Atractides acetabulensis, Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2009

Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2009, Studies on water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the Himalayas, II. New records and descriptions of seven new species from India, Zootaxa 2119, pp. 1-22 : 9-12

Atractides acetabulensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 6A–D , 7A–C )

Type material. Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; India: Himachal Pradesh State, Lahaul, 4 km north of Keylong, road to Leh, near bridge over side brook, with layers of moss from rockface, 23.vii.1990, 3300m asl., leg. Schwoerbel & Panesar. Paratype: one female, same collecting site and data as holotype, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid.

Diagnosis. Dorsal integument: striated; muscle attachments: smooth; ventral surface covered by an extended shield including coxae, Vgl-3 and -4, genital field, excretory pore and Vgl-1 and -2; genital field with 12–16 pairs of Ac.

Description. Male: Idiosoma L/W 509/375; dorsal integument: striated; muscle attachments: smooth, all glandularia on extended platelets ( Fig. 6A ), occasionally Dgl-3 and postoc fused. Coxal field: ventral surface covered by an extended shield including coxae, Vgl-3 and -4, genital field, excretory pore and Vgl-1 and -2 ( Fig. 6C ); Cx-3 W 309, Cx-1+2 W 247. Palp ( Fig. 6B ): palp total L 246, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1 23 (9.3), P-2 54 (22.0), P-3 60 (24.4), P-4 85 (34.6), P-5 24 (9.8); L P-2/P-4 0.64; P-2 ventral margins straight, P- 4 with weakly developed denticles near hair insertions, sword seta between ventral hair insertions, approached to distoventral hair. Genital field ( Fig. 6C ): fused with the ventral shield, but suture lines still evident, appleshaped, W 159, 17 genital acetabula on each side.

I-leg ( Fig. 6D ): I-Leg-5 elongated, S-1 and –2 weakly distanced from each other; I-Leg-6 strong and thick, weakly curved, with maximum H at the base of the claw furrow; I-Leg-5 dL 127, vL 99, dL/vL 1.28, HB 32, dL/HB 4.0, S-1 L 45, L/ W 11.8, S-2 L 43, L/ W 6.3, distance of sword setae at I-Leg-5 5.0; L S-1/2 1.05; I- Leg-6 L 82, HB 27, L/HB 3.04; L I-Leg-5/6 1.55.

Female: Dorsal integument: striated; muscle attachments: unsclerotized. Coxal field ( Fig. 7A ): coxae fused with ventral shield, Cx-3 W 359, Cx-1+2 W 262. Palp ( Fig. 7B ): palp total L 271, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1 25 (9.2), P-2 64 (23.6), P-3 70 (25.8), P-4 86 (31.7), P-5 26 (9.6); L P-2/P-4 0.74; slenderer than in males, especially P-3. Genital field ( Fig. 7A ): pregen very small, genital field halfmoon-shaped, rostrally more pointed, L/W 169/178, 12–16 genital acetabula on each side.

I-Leg ( Fig. 7C ): I-Leg-5 dL 138, vL 114, dL/vL 1.2, HB 36, dL/HB 3.8, S-1 L 49, L/ W 10.6, S-2 L 45, L/ W 6.0, distance of sword setae at I-Leg-5 4.5; L S-1/2 1.09; I-Leg-6 L 88, HB 28, L/HB 3.1; L I-Leg-5/6 1.57.

Discussion. Due to the absence of sclerotized dorsal muscle attachments and genital field with more than 4 pairs of acetabula, Atractides acetabulensis sp. nov. is similar to A. heversi K. O. Viets, 1982 described by K. O. Viets (1982) from a female specimen collected in Israel. However, it can be easily distinguished from A. heversi in the increased number of Ac, 12–16 vs. 5–6 pairs of Ac in A. heversi, and the ventral surface covered by an extended shield including coxae, Vgl-3 and -4, genital field and excretory pore vs. without the ventral shield in A. heversi.

Etymology. The species is named after the increased number of acetabula.

Habitat. Discovered in mosses in a mountain stream.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Himachal Pradesh State.

Figures

FIGURE 6 A – D. Atractides acetabulensis sp. nov., male: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = palp, lateral view; C = idiosoma, ventral view; D = I-Leg- 5 and - 6. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 7 A – C. Atractides acetabulensis sp. nov., female: A = idiosoma, ventral view; B = palp, medial view (P- 1 missing); C = I-Leg- 5 and - 6. Scale bars = 100 µm.