Nothrolohmannia flagellata, Fuangarworn, Marut & Lekprayoon, Chariya, 2012

Fuangarworn, Marut & Lekprayoon, Chariya, 2012, Description of two new species of Nothrolohmannia Balogh, 1968 (Acari: Oribatida: Hypochthoniidae) from Thailand, with key to known species, Zootaxa 3170, pp. 45-54 : 49-53

Nothrolohmannia flagellata sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–5 )

Diagnosis. Nothrolohmannia with the following combination of character states: rostral setae with hyaline vane; sensillus pectinate without hyaline coating; with two large, elongate notogastral porose areas between setal pairs c1–d1; anterior area divided or undivided; notogastral setae curly, flagellate with small fin-like hyaline coating at base; seta c1 relatively short, not exceeding distance between c1–d1; setae e1–2 relatively short, about half length of other dorsal setae; epimeral setae uniformly simple; posterior sternal apodeme short; genital setae uniformly simple; and three pairs of adanal setae present.

Female. Dimensions. Body length of holotype 380 (range of paratypes, 375–385); body width 210 (210–230); body height 125 (105–125). Color uniformly orangish yellow.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 3 A, C). General structure similar to N. thailandica . Rostral seta (ro) biramous with well developed vane; anterior ramus whip-like and bending ventrally to rostral margin; posterior ramus attenuate, slightly shorter than anterior ramus and directed posteriorly. Lamellar seta (le), interlamellar seta (in) and anterior exobothridial seta (exa) long, flagellate and curly, with small fin-like hyaline coating at base; all setae usually directed upward. Posterior exobothridial seta (exp) short, simple and without hyaline coating. Bothridium typical for subfamily; sensillus (ss) 52 long, uniformly pectinate on one side with 16–18 barbs, opposite side smooth; hyaline coating absent.

Notogaster. Outline in dorsal view ( Fig. 3 A), anteriorly truncated, slightly narrower than maximum width (approximately at level of seta f2); posteriorly rounded; humeral turbercle prominent. Outline in lateral view ( Fig. 3 C), slightly arched dorsally; ventrally almost straight. Surface, undulation, transverse groove behind setal row e ( Fig. 3 C), and transverse lines bordering setal row e ( Fig. 3 A) similar to that of N. thailandica . Two rows of porose areas in tandem situated between setal pairs c1–d1; variable in form, each sometimes subdivided. Anterior area (70), slightly curved when undivided, with nine cross lines (main Fig. 3 A); usually subequally divided into two elliptical areas (six of eight specimens examined; Fig. 3 A inset). Posterior area (68) subequal in length to anterior area when undivided, with eight cross lines (main Fig. 3 A); subdivided in one specimen ( Fig. 3 A lower inset), resulting in isolated small circular area (diameter 10). Sixteen pairs of notogastral setae present; all (except setae c2 and e1–2) long, curly, flagellate, with hyaline coating similar in form to prodorsal seta le; seta c2 curly, flagellate, but its base with anteriorly directed lobe of hyaline coating. Seta c1 relatively short, in natural position not reaching insertion of d1; setae e1–2 less developed, about half length of their adjacent setae and not reaching level of seta f1 insertion; setae e1–2 usually with thin hyaline coating throughout their length; setae ps2–3 (on pleuraspis) slightly shorter than most dorsal setae. Lyrifissures ia, im, and ips present at normal positions; lyrifissures ip and ih not discerned.

Coxisternum ( Fig. 3 B). Anterior margin of epimere I truncate at midline and oblique laterally. Short, triangular sclerotized tubercle present posterior to insertion of leg I, lower tubercle posterior to insertion of leg II; apodeme I oblique, with posterior bend; apodeme II almost transverse, reaching near midline. Anterior sternal apodeme short, situated between setae of pair 2a; posterior sternal apodeme broken into two rather short pieces and widely spaced (similar to that of N. thailandica ); apodeme III well developed, slightly arched and reaching near insertion of seta 4b; apodeme IV conspicuous, about half length of apodeme III ( Fig. 3 B). Prominent, elongated tubercle present anterior to insertion of leg IV. Epimeral setation 3-1-3-4; all setae short and simple, without hyaline coating.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 3 B). Genital shield and fused anoadanal shield subequal in length; usually with 10 genital simple setae: six shorter setae located along inner margin, four longer setae located near outer margin. All three genital paillae similar. Ovipositor pleated, short, directed anteroventrally when protruding ( Fig. 3 C); with eight pairs of setae: paired dorsal lobes each with six setae (τ 1–4 twice as long as k1–2), unpaired ventral lobe with two pairs of setae (ψ 1 about three times as long as ψ 2). Preanal shield (not illustrated) similar to that of congeners. Fused anoadanal shield with longitudinal groove but interrupted anteriorly in region of valve interdigitations; with two simple anal setae (an1–2); and three adanal setae (ad1-3), all curly, flagellate with inconspicuous hyaline coating, seta ad3 shorter than ad1–2.

