical for this genus. Lamellae and translamella nearly equal in, width, lamellar setae arising on distinct lamellar cusps. Interlamellar setae strong, straight, distinctly pilose. Bothridium cup-shaped, covered by dorsosejugal tectum. Sensillus short, rounded in dorsal view, hemispherical in lateral view, its surface finely aciculate.

Notogaster. Dorsosejugal suture distinct, strongly convex, whole surface with distinct polygonate omamentation. Pteromorphae small, triangular, a hinge line partly observable. Eleven pairs of short, mostly bacilliform, dark notogastral setae present, all finely barbed. Four pairs of small and round porose areas and 5 pairs of lyrifissures present. All porose areas nearly equal in length.

FIGS 15-17

Jugatala angulata (C. L. Koch, 1839). (15) Body in dorsal view. (16) Body in ventral view. (17) Posteromarginal part of notogaster.

Lateral part of podosoma: Genal tooth wide, elongate. Tutorium narrow, striate, conspicuously arched ventrally, with small apex. Rostral setae arising on rostral surface. Pedotectum I large, wide, distinctly striate. Pedotecta II-III covering posterior

FIGS 18-19

(18) Jugatala angulata (C. L. Koch, 1839), lateral part of podosoma. (19) Lamellocepheus personatus (Berlese, 1910), ventral plate and posterior part of epimeral region.

half of acetabulum. Three humerosejugal porose areas present. Sublamellar porose area distinctly visible. Circumpedal carina present.

Ventral regions: Apodemes 2 and ap. sej. connected medially. Surface of infracapitulum smooth, epimeres and genital plate with very fine striation. Ventral and anal plate with polygonale sculpture. All epimeral setae thin, setiform, finely barbed. Custodian short, discidium large. Genito-anal setal formula: 6-1-2-3, anterior 3 pairs arising close to each other, along the anterior margin. Genital, aggenital and anal setae thin, simple, setiform, except for the anterior adanal setae ad3; all other setae bacilliform, barbed, like the notogastral setae. Lyrifissures lad located at anterior corner of anal plates. Postanal porose area narrow, divided into 2-4 small parts.

Legs: All legs tridactylous, with equally large claws.

Remarks: The type species of the genus Jugatala Ewing, 1913 is J. tuberosa Ewing, 1913. Sellnick (1928, 1960) transferred the species Oribata angulata C.L. Koch, 1939 to this genus. The position of the genus Jugatala was several times misinterpreted by different authors, so at times it was placed in the families Ceratozetidae and Mycobatidae . Having studied immature specimens, Behan-Pelletier (2000) placed Jugatala in the family Ceratozetidae . On the other hand, Subías (2004, 2008) ranged angulata again in the subgenus Calyprozetes Thor, 1930 of the genus Mycobates in the family of Mycobatidae , although Jugatala tuberosa was placed by him in the family Ceratozetidae .

This latter point of view obviously needs to be revised. Although Behan-Pelletier (2000) redescribed the type species, he did not deal with J. angulata , neither did Subías carry out a new study. On the basis of our recent study of the Swiss specimens, we state that angulata belongs in the genus Jugatala , and we accept the conclusions of Behan-Pelletier that this genus belongs in the family Ceratozetidae . We cannot deal with the other described species. J. (?) rotunda Willmann, 1953, described from Europe, is possibly a member of the genus Jugatala , but this supposition needs confirmation as noted by Willmann himself in 1953. A part of the species listed by Subías may not be members of the genus Jugatala , but rather of Calyptozetes . Of course, the taxonomic position of that genus is dubious.

On the basis of the Swiss specimens examined we can provide the complementary description given above.

Jugatala angulata is well distinguished from the type species of the genus by the form of the body, by the form of the notogastral setae and, most importantly, by the number and form of the porose areas of the notogaster. The only specimen of this species previously known from Switzerland was collected by Schweizer (1948) in the canton of Graubünden. A recent redescription of this species was given by Bayartogtokh & Schatz (2008).