Aleurodamaeus

Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2013, New species of Aleurodamaeus Grandjean, 1954 (Oribatida: Aleurodamaeidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 3670 (4), pp. 531-556 : 532-555

Generic diagnosis of Aleurodamaeus

Type: Damaeus setosus Berlese, 1883

(based on Grandjean 1954; Pérez-Íñigo 1970, 1986; Paschoal & Johnston 1985; Balogh & Balogh 1992; Woas 1992; Norton & Behan-Pelletier 2009 and also on the new species described here)

Integument. Body and legs covered by a thick layer of cerotegument, setae and legs covered by granular cerotegument; sensillus with cerotegument that might be in granulate and/or crystalline form, the crystals can be mistaken for spinules or barbs, but the ‘barbs’ are not attached to the sensillus and are absent in cleared specimens, cerotegument granules may occur in bands on tibia I; exuvia or scalps of previous instars are retained, but it is weakly attached and the mites loose them easily so that only a few or not any individuals with exuviae might be found in a sample.

Measurements. Lengths range from 319 μ m to 800 μ m

Prodorsum. Without lamella or costula; bothridium standing away from the notogaster, directed anteriorly, formed by an invaginated cup-shaped structure; sensillus (ss) flagellate, smooth; rostral seta (ro) lateral on rostrum, lamellar seta (le) dorsolaterally, interlamellar setae (in) on tubercle, exobothridial seta (ex) anterior to anteriorlaterally of bothridium; in lateral view prodorsum with a furrow anterior of interlamellar region.

Notogaster. In lateral aspect notogaster convex or flat to convex in the middle, without undulations on notogaster margins; only the posterior setae remaining on notogaster, at least one pair of the notogastral setae long, filiform, twisted or corkscrew-like, three to five pairs of notogastral setae p1-3, h1-2, h2 absent in species with four pairs, h2 and p3 absent in species with three pairs; all lyrifissures present, except ia sometimes absent (lyrifissures difficult to observe due to the cerotegument and specimens need to be cleared for observation).

Epimeral region. Apodemes 1 and 2 short or reduced, posterior margin of sejugal apodeme a transversal bar; acetabula region with or without developed sclerites Sa and Sp between acetabula II and III; pedotecta I, II auriculiform, discidium absent or present; number of setae on epimeres (from I to IV) 3-1-3-3 or 3-1-3-4 (in the original description of A. australis the number is given as 3-1-4-4, but in the examined paratypes of A. australis , the number observed was 3-1-3-3); 1c, 3c and 4c submarginal.

Ano-genital region. Genital and anal apertures contiguous, pre-anal organ at the point where the genital and anal plates meet; seven or nine pairs of genital, one pair of aggenital (ag), two pairs of anal (an) and two pairs of adanal (ad) setae.

Legs. Long, but shorter or equal to the length of the body; legs with normal articulation, genu (Ge), tibia (Tb) and tarsus (Ts) articulations not in sockets; legs tridactyl, biggest claw in the middle; tarsi ending in narrow stalks, the prorals (p) situated on the distal end of this stalk, close to the base of claw, the unguinals (u) at the beginning of the stalk, solenidion ω1 paraxial on Ts I, longer then ω2, close together, two equally developed solenidia on Ts II; Tb I projecting over Ts I, the projection bearing the very long antiaxial φ1 solenidion and a median sized paraxial φ2 solenidion; famulus (ε) in a pit close to the solenidia of Ts I, the edges of these pits may be standing out (see especially Grandjean 1954); leg chaetotaxy (solenidia in parentheses, including famulus) (Tr (trochanter)-Fe (femur)-Ge-Ti-Ts): Leg I: 1-5-4(1)-5(2)-20(2), Leg II: 1-4/5-4(1)-5(1)-16(2) Leg III: 2-3-3(1)-4(1)-15, Leg IV: 1-2- 3-4(1)-12 (in the description of A. australis Tb IV has 3(1), however, in the paratypes 4(1) was observed).

Key to South African species of Aleurodamaeus (Aleurodamaeus)

1. Notogaster with five pairs of setae........................................................................ 2

- Notogaster with four pairs of setae........................................................................ 3

2. Seta h2 short, a transverse ridge anterior on notogaster......................................... A. deswardti (Hugo)

- Seta h2 long and curving laterally, transverse ridge absent................................... A. salvadordalii sp. nov.

3. Notogaster with a discidium............................................................................. 4

- Notogaster without a discidium........................................................................... 6

4. Notogaster with weakly developed discidium, seta h1 and p1 curving upwards and then forwards, length 359–439 μ m ............................................................................................. A. angelae sp. nov.

- Notogaster with a very strong discidium, setae h1 and p1 recurving or twisted...................................... 5

5. Small in size, length 319–355 μ m, cerotegumental mass on body absent, only covered with granules, setae h1 and p1 short, recurving distally, on tubercles............................................................ A. minutus sp. nov.

- Large in size, length 543–620 μ m, body covered with a cerotegumental mass and granules, setae p1, h1 twisted and long, p1 slightly longer than h1; h1, p1, p2 on tubercles................................................ .. prominens sp. nov.

6. Setae h1 and p1 short, with a heavy mass of cerotegument granules, h 1 in a question mark shape, p2 and p3 very close together, almost touching; hypostomal seta h strongly directed medially.................................... A. vicinus sp. nov.

- At least setae h1 and p1 long, twisted, corkscrewlike, setae p2 and p3 further apart, on different vertical levels.............. 7

7. Anterior notogastral groove absent, setae h1 and p1 slightly twisted, p1 less than 120 μ m, h1, p1 on tubercles.................................................................................................... A. niedbalai sp. nov.

- Anterior notogastral groove present, p1 longer than 120 μ m, h1, p1, p2 on tubercles................................... 8

8. Setae h1 and p1 long, twisted, p1 longer than 130 μ m, p2 short 50 μ m, curving medially................... A. woasi sp. nov.

- Setae p1, p2 and h1 long, twisted, p1 190 μ m, p2 long 95 μ m, in a characteristically squashed question mark shape................................................................................................. A. australis Woas