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 3 B, 4A–B). Subcapitulum anarthric, posteriorly truncate, laterally oblique, with four pairs of setae; setae h, m, and a appearing simple without hyaline coating, seta n basally barbed without coating. Adoral setae and rutellum ( Fig. 4 A) characteristic of family. Palp setation (trochanter to tarsus, solenidion in brackets): 0- 2-1-3-9(1); setal homology depicted in Fig. 4 B. Short sclerotized turbercle posterior to palp insertion present (not illustrated); supracoxal seta (ep) and chelicera similar to that of N. thailandica .

Legs ( Figs. 4 C–D, 5). Legs relative short; all monodactyl, claws with dorsal scale. Morphology of leg segments similar to that of N. thailandica , except half-collar tubercle absent above apophysis of femur I. Setal forms varied, including vaned setae, flagellate setae, and setiform setae distributed as depicted in Figs 4–5 ; flagellate setae similar to those on body present on femora I–II, genua I–II, and tibia I; seta bv” on femur I with broad vane basally, abruptly narrowed in distal half. Setation of legs I–IV (from trochanter to tarsus, famulus included, solenidion in bracket) as follows: leg I 0-5-3(1)-5(1)-19(2); leg II 0-5-3(1)-5(1)-13(2); leg III 2-3 -2(1)-3(1)-11 and leg IV 2-3 -2(1)-3-12. Seta d on tibiae I–II coupled with its respective solenidion; famulus setiform; solenidion φ of tibia I extremely long, flagellate; other solenidia elongate, not tapered, ω 1 on tarsus I curved to abaxial face.

Males and immatures. Unknown.

Material examined. Female holotype (in alcohol, CUMN-AC2012.07); entrance of Manoa Phee Cave, Ban Khoa Wang Khamen, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Prov., Thailand (14°21'08"N, 98°56'17"E); ex. leaf litter and soil at bottom of 5-m depth sinkhole (entrance of subterranean cave); 20-VIII-2011; coll. M. Fuangarworn. Seven paratypes (CUMN-AC2012.08–14), with same data as holotype.

Distribution. Known only from its type locality —Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet “ flagellata ” refers to the flagellate setae on the body and legs of this species.

Remarks. This species can be easily distinguished from other species of Nothrolohmannia by having flagellate setae on the body and some leg segments. It is closest to N. thailandica sp. nov. by uniquely sharing 1) the relatively short setae of row e, about half the length of other notogastral setae, 2) the vaned rostral setae, and 3) the short posterior sternal apodeme. The latter two characters are considered symplesiomorphies found in the sistergenus Malacoangelia Berlese ( Grandjean 1935; Norton 2001, 2003).

Based on current distributional records ( Fig. 6 ), the Nothrolohmannia species seem to be collectively distributed over Indo-Australasian region, while its sister genus Malacoangelia Berlese is pantropical ( Norton 2001). Morphologically, the two new species share the plesiomorphic porose areas and simple ventral setae with the only previously known Oriental species, N. samarensis Norton & Corpuz-Raros. The remaining two species — N. calcarata Balogh and N. baloghi Norton—in the Australasian region ( Fig. 6 ) have subdivided porose areas (as two rows of small circular areas) and some ventral setae of rather derived form ( Norton & Corpuz-Raros 2010). These suggest the oriental origin of the genus, and a common ancestor of the New Guinean or Australasian species.

For identification purpose, a key to the five known species is given below, adapted from the table of characters in Norton and Corpuz-Raros (2010).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Nothrolohmannia flagellata sp. nov., female. A) Dorsal view, upper right insert illustrating variations of porose areas; B) ventral view; and C) lateral view; legs and palps omitted or partially drawn.

FIGURE 4. Nothrolohmannia flagellata sp. nov., female. A) Rutellum, ventral view; B) palp, abaxial view; C) leg I; and D) leg II, both in abaxial view.

FIGURE 5. Nothrolohmannia flagellata sp. nov., female. A) Leg III and B) leg IV, both in abaxial view.

FIGURE 6. Distributional records of Nothrolohmannia species in the Indo-Australasian region.