Phthiracarus duplex, Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp, 2010

Mahunka, S & Mahunka-Papp, L, 2010, New And Little Known Oribatid Mites From The Carpathian Basin And The Balkan Peninsula (Acari: Oribatida), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 56 (3), pp. 211-234 : 216-218

Phthiracarus duplex sp. n.

( Figs 1–5 )

Material examined. Holotype: E-2427: Greece, Ioannina county , Klidonia, gallery of a big sidestream of River S of the village, soil and moss, 406m, N39°58.376’ E20°39.555’, 14.03.2008. Leg.: SZ. CZIGÁNY. & D. MURÁNYI, 2008/29 and 1 paratype from the same sample Holotype (1778-HO-10) and 1 paratype (1778-PO-10) deposited in HNHM .

Diagnosis. Body surface finely punctuate. Anterior margin of rostral part widely rounded. Median field narrowed medially, comparatively long. Rostral setae long, directed inwards. Lateral carina distinct and long. All prodorsal setae filiform. Sensillus long, about ten times longer than wide, slightly dilated medially, blunt at tip. Fifteen pairs of notogastral setae, varying in size and length, setiform, curved, 2 pairs (f 1 and f 2) vestigial notogastral setae and 2 pairs (ia and im) lyrifissures present. Ano-adanal plates with five pairs of long setae, two pairs of anal setae shorter than the others. Leg chaetotaxy is of the complete type.

Measurements. Length of prodorsum: 186–196 µm, length of notogaster: 350–358 µm, height of notogaster: 197–219 µm.

Prodorsum. Prodorsum high, well bulging in lateral view. Rostrum wide, rounded in dorsal view ( Fig. 2 ). Rostral setae arising far from anterior margin, located far from each other, curved inwards. Median field comparatively long, converging medially. Lateral carina long, reaching to lateral rim ( Fig. 1 ). All prodorsal setae filiform, interlamellar setae slightly longer than lamellar ones. Exobothridial setae distinct, long. Sensillus directed forward, long, about ten times longer than wide, slightly dilated medially, with finely roughened margin. Its distal end blunt at tip, or rounded.

Notogaster. With 15 pairs of fairly short notogastral setae, two pairs of alveoli of vestigial setae and two pairs of lyrifissures (ia, im) present. Among the setae five pairs filiform, mostly longer than the remaining ones, setae ps 4 the longest of all. Ten pairs of setae thicker than the others, covered with short bristles ( Fig. 1 ). Setae c 1 arising on collar line, setae c 2 and c 3 near to the collar line. Vestigial setae f 1 located between the two setae h 1.

Genitoanal region. Genital setae arising in 4+5 formation. Ano-adanal plates with five pairs of well-developed setae. Setae an 1 and an 2 shorter than adanal setae ( Fig. 5 ).

Legs: Chaetotaxy of legs complete. Setae d on femora I setiform, curved ( Fig. 3 ). All setae on femora I situated on the distal end of segment. Seta d comparatively long, coupled with solenidium ( Fig. 4 ).

Remarks. Variations among the notogastral setae have been known earlier in the genus Phthiracarus PERTY, 1841 (spadix group, see NIEDBALA, 1992). The new species represents another type, in which some notogastral setae are smooth, some bearing short bristles. The new species also differs from other known species of the genus Phthiracarus in the shape of sensillus and the form of the median field of prodorsum and the rostral setae. This combination of features is unique in this genus.

Etymology. Named after the form of the notogastral setae, somewhat resembling the notogastral setae of the genus Steganacarus .

Figures

Figs 1–5. Phthiracarus duplex sp. n.: 1 = body in lateral view, 2 = prodorsum in dorsal view, 3 = femur of leg I, 4 = genu and tibia of leg IV, 5 = genito-anal region