Brachypodopsis thailandicus, Smit, 2016

Smit, H., 2016, The water mite family Aturidae Thor, 1900 from Southeast Asia (Acari: Hydrachnidia) with the description of one new genus and 14 new species, Acarologia 56 (3), pp. 341-365 : 344-346

Brachypodopsis (?) thailandicus n. sp.

( Figure 3 )

Material examined — Holotype female, Stream crossing road to Phu Goom Khao, Nam Nao NP, Thailand, 16°38.410N 101°34.886E, alt. 803 m a.s.l., 16-xi-2007. Paratype: one female, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis — Genital field with four pairs of acetabula, anterior three pairs in a line more or less perpendicularly to lateral idiosoma margin. Dorsal shield with A2 and six pairs of glandularia. Between the fourth leg sockets and genital field two pairs of glandularia.

Description — Female: Idiosoma brownish, dorsally 454 long and 332 wide, ventrally 421 long. Dorsal shield 332 wide, anteriorly fused with ventral shield, and with A2 and six pairs of glandularia (the most posterior pair not visible in dorsal view). No glandularia platelets present in dorsal furrow. Postocularia far distanced from dgl- 1; excretory pore fused with dorsal shield. Anterior coxae distanced from anterior idiosoma margin, coxal suture lines obliterated. A ridge present anterolaterally of fourth leg sockets. Between the fourth leg sockets and genital field two pairs of glandularia, these lying closer to genital field than to fourth leg sockets. Genital field with four pairs of acetabula, the anterior three pairs in a line more or less perpendicularly to lateral idiosoma margin. An undulating ridge present between anterior three pairs and most posterior pair of acetabula. Gonopore large, 80 long and 102 wide. Length of P1-5: 26, 50, 26, 68, 28. P4 lineated, without heavy setae, but maybe broken off. Length of I-leg-4-6: 45, 66, 70 (till tip of segment). Length of IV-leg-4-6: 70, 84, 76. Swimming setae: III-leg-4 and IV-leg-4 two, III-leg- 5 four and IV-leg-5 three. Male: Unknown.

Etymology — Named after the country where the species was collected.

Remarks — The new species is assigned to the genus Brachypodopsis due to the absence of glandularia platelets in the dorsal furrow, the presence of seven pairs of glandularia on the dorsal shield and two pairs of glandularia between the fourth leg sockets and genital field. The new species is somewhat similar to Paraxonopsis vivarna ( Cook, 1967) from India in the configuration of the acetabula. However, this species has the dorsal shield with four pairs of glandularia and only one pair of glandularia between the fourth leg sockets and genital field. Due to the absence of a male subgeneric placement of the new species is not possible.

Figures

FIGURE 3: Brachypodopsis thailandicus n. sp., holotype female: A – dorsum; B – venter; C – palp. Scale bars = 50 µm.