Hygrobatopsis (Hygrobatopsis) pauciglandulosa, Smit, 2021

Smit, Harry, 2021, Water mites from West Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 61 (3), pp. 700-746 : 719-722

Hygrobatopsis (Hygrobatopsis) pauciglandulosa n. sp.

Zoobank: 84196F88-4DD0-4450-972E-98D1D3345DF3

( Figures 13 A-E, 14A-B)

Material examined. Holotype male, Ankasa Exploration Base stream, Ankasa NP Ghana, 5°16.413′ N 2°38.810′ W, 81 m a.s.l., 14 Feb. 2013 ( RMNH) . Paratype: one female, Ankasa

River, Ankasa NP, Ghana, 5°13.011′ N 2°39.126′ W, 60 m a.s.l., 13 Feb. 2013 ( RMNH).

Diagnosis. Both sexes: legs with swimming setae. Male: Dorsum with a dorsal shield, with the postocularia and one pair of glandularia; Vgl-3 fused with ventral shield.

Description. Male: Idiosoma dorsally 296 long and 251 wide, ventrally 340 long. Dorsum with a large dorsal shield, 259 long and 206 wide, with the postocularia and posteriorly with one pair of glandularia. Dorsal furrow with three pairs of glandularia ( Figure 13A ). Gnathosoma lightly fused with Cx-I. Venter with a ventral shield incorporating the coxae and Vgl-3. Genital field 92 wide, lying in a deep genital bay ( Figure 13B ); gonopore 38 long. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula, posterior to the acetabula numerous setae. From the gonopore extends a hyaline, open tube-like structure. Near posterior idiosoma margin a pair of large tubercles. Excretory pore fused with dorsal shield. Length of P1–5: 17, 50, 56, 96, 32. P2 without a ventral projection, P4 slender, ventrally slightly bulging, P5 slender ( Figure 13C ). Length of I-leg-4–6: 79, 90, 68. I-leg-5 anteriorly with a few fine setae, one of these elongated (but lost due to mounting), no downturned seta present ( Figure 13D ). Length of IV-leg-4–6: 88, 112, 88. Fourth legs much heavier than other three legs ( Figure 13E ). Swimming setae: III-leg-5 and IV-leg-5 with two swimming setae, II-leg-5 with a short swimming seta.

Female: Idiosoma dorsally 441 long and 365 wide, ventrally 470 long. Integument finely lineated. Dgl-1 each on a small sclerite ( Figure 14A ). Gnathosoma lightly fused with Cx-I, but fusion more extensive than in male. Posterior margin of Cx-IV with short projections. Genital field 122 long, with three pairs of acetabula in a somewhat triangular configuration ( Figure 14B ). Genital plates 57 long, pregenital sclerite 82 wide. Excretory pore on a tubercle near posterior idiosoma margin. Idiosoma posterolaterally with a pair of large glandularia tubercles. Length of P1–5: 22, 80, 86. 152, 48. Palp as in male. Length of I-leg-4–6: 92, 93, 70. I-leg-5 anteriorly with a few fine setae, one of these elongated. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 120, 148, 110. Swimming setae: II-leg-5, III-leg-5 and IV-leg-5 with two swimming setae.

Etymology. Named for the presence of few glandularia on the dorsal shield of the male.

Remarks. Thus far, two species were known of the nominate subgenus. The male of Hygrobatopsis levipalpis K. Viets, 1925 ( Cameroon) has a more shallow genital bay, Vgl-3 is not fused with the ventral shield and P4 is more bulging ventrally. The male Hygrobatopsis of sudafricana Cook, 2005 ( South Africa) has the dorsal shield with three pairs of glandularia and the genital bay is shallow too. Both these species lack swimming setae. The presence of swimming setae will separate the female from other species of the genus.

Figures

Figure 13 Hygrobatopsis(Hygrobatopsis) pauciglandulosa n. sp., holotype male. A – dorsum; B – venter; C – palp; D – I-leg-4–6; E – IV-leg-4–6. A-B = 100 µm, C-E = 50 µm.

Figure 14 Hygrobatopsis(Hygrobatopsis) pauciglandulosan. sp., paratype female. A – dorsum; B – venter. Scale bars: A-B = 100 µm.