Sotropalpus manga, Goldschmidt, 2008

Goldschmidt, Tom, 2008, Taxonomical, ecological and zoogeographical studies on anisitsiellid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Anisitsiellidae Koenike, 1910) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 1954 (1), pp. 1-120 : 70-75

Sotropalpus manga sp. nov.

( Figs 160–177 , Table 9)

Type series: Holotype male, MD 36 , Andrambovato (Fianarantsoa), spring brook, 0.5 km south-east from the 1.07 km-railway-tunnel, 900 m asl, 16.1 °C, 35 µS/cm, 19.08.2001, mounted; paratype, MD 32 , Madiorano (Fianarantsoa), springs at the left border of the stream crossing the railroad at km 51.2 ( MD 031 ), 650 m asl, 16.1 °C, 27 µS/cm, 18.08.2001, 0/0/1 mounted.

Habitat: Spring brook and spring at 650–900 m asl.

Distribution: Madagascar (rainforest at the eastern slope of Central highlands).

Derivatio nominis: Manga (Malagasy) — blue; referring to the dark blue colour of the new species.

Diagnosis: As for the genus.

Description, male (n = 1): Idiosoma oval, relatively small (ventral shield L/W 599/457) ( Fig. 160 ); sclerotized body parts dark purple bluish; characteristic dorsal plate: Large, elongated (L/W 525/273), closely surrounded by Dgl-1, Dgl-3 to -6 and Lgl-1 to -4 (Lgl-2 not visible) on mid-sized platelets, five pairs of lyrifissures ( Fig. 161 ); Dgl-1, -3 to -5 with large setae, others with mid-sized setae; dorsal plate far anterior bearing one pair of glands without setae (probably Dgl-2), post-ocular setae further posterior; dorsal furrow wide, integument coarsely lined; lateral eyes oval, relatively large, separated on both sides, free under integument ( Fig. 161 ); coxal field included in unified ventral shield; Cx-I to -III relatively wide, laterally and anteriorly surpassing ventral shield; Cx-I slender, medially fused, postero-laterally overlapping Cx-II; Cx-II postero-laterally overlapping Cx-III, Cxgl-2 at caudal margin of Cx-II; Cx-I/II medio-caudally overlapping Cx-III; Cxgl-4 far caudally on Cx-III, close to suture with Cx-IV; medial margin short, convex; Cx-IV short, compact, antero-medial margin convex, forming narrow genital bay, posterior margin of Cx-IV medially indistinct (fused with ventral shield), diverging, caudal margin oblique towards insertion of leg-IV (laterally beside genital field), insertion partly covered by flatly curved condyles, Cx-IV laterally extended towards dorsum, anteriorly reaching the area dorsal to Cx-III ( Fig. 160 ); genital field posteriorly extended beyond caudal margin of Cx-IV, genital flaps trapezoid pear-shaped, anteriorly rounded, lateral margins straight to concave, strongly diverging towards caudal, posterior corner rounded; acetabula mid-sized oval (Ac2 larger than Ac1 and Ac3), setae on genital flaps very tiny, medio-caudal pair larger ( Fig. 160 ); genital skeleton relatively compact ( Fig. 162 ); setae of Vgl-1 large, lateral to genital field, Vgl-3 with very tiny setae, approached to caudal margin of Cx-IV (near insertion of leg-IV), excretory pore and Vgl-2 far caudal on ventral shield, Vgl-4 at latero-caudal margin of ventral shield ( Fig. 160 ); legs compact, with heavy setae, segments relatively short and stocky (especially leg-I and -II), claws on leg-I to -III large, heavy with one strong ventral and dorsal clawlet, especially claws on leg-III very broad ( Figs 163–165 ); leg-IV-3 to -5 with terminal rings of heavy setae, leg- IV-6 terminal with two heavy, pinnate setae of equal size and smaller sub-terminal seta ( Fig. 166 ); capitulum short, nearly triangular with cone-shaped rostrum ( Fig. 167 ); palp mid-sized, P1 with one dorsal seta; P2 with one ventro-lateral seta and about ten short dorsal setae, ventral margin straight; P3 with two medial and two lateral setae; P 4 in proximal 2/3 relatively straight, distally down-curved, ending in ventro-lateral and ventromedial lamellae, five to six long setae laterally and between lamellae; P5 also bearing ventro-lateral lamellae, distal part of P4 together with P5 forming the spoon-shaped terminal structure of palp ( Figs 167–169 ).

Female: Unknown.

Deutonymph (n = 1): Idiosoma oval ( Fig. 170 ); sclerotized body parts greyish-purple; dorsum with one small rounded posterior and two elongated-oval anterior plates bearing post-ocular setae ( Fig. 171 , Table 9); Dgl and Lgl on mid-sized platelets, Dgl-1, -3 and -4 with large setae, others with mid-sized setae; integument very coarsely lined; lateral eyes oval, relatively large, separated on both sides, free under integument (partly lost in preparation) ( Fig. 171 ); no ventral shield or secondary sclerotization, anterior and posterior coxal groups separate from each other in soft integument; Cx-I medially approached, separated by stripe of soft integument; Cx-II overlapping Cx-III laterally, medially separated by soft integument; Cxgl-2 at anterior margin of Cx-III; Cxgl-4 medio-caudally on Cx-III, close to suture with Cx-IV; medial margin rounded; Cx-IV short, compact, medial margin relatively straight, strongly diverging to latero-caudal, forming wide genital bay; insertion of leg-IV at caudal margin of Cx-IV, lateral margin convex curved, Cx-IV dorso-laterally extended beyond Cx-III ( Fig. 170 ); provisional genital field with two pairs of rounded acetabula (Ac1 smaller, closer together than Ac2), flanked by three pairs of small setae, latero-caudal to Ac2 large setae of Vgl-1 and Vgl-3 with very tiny setae, excretory pore (without secondary sclerotization), Vgl-2 and Vgl-4 (on small platelets) approached to caudal end of idiosoma ( Fig. 170 ); gnathosoma and legs similar to adults, bearing less setae; claws on leg-I to -III strong, with one strong dorsal and ventral clawlet ( Figs 172–174 ), as in adults, especially leg-III with broad, heavy claws ( Fig. 174 ); leg-IV-6 terminal with two similar large setae and one small sub-terminal seta ( Fig. 175 ); capitulum short, compact; palp with characteristic spoon-like shape of P4/ P5 ( Figs 176, 177 ).

Figures

FIGURES 160–169. Sotropalpus manga gen. et sp. nov., male holotype (MD 36): 160, idiosoma, ventral view; 161, idiosoma, dorsal view; 162, genital skeleton, antero-lateral view; 163, leg-I-2 to -6; 164, leg-II; 165, leg-III (segment 1 broken); 166, leg-IV; 167, capitulum with left palp, lateral view; 168, right palp, medial view; 169, right palp, lateral view. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURES 170–177. Sotropalpus manga gen. et sp. nov., deutonymph paratype (MD 32): 170, idiosoma, ventral view; 171, idiosoma, dorsal view; 172, leg-I-2 to -6; 173, leg-II-2 to -6; 174, leg-III; 175, leg-IV; 176, capitulum with left palp and chelicera, lateral view; 177, right palp, medial view. Scale bars = 100 µm.