Hygrobates (s. str.) anatolicus Esen & Pesic

Esen, Yunus, Pesic, Vladimir, Erman, Orhan & Kaya, Yuecel, 2013, New water mites of the family Hygrobatidae (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Turkey, ZooKeys 361, pp. 15-25 : 16-19

Hygrobates (s. str.) anatolicus Esen & Pesic sp. n. Figs 1, 2 A–C, F, I

Material examined.

Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid, Turkey: Kahramanmaraş Province, Çağlayancerit, Göksu stream, 37°44'26"N, 37°22'21"E, 975 m asl., 28.10.2010. Paratypes: 33/49/0, same data as holotype, five males and five females dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid.

Diagnosis.

Integument lineated. P-2 ventral margin straight, distally forming a right angle; P-4 ventral setae at the same level.

Description.

General features: Integument lineated, occassionaly lines formed as irregular ridges (Fig. 2C). Posteromedial margin of Cx-I slightly triangular, Cx-IV medial margin nose-like protruding. Acetabula arranged in an obtuse triangle; excretory pore unsclerotized, distance genital field - excretory pore L in male 110-241, in female 280-351. Palp: P-2 ventral margin straight, distally forming a right angle, denticles covering two-thirds of the ventral margin of both P-2 and P-3; P-4 ventral setae on the same level.

Male (holotype, in parentheses measurements of paratype, n = 5): Idiosoma L/W 960/810 (720 –1115/645– 940); coxal field (Fig. 1A) L/W 516/680 (495 –612/600– 745), median length of Cx-I + gnathosoma 395 (380-450); genital plate (Figs 1A, 2A) L/W 261/340 (210 –285/315– 380), gonopore L 137 (108-130), L Ac-1-3: 107 (102-112), 145 (140-150), 121 (115-125); anterior margin with a small, knob-shaped medial projection, posterior margin indented, with a short, rounded medial projection. Distance between genital field and excretory pore L 200 (110-241). Palp (Fig. 1B, 2F) total L 621 (586-665), dL: P-1, 40 (36-48); P-2, 157 (146-170); P-3, 136 (128-140); P-4, 218 (208-235); P-5, 70 (68-72). Chelicera L 487 (440-496), claw L 170 (157-172). Legs: dL of I-L-4-6: 257 (250-270), 266 (258-275), 243 (235-258); dL of IV-L-4-6: 391 (365-410), 397 (382-422), 346 (325-368).

Female (n = 5): Idiosoma L/W 720 –1507/540– 1250; coxal field (Fig. 1C) L/W 495 –610/550– 847; median length of Cx-I + gnathosoma 400-460. Palp (Figs 1D, 2I) total L 668-749, dL: P-1, 47-51; P-2, 160-198; P-3, 144-160; P-4, 241-262; P-5, 78-80. Chelicera L 490-548, claw L 170-190. Genital field (Fig. 1C, 2B) W 330-418, genital plate L 230-268, genital opening L 210-280, L Ac-1-3: 110-120, 145 -150, 126-130. Legs: dL of I-L-4-6 285-302, 295-310, 267-286; dL of IV-L-4-6: 430-456, 440-460, 361-385.

Discussion.

Due to the shape of palp with a straight ventral margin of P-2, distally forming a right angle, the new species closely resembles Hygrobates (s. str.) nigromaculatus Lebert, 1879 (Fig. 2 D–E, G–H) and Hygrobates setosus Besseling, 1942. The later species, for a long time was considered a morphotype of Hygrobates nigromaculatus ( Viets 1960), but differs in size (median length of Cx-I + gnathosoma> 350 µm. Males: P-4 length> 140, genital plate length> 170 µm. Females: P-4 length> 165, genital plate length> 175 µm), life cycle with larvae parasitic on chironomid Diptera and habitat preference for running waters ( Martin et al. 2010). The larger dimensions and habitat preference for running waters makes the new species close to Hygrobates setosus . However, presence of lineated integument will easily distinguished Hygrobates anatolicus sp. n. from two above-mentioned species bearing finely striated integument.

Remarks.

Due to the shape of the genital field, population from Göksu stream resembles populations of Hygrobates nigromaculatus and Hygrobates setosus from the Northern Germany (P. Martin pers. communication). However, population of Hygrobates nigromaculatus from the Ohrid Lake clearly differs in the shape of genital field (see Figs 2D-E), with the acetabula distinctly elongated, similar to those in Hygrobates longiporus Thor, 1898. The similar, longiporus-shape of the acetabula was recently detected in the population of Hygrobates nigromaculatus from Luxembourg (R. Gerecke pers. communication), suggesting that this character, in the Hygrobates nigromaculatus like-species complex, vary and can not be used in taxonomical separation. If possible the species should be included in a possibly molecular and morphological revision of the Hygrobates nigromaculatus like-species complex.

Etymology.

Named after the country of the type locality.

Habitat.

Rhithrobiont.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Kahramanmaraş Province, Turkey.