Leobodes becki, 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 : 997-1004

Leobodes becki n. sp.

Zoobank: 60B6A947-D356-424F-8C47-F7F7A0A8D718

( Figures 1 a-c, 2a, 2c, 2d, 3a-d, 4a-d, 5a-d, 6a, 6b)

Diagnosis — Adult. Body size: 531–630 × 332–431. Body surface with dense granulate microsculpturing; foveolate ornamentation absent. Prodorsal processes connected medially at a relatively large distance; their anterior parts forming an oval, transversely oriented aperture located anterior to connecting region. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae slightly thickened; in shortest, directed posterolaterad. Bothridial seta with distinctly lanceolate head having short attenuate tip. Anteromedian part of notogaster depressed. Notogastral tubercle absent. Distance between medial notogastral condyles comparatively long. Ten pairs of notogastral setae present: seta c long, with slightly phylliform basal part and bent posteriad attenuate mediodistal part; other setae short, thickened. Subcapitular seta h setiform. Seta l′

on trochanter III of medium length, setiform; v′ on leg trochanters III, IV comparatively short, setiform.

Description of adult — Measurements – Body length: 630 (holotype: female), 531–630

(16 paratypes: six males and 10 females); body width: 415 (holotype), 332–431 (16 paratypes).

Integument – Body color brown. Body surface with dense granulate microsculpturing. Prodorsal processes close to prodorsal aperture sparsely tuberculate (diameter of tubercle up to 10). Region between bothridium and acetabula I–III densely tuberculate (diameter of tubercle up to 4). Region between bothridium and pedotecta I with some longitudinal folds.

Prodorsum – Rostrum rounded. Lateral carinae fused medially before rostral margin. Lamella slightly developed. Prolamella present, but inconspicuous. Tutorium and prodorsal hollow of prodorsum well developed. Prodorsal processes connected medially at a relatively large distance. Anterior parts of prodorsal processes forming oval, transversely oriented prodorsal aperture located anteriorly to connecting region. Rostral (86–90), lamellar (90–94)

and interlamellar (57–61) setae slightly thickened, barbed; ro with slightly attenuate tip;

le inserted on distinct tubercle; in directed posterolaterad (in dorsal view). Distance in–le distinctly longer than le–ro. Bothridial seta (98–106) with long stalk and short, distinctly lanceolate head having short attenuate tip, roughened.

Notogaster – Anteromedian part of notogaster depressed, fused with prodorsal hollow. Notogastral tubercle absent. Distance between medial notogastral condyles comparatively long (about as long as length between setae lm–lm). Ten pairs of notogastral setae present: seta

c (123–131) with slightly phylliform basal part and bent posteriad attenuate mediodistal part, barbed; other setae (32–41) thickened, barbed. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures distinct.

Gnathosoma – Subcapitulum size: 135–139 × 114–123. Subcapitular setae (a: 12–14; m: 45–49; h: 36–41) with attenuate tip, slightly barbed; a thinnest. Palp length: 77–82. Postpalpal seta (8) spiniform, roughened. Chelicera length: 155–164. Cheliceral setae cha (: 49–53; chb: 20–24) setiform, barbed; cha thicker than chb.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions – Epimeral setae 1 (b, 3c: 32–41; others: 28–36)

thin, with attenuate tip, slightly barbed. Ventrolateral tubercle on epimere II distinct. Discidium slightly developed.

d), 10 μm (c).

Anogenital region – Genital seta (24–28) thin, with attenuate tip, slightly barbed. Aggenital, anal and adanal setae (28–36) thickened, barbed. Adanal lyrifissure distinct.

Legs – Claw of all legs strong, inconspicuously roughened on dorsal side. Dorsoparaxial porose area on femora I–IV distinct; porose area on trochanters III, IV not observed. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–4–2–4–16) [1–2–2], II (1–4–2–2–15) [1–1–2], III (2–3–0–

2–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–1–2–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Famulus on tarsus I short, erect, slightly swollen distally, inserted posterior to solenidion 1 ω. Seta s on tarsus I eupathidial, located before setae a′ and a″. Setae u′, u″ on tarsi I and u″ on tarsus II spiniform; u′ on tarsus II and u′, u″ on tarsi III, IV spiniform. Seta l′ on trochanter III of medium length, setiform; v′ on trochanters III, IV comparatively short, setiform.

Material examined — Nepal, Sankhua Sabha District, Arun Valley, Chichila, 27°27,02′N, 87°13,13′E, 1900–2000 m a.s.l., leaf litter and upper layer of soil under bushes in degraded Quercus forest near village (sample No. 414), 18–20. VI.1988 (collected by J. Martens and W. Schawaller).

Type deposition — The holotype and one paratype are deposited in the collection of the SMNH ; 15 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the TSUMZ.

Etymology — The specific name is dedicated to Prof. Dr. Ludwig Beck (State Museum of Natural History, Karlsruhe, Germany), the well-known acarologist.

Remarks — In main morphological traits (prodorsal processes have prodorsal aperture; notogastral seta c setiform, with mediodistal part bent and directed posteriad, other notogastral setae thickened; distance between medial prodorsal condyles equal lm to– lm) Leobodes becki n. sp. is morphologically most similar to Leobodes praeconcavus Chen and Wang, 2007 and L. yinae Aoki, 2000 . However, the new species differs from both by the presence of interlamellar

400 (10 × 40).

seta of medium length, distinctly shorter than rostral and lamellar setae (versus long, not shorter than rostral and lamellar setae) directed posterolaterad (versus erect) in dorsal view. Also, L. praeconcavus has smooth (versus barbed) notogastral setae (except c) of medium length, lm reaching insertion lp (versus short, lm not reaching insertion lp); L. yinae has bifurcate (versus Note: Roman letters refer to normal setae (except ɛ = famulus); Greek letters refer to solenidia. Single quotation mark (′)

marks setae on the anterior and double quotation mark (″) setae on the posterior side of a given leg segment; parentheses refer to a pair of setae.

simple) notogastral seta c and foveolate (versus not foveolate) notogaster.

Figures

Figure 1 Leobodes becki n. 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.