Neumania bhutana, Pešić & Smit & Gurung & . & . & . & ., 2022

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry, Gurung, Mer Man, ., ., .,. & ., .., 2022, Neumania bhutana sp. nov. a new water mite from Bhutan (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Unionicolidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 54, pp. 53-56 : 54-56

Neumania bhutana sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:93F34FC9-A07D-4343-8F10-EE0EE6F63D84

Figs. 1-2

Type series — Holotype male, dissected and slide mounted, Bhutan, Below Lhakhang Karpo (Monastery), Haa River, Pool riverbank, 14.viii.2016, 27º21'53.0'' N, 89º17'44.3'' E, 2675 m asl., 13.vii.2013, leg. W. Klein.

Other material — One deutonymph (partly damaged, II. III and –IV-L lost), collected together with the holotype; not included in the type material.

Diagnosis — Genital plates fused with venter without suture line, genital field with 30-32 pairs of acetabula.

Description. Male — Idiosoma dorsally soft, membranous integument appearing reticulate, ventrally sclerotized, L ventrally 516, dorsally L 528, W 381; two pairs of dorsal platelets, the anterior platelets larger, elongated and located posterior to the postocularia, the posterior platelet located laterally in the anterior part of the dorsum ( Fig. 1A ); excretory pore located on tubercle at extreme posterior end; figure 1A shows the structure of the dorsum.

Surface of coxae appearing reticulate, apodemes between Cx-I and - II reaching the centre of Cx-IV; area between the coxae lightly sclerotized. Cx-IV with a hook-shaped extension ( Fig. 1B ). Gonopore L/W 71/41, ratio 1.75; genital field with 30-32 pairs of acetabula; genital plates fused with venter without suture line, distance between the lateralmost pairs of Ac 281.

Palp ( Figs. 1 C-D): total L 256; dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 23/34, 0.7; P-2, 80/41, 1.96; P-3, 41/31, 1.3; P-4, 78/23, 3.4; P-5, 34/15, 2.3; P-2/P-4 ratio 1.02; P-2, P-3 and P-4 ventral margins slightly concave; P-4 with a distoventral-peg like seta and without ventral tubercles, hair-like setae located anteriori. Gnathosoma ( Fig. 2D ) vL 175, with apodemes L 219.

L of I-L-1-5 ( Fig. 2B ; measurement of terminal segment not possible): 45, 96, 106, 150, 150. L of II- L-4-6: 152, 122, 194. L of III-L-4-6: 131, 141, 156. L of IV-L-4-6 ( Fig. 2C ): 147, 159, 189. First and second leg with long fluted or grooved setae. Swimming setae numbers: II-L-4, 1; II-L-5, 1; III-L-4, 4; III-L-5, 3; IV-L-3, IV-L-4, 4; IV-L-5, 2. Claws of legs without clawlet and claw blade ( Fig. 2A ).

Deutonymph — Idiosoma L 434, W 372; provisional genital field with 6-9 pairs of acetabula.

Etymology — Named after the country of Bhutan.

Discussion — In regard to the genital plates completely fused with venter and a similar shape of the palp, the new species from Bhutan somehow resembles Neumania angelieri Lundblad, 1969 a species described from both sexes from a reservoir in Myanmar ( Lundblad 1969). The latter species differs in the genital field with reduced number of acetabula (eight vs. 30-32 pairs in new species), the excretory pore does not lie on a tubercle, and the terminal segment of fourth leg is bowed as in subgenus Lemienia (see Lundblad 1969). The male of the Palaearctic N. vernalis (Müller, 1776) has a similar venter with secondary sclerotization, and also the number of acetabula (25-45) lies in the range of the new species, but P-IV is much more slender compared to the new species. Moreover, the pair of platelets posterior to the postocularia are rounded in N. vernalis .

Distribution — Bhutan; known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 1. Neumania bhutana sp. nov., male holotype, Haa River, Bhutan: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C-D palp. Scale bars = 100 μm.

Figure 2. Neumania bhutana sp. nov., male holotype, Haa River, Bhutan: A = claw of first leg; B = I-L-1-5; C = IV-L- 4-6; D = gnathosoma. Scale bars = 100 μm.