Plonaphacarus sidorchukae Niedbała, 2011

Niedbała, Wojciech & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2011, New and little known species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia, Zootaxa 2739, pp. 60-68 : 62

Plonaphacarus sidorchukae Niedbała , sp. nov.

( Figs 1. A–G )

Material examined. Holotype (in DATE): Ethiopia, 6º42’N, 39º43’E, 2 249 m above sea level, Bale Mountains National Park, Harenna Forest (wood species, in particular, Hagenia abissinica forming the canopy), in soil, 23.11.2009, collected by L.B. Rybalov

Measurements of holotype. Prodorsum: length 338, width 232, height 136, sensillus 96, setae: interlamellar 220, lamellar 53, rostral 139; notogaster: length 656, width 424, height 373, c 1 187, d 1 96, h 1 207, p 1 233; genitoaggenital plate 202 × 121, anoadanal plate 227 × 116.

Description. Colour brown. Cuticle very well sculptured, without distinct foveae.

Prodorsum without lateral carinae. Sigillar fields indistinct because strong sculpture. Sensilli long, rod-like, rough, obtuse distally. Interlamellar setae long, erect, filiform, covered with small number of cilia, similar to notogastral setae. Rostral setae long, rough, similar to anal setae. Lamellar setae short, simple, spiniform, smooth. Exobothridial setae vestigial.

Notogaster with 15 pairs of setae, most of which are long, filiform, pointed distally, covered with 6–12 small cilia in distal half. Only setae d 1, d 2, e 1, e 2 considerably shorter. Setae c 1 and c 3 situated near anterior border, setae c 2 slightly remote from border. Vestigial setae f 1 located posteriorly of setae h 1. Four pairs of lyrifissures ia, im, ip, ips present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Genitoaggenital plates with nine pairs of genital setae with arrangement: 4+2:3. Setae of anoadanal plates rough, setae ad 3 the shortest, setae ad 1 and ad 2 the longest, flagelliform.

Legs. Formula of setae and solenidia of complete type. Setae d of femora I remote from distal end of segment.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dr. Ekaterina A. Sidorchuk, the acarologist (Paleontologic Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia), for her kind assistance in pedobiological investigation in Ethiopian region.

Comparison. The new species is slightly similar to Plonaphacarus styphelos Niedbała, 2001 from Tanzania. It is distinguishable by the shape and heterotrichy of notogastral setae, d 1, d 2, e 1, e 2 being considerably shorter than other setae, as well as setae ad 1 are longer than the others.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A – G. Plonaphacarus sidorchukae sp. nov. (A) dorsal view of prodorsum, (B) lateral view prodorsum, (C) lateral view of opisthosoma, (D) genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates, (E) mentum of infracapitulum, (F) trochanter and femur I, (G) tibia IV.