Neoatractides (Allotorrenticola) calidus, Pešić & Smit & Saboori, 2012

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, 3330, Zootaxa 3330, pp. 1-67 : 26-29

Neoatractides (Allotorrenticola) calidus sp. nov.

( Fig. 18A – H, 19A – B, 20A – D)

Material examined. Holotype female, dissected and slide mounted, Iran, Hormozgan Province, IR19-2011, Banglayan village N of Bandar Abbass, unnamed stream, 27º 45.695 N, 56º 32.402 E, 577 m asl, 18.vii.2011 ( RMNH) . Paratypes: 1/1/0 (1/0/0 mounted), same data as holotype ( RMNH) .

Diagnosis. Frontal platelet elongated and relatively narrow (L/W ratio 3.0 – 3.3); Cx-IV posteriorly extending well beyond genital field; excretory pore and Vgl-2 on the margin of primary sclerotization, near posterior margin of idiosoma; P-1 separate from P-2, P-2 relatively long and slender, P-3 longer than P-4, P-2 and -3 each with relatively long and slender ventral seta but without ventral projections, L P-2/P-4 ratio 3.27. Gnathosoma with short posterodorsal projections and with inconspicuous oral papillae, rostrum narrower than remainder of the capitulum; chelicera long with relatively short cheliceral claw (L basal segment/claw ratio 4.3 – 4.4).

Description. Female — Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 18B) L 633, W 509, dorsal shield ( Fig. 18A) L 544, W 397, L/W ratio 1.37; shoulder plate L 159 – 162, W 54 – 56, L/W ratio 2.8 – 3.0; frontal plate L 138 – 142, W 44 – 45, L/ W ratio 3.06 – 3.24; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.14 – 1.16; gnathosomal bay broad and very shallow, L 106, Cx-I total L 250, Cx-I mL 144, Cx-II+III mL 15; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 16.7; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 9.6; genital field L/W 143/128, L/W ratio 1.12; distance genital field — excretory pore 207, genital field — caudal idiosoma margin 219; gnathosoma ( Fig. 18D) vL 325; chelicera total L 402, claw L 75, basal segment L 330, L basal segment/claw ratio 4.4; palp ( Figs. 18E – F) total L 173, dL: P-1, 33; P-2, 72; P-3, 32; P-4, 22; P-5, 14; L P-2/P-4 ratio, 3.27; dL of I-L-4-6 ( Fig. 18G): 72, 84, 96; I-L-6 L/H ratio 2.45; dL of IV-L ( Fig. 18H): 134, 89, 103, 128, 150, 178.

Male — Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 19B) L 575, W 459, dorsal shield ( Fig. 19A) L 496, W 372, L/W ratio 1.33; shoulder plate L 147 – 148, W 56, L/W ratio 2.6 – 2.7; frontal plate L 125 – 134, W 41 – 42, L/W ratio 3.0 – 3.27; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.2 – 1.18; gnathosomal bay L 94, Cx-I total L 238, Cx-I mL 144, Cx-II+III mL 62; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 3.8; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 2.3; genital field L/W 122/97, L/W ratio 1.26; ejaculatory complex ( Fig. 20C) L 168; distance genital field — excretory pore 136, genital field — caudal idiosoma margin 150; gnathosoma ( Fig. 20B) vL 295; chelicera total L 362, claw L 69, basal segment L 297, L basal segment/claw ratio 4.3; palp ( Fig. 20A) total L 159, dL: P-1, 30; P-2, 63; P-3, 31; P-4, 21; P-5, 14; L P-2/P-4 ratio, 3.0; dL of I-L- 4-6 ( Fig. 20D): 69, 78, 96; I-L-6 L/H ratio 2.34; dL of IV-L: 122, 88, 97, 120, 146, 179.

Etymology. The name refers to the very hot conditions (up to 49° C) in which we had to collect water mites in southern Iran.

Remarks. Other species of the subgenus Allotorrenticola are Neoatractides abnormipalpis (Lundblad, 1941) ( Burma, Malaysia, Brunei), N. bahtilli ( Wiles, 1991) ( Malaysia) , N. malayensis ( Wiles, 1991) ( Malaysia) and N. suvarna ( Cook, 1967) ( India) (see Wiles 1997b). Due to the absence of projections on P-2 and P-3, the female of the new species most resembles N. abnormipalpis and N. suvarna . Neoatractides abnormipalpis can be easily distinguished by P-1 partially fused with P-2 and in a very reduced P-4 (shorter than P-3) and P-5 (see Wiles 1991). Neoatractides suvarna , a species similar in the capitulum with inconspicuous oral papillae and P-1 separate from P-2, differs in similarly shaped, broad frontal and shoulder platelets, a very short ventral seta on P-2 and P-3, P-2 relatively short and stout, chelicera with a relatively much longer cheliceral claw (basal segment/claw ratio 2.06, calculated from Cook 1967) and the excretory pore located on a tubercle (see Cook 1967).

Habitat. Sandy/bouldery stream, with strong exposure to sunlight ( Fig. 44C).

Distribution. Iran; only known from the type locality in Hormozgan Province.