Leobodes schalleri, Ermilov & Martens, 2021

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Martens, Jochen, 2021, Contribution to the knowledge of the oribatid mite genus Leobodes (Acari, Oribatida, Nippobodidae), Acarologia 61 (4), pp. 995-1014 : 1004-1008

Leobodes schalleri n. sp.

Zoobank: AF04EB0D-0961-4E91-AB72-1CAC5CDFC15E

( Figures 3e, 3f , 6c, 6d , 7 a-c, 8a-d, 9a-d)

Diagnosis — Adult. Body size: 664–730 × 431–498. Body surface with dense granulate microsculpturing; dorsal part of notogaster with sparse, small foveolae, anogenital region partially with dense, larger foveolae. Prodorsal processes connected medially at a small distance; their anterior parts not forming prodorsal aperture. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae slightly thickened; in shortest, erect. Bothridial seta with distinctly lanceolate head having short attenuate tip. Notogastral tubercle present. Distance between medial notogastral condyles comparatively short. Ten pairs of notogastral setae present: seta c broadly phylliform, straight; other setae of medium length, thickened. Subcapitular seta h bacilliform. Seta l′ on trochanter

III of medium length, setiform; v′ on leg trochanters III, IV long, thick.

Description of adult — Measurements – Body length: 680 (holotype: male), 664–730 (14 paratypes: five males and nine females); body width: 431 (holotype), 431–498 (14 paratypes).

Integument – Body color brown. Body surface with dense granulate microsculpturing. Prodorsum close to insertions of lamellar setae and partially tutorium and pedotectum I with slight short ribs and tubercles (diameter of tubercle up to 10). Region between bothridium and acetabula I–III densely tuberculate (diameter of tubercle up to 4). Dorsal part of notogaster with sparse, small foveolae (diameter of foveola up to 4). Anogenital region (except ventrolateral parts and region between genital and anal apertures) with dense, larger foveolae (diameter of foveola up to 10).

Prodorsum – Rostrum rounded. Lateral carinae not fused medially before rostral margin; each carina fused with lateral margin of rostrum. Lamella slightly developed. Prolamella present, but inconspicuous. Tutorium and prodorsal hollow of prodorsum well developed. Prodorsal processes connected medially at a relatively small (as long as diameter of bothridium) distance. Anterior part of prodorsal processes without prodorsal aperture anteriorly to connecting region. Rostral (184–188), lamellar (176–180) and interlamellar (143–151) setae slightly thickened, slightly barbed; ro with slightly attenuate tip; le inserted on distinct tubercle;

in erect. Distance in–le distinctly longer than le–ro. Inconspicuous carina developed between insertions of rostral setae. Bothridial seta (118–127) with long stalk and short, distinctly lanceolate head having short attenuate tip, roughened.

Notogaster – Carina originate from medial part of medial notogastral condyle and directed to lyrifissure im. Notogastral tubercle present. Distance between medial notogastral condyles comparatively short (distinctly shorter than distance between setae lm–lm). Median part of notogaster with one pair of longitudinal inconspicuous furrows. Ten pairs of notogastral setae present: seta c (65–69) broadly phylliform, roughened, straight, directed anteromediad; h 3,

p 1 – p 3 (65–69) and others (77–90) thickened, barbed. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures distinct.

Gnathosoma – Mostly similar to Leobodes becki n. sp. Subcapitulum size: 143–151

× 123–131. Subcapitular setae a (16) and m (57–61) with attenuate tip, slightly barbed; h (98–102) bacilliform, smooth; a thinnest, h thickest. Palp length: 82–86. Length of postpalpal seta: 10. Chelicera length: 180–188. Length of cha: 53–57; chb: 22–24.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions – Epimeral setae 1b, 3b (49–53), 3c (65–69), 4c (73–77) thickened, barbed; other setae (32–36) thin, with attenuate tip, slightly barbed; 4c thickest. Ventrolateral tubercle on epimere II distinct. Discidium slightly developed.

Anogenital region – Genital seta (32–36) thin, with attenuate tip, slightly barbed. Aggenital (45–53), anal (45–53) and adanal (ad 1, ad 2: 45–53; ad 3: 45–53) setae thickened, barbed. Adanal lyrifissure distinct.

Legs – Mostly similar to Leobodes becki n. sp., but seta v′ on trochanters III, IV long, thick.

Material examined — Nepal, Panchthar District, Dhorpar Kharka, 27°05′N, 87°55′E, 2700

m a.s.l., soil-litter in mature Rododendron -Lithocarpus forest (sample No. 324), 13–16.IV.1988 (collected by J. Martens and W. Schawaller).

Type deposition — The holotype and one paratype are deposited in the collection of the SMNH ; 13 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the TSUMZ.

Etymology — This new species is dedicated to Friedrich Schaller (1920–2018), a famous German-Austrian zoologist. Among his numerous fields of research he was dedicated to ecology and behaviour of Collembola and other soil-bound invertebrates. For example, he discovered the indirect sperm transfer of collembolans.

Remarks — Leobodes schalleri n. sp. differs from all representatives of the genus by the presence of broadly phylliform (versus setiform or slightly phylliform only in basal part) notogastral setae c.

Figures

Figure 3 Legs ofLeobodes spp., dissected adults: a – leg I ofL. becki n. sp., right, antiaxial view; b – leg II ofL. becki n. sp., left, antiaxial view; c – leg III ofL. becki n. sp., right, paraxial view; d – leg IV ofL. becki n. sp., left, antiaxial view; e – leg trochanter III ofL. schalleri n. sp., left, antiaxial view; f – leg trochanter IV ofL. schallerin. sp., left, antiaxial view; g – leg trochanter III ofL. schawallerin. sp., left, antiaxial view; h – leg trochanter IV ofL. schawallerin. sp., left, antiaxial view. Scale bar 50 μm.

Figure 6 Leobodes spp., adult, microscope images: a –L. becki n. sp., dorsal view; b –L. becki n. sp., lateral view; c – L. schalleri n. sp., dorsal view; d –L. schallerin. sp., lateral view; e – L. schawallerin. sp., dorsal view; f –L. schawallerin. sp., lateral view. Magnification:

Figure 7 Leobodes schallerin. sp., adult: a – dorsal view (legs omitted); b – ventral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted); c – lateral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.