Neocarus queretanus Vázquez & Castaño-Meneses, 2022

Vázquez, Ma. Magdalena, Castaño-Meneses, Gabriela & Rodríguez, Abraham, 2022, The family Opilioacaridae (Parasitiformes: Opilioacarida) in Mexico, description of two new species, new records, and geographical distribution, Zootaxa 5200 (3), pp. 201-231 : 215-224

Neocarus queretanus Vázquez & Castaño-Meneses n. sp.

( Figs. 13–22 ).

Diagnosis. Palp tarsus of male with 6 pairs of foliate setae. With 3 large and pointed lobes each, female with 5. Area between sternal and genital verrucae with 2 pairs of long tapering St setae and 4 pairs of long stout, blunt, serrated St setae in female, on male 2 pairs of long tapering St setae and 6 long stout blunt serrated St setae. Female with 2 short, blunt serrated setae in pregenital area, male with 8 short thick and lightly pointed setae on pregenital area, plus 10 thin, acute, and lightly serrated setae in genital area. Male with 2 pairs of gland or testes, female without eugenital setae. Ovipositor with 2 pairs of gland-like structures and 2 channels.

Description. Based on observations on 1 female and 1 male. No juveniles were collected.

Gnathosoma. Chelicera ( Fig. 13 A–B ). Basal segment in adults with 1 lightly barbed and acutely tipped seta (cht), fixed digit with 3, one of those (ch1′) large, thick. Seta cht on basal segment of male chelicera shorter than seta ch1″ on fixed digit. Setae ch2′, ch2″ and cht in female and males lightly barbed. Dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissures present. Fixed digit with 1 tooth, movable digit with 2 teeth and a well-developed terminal hook. Movable digit with 1 large flat denticle ( Fig. 13 A–B ).

Subcapitulum ( Fig. 13 C–D ). All 4 pairs of paralabial setae present in adults; pl1 small, conical; With’s organ (pl2) membranous, hyaline and barbulated, discoid; rutellum (pl 3) with 1 row of 5 teeth, inserted dorso-laterally; pl4 small but distinct inserted dorsal on subcapitulum. In addition, 4 circumbuccal (cb), setae, and in females 9 medium, subcapitular (vm, 1vm, 1dm, vp, 1vp) setae; in male 10. Lateral lips with distinct canals.

Palp. Adults ( Fig. 14 A–D ). Trochanter female with 4 large, ribbed tapering setae (= r - type) in male 5 setae; femur with 7 papilliform (= p - type) setae in female and male and 15 r - type setae in female and male, genu ( Fig. 14 C–D ) with only 1 p - type seta in female and 10 in male. Tibia and tarsus partially fused. Tibia with 25 large, lightly serrated setae in female and 16 r - type setae, plus 3 sensilla (ss), in male 25 r - type setae and 41 lightly serrated setae, plus 3 sensilla (ss), these 3 setae very thin, large and acutely tipped between r - type setae ( Fig. 15 A–D ). Tarsus with lyrifissures iπ and iα. Setation includes 3 s, 5 d, 6 v in female; in male 3 s, 6 d, 6 v, female with 5 v2 on lateroventral side, 12 ch setae and 6 m setae, in male 3 V2 setae 18 ch setae and 6 m setae. Pretarsus in shape of a pair of welldeveloped sessile claws ( Fig. 16 A–D , and 17-B ). Sexual dimorphism: male with 6 d - type setae on the tarsus, female with 5 .

Idiosoma. Color dark blue-violet. Stripes on both body and legs ( Fig. 17-C )

Dorsum. Prodorsal shield in adults with medium size stout puffy setae; 84 in male, 92 in female. A pair of eyes on dark patch ( Fig. 18 A–B ). Dorsal idiosoma between shield and preanal segment without setae, but with numerous lyrifissures arranged in transverse rows. Preanal segment with 1 dorsal and 2 ventral setae; and anal plates with 6–8 setae stout ribbed in male and 6–9 in female ( Fig. 21 A–B ).

Stigmata. Arrangement in female and male similar. Stigma 1 close to lateral border of body, stigmata 2 and 4 at same distance and stigma 3 towards body axis. ( Fig. 19 A–B ).

Sternitogenital region ( Fig. 20 C–D ; Fig. 17-A ). Sternal verrucae each with 1 long, barbed and tapering seta plus 3 long barbed setae in male, while in female only 2 thin lightly serrated setae and 1 long barbed and tapering seta. Remaining sternal area with 2 pairs of long, tapering St setae in both female and male, plus 7 pairs of large stout ribbed St setae. In female only 4–5 stout, ribbed St setae and 3 pairs of lyrifissures very large and obvious. Pregenital capsules each with 1 long tapering and 5–6 stout ribbed setae in male, in female 1 long tapering setae and 3 pairs of stout ribbed setae. Pregenital and genital areas in male with 8 short puffy setae and 10 tiny, pointed, lightly serrated setae, respectively. Male with 2 pairs of bigger glands or testes ( Fig. 17-D and Fig. 21-C ). In female 2 puffy short setae on pregenital area, without eugenital setae. Ovipositor large, everted with 3 lobules at tip, 2 pairs of glands-like and a pair of channels ( Fig. 21-B ), ( Fig. 21-A ).

Legs. Legs relatively long. Ratio of legs I to idiosoma approximately 2.5, legs IV to idiosoma about 2. Broad sensillum with “crown-like” tip ( Fig. 22 A–B ) in main sensillar field. Pretarsi I with well-developed sessile claws without setae.

Deposition of types. Holotype female (LEAEx00007) and 1 paratype male (LEAEx00008).

Material examined. Holotype female 1 slides. Mexico, Queretaro, San Juan de los Durán locality, in Jalpan de Serra. Vegetation in the area is pine-oak forest 21° 27' 40.799''N, 99° 10' 45''W; 1311 m asl Rodriguez, A. col. 29-II-20 . Paratype 1 male (LEAEx00008).

Etymology. This species is named after the state, Querétaro, where the material was collected.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. A. Chelicera female, A1. Denticle, B. Chelicera male, B1. Denticle, C. Subcapitulum, female, C1. Detail of some paralabial setae, D. Subcapitulum, male.

FIGURE 14. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. Palp. A–B. Trochanter and femur female and male, C–D. Genu, female and male.

FIGURE 15. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. Palp. A–B. Tibia, male, C–D. Tibia, female.

FIGURE 16. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. A–B. Palp tibiotarsus, female, B1. Detail of setae (d-type) in female. C–D. Palp tibiotarsus, male, D1. Detail of the tip of the tibiotarsus male.

FIGURE 17. Photos of Neocarus queretanus n. sp. A. Female sternitogenital area, setation, B. Female tibiotarsus, leaf setae, C. Female body with ovipositor evaginated, D. Male glands or testes, E. Female antero- dorsal shield, F. Habitus photo of Neocarus queretanus n. sp. (specimen photographed by D. May).

FIGURE 18. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. Prodorsal shield, A–B. Male and female, B1. Detail of puffy antero-dorsal setae in female.

FIGURE 19. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. Stigmata, A. Axis right side female, B. Male axis left side.

FIGURE 20. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. A–B. Anal plate female and male, C–D. Sternitogenital region, female and male.

FIGURE 21. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. A. Eggs at the basis of ovipositor of female, B. Ovipositor everted, C. Glands or testes in male.

FIGURE 22. Neocarus queretanus n. sp. A–B. Tip of leg I, male.