Eremella funnagasatoensis, Nakamura & Hashimoto & Nishi & Nakamura & Fujikawa, 2015

Nakamura, Y. - N., Hashimoto, S., Nishi, Y., Nakamura, Y. & Fujikawa, T., 2015, Two new species of Eremellidae and Scheloribatidae (Acari, Oribatida) from the Kuma district of southern Japan, Acarologia 55 (2), pp. 171-187 : 173-179

Eremella funnagasatoensis n. sp.

[Japanese name: Funnagasato-fuchikazaridani] ( Figs. 1 - 5 )

Diagnosis — 236 (253) 264 µm; width: 121 (139) 150. The whole integument except for anal plates, hypostoma and legs, reticulate. Relative lengths: in> ro> le. Sensilli consisting of conspicuously verrucose, club-shaped head and smooth, thin, long stem. All ten pairs of notogastral setae phylliform. Genito-anal setal formula: 6-1-2-2. Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-3-3; setae thin, smooth setiform. All tarsi monodactyl; claws without dilated portion.

Material examined — Holotype (Female) (NSMT-Ac 13579) from deposit at the bottom of a hollow of an Ilex oldhami Miq. tree, on 19 th Dec. 2009, by T. Fujikawa; 11 paratypes (Female) (NSMT- Ac 13580 and 13581): the same data as holotype. The type series (NSMT-Ac 13579-13581) are deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science , Tokyo. The remainder of paratypes is in the National Agricultural Research Center for Kyushu Okinawa Region, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Etymology — After the classic local name of sampling area.

Measurements and body appearance — Body length 236 (253) 264 µm; width 121 (139) 150 µm. Body color light brown. The whole integument except for anal plates, hypostoma and legs, reticulate: reticulation variable in form and size ( Fig. 4A ). Anal plates costate; hypostoma and legs laterally-costate ( Fig. 4B ).

Prodorsum — Rostral tip round. Rostral ro (ca. 17 µm) and lamellar le (ca. 14 µm) setae spiniform, roughened throughout length; setae ro longer than setae le ( Figs. 2B and 5A ). Lamellar costulae (ca. 62 µm: insertion of le to bothrida) extending forwards from bothridia to rostrum ( Fig. 1 ). Translamellar costulae present in front of lamellar setae (ca. 16 µm), near middle portion (ca. 18 µm) and in front of interlamellar setae in (ca. 26 µm). Setae in (ca. 19 µm) and exobothridial setae ex (ca. 11 µm) ensiform roughened throughout length. Bothridia opened dorsally. Sensilli ss (ca. 57 µm) consisting of conspicuously verrucose, club-shaped head and smooth, thin, long stem ( Fig. 4A ). Relative lengths of prodorsal setae: ss> in> ro> le> ex.

Notogaster — Ten pairs of notogastral setae narrow phylliform, spinose throughout length, inserted submarginally. Setae p -series (13 16 µm) smaller than the others (16 27 µm); h 3 the longest, p 3 the shortest ( Fig. 5B ). Lyrifissures ia (ca. 6 µm) aligned obliquely in front of setae c; im (ca. 8 µm) obliquely between setae lm and lp; ih (ca. 6 µm) perpendicular to, ips (ca. 6 µm) and ip (ca. 9 µm) along notogastral outline ( Fig.2A ).

Ventral region — Genital aperture (ca. 42 µm in length) almost square in form; anal aperture (ca. 38 µm in length) rectangular; distance (ca. 34 µm) between them slightly shorter than length of anal aperture ( Fig. 2A ). Genito-anal setal formula: 6- 1-2-2; all setae thin, smooth setiform. Genital setae (ca. 13 µm) g 3 inserted nearer lateral margin of plates than the remainder; setae g 3 to g 6 inserted at the mid-ventral line. Setae ag (ca. 16 µm) inserted lateroposteriorly to genital aperture. Anal setae (ca. 13 µm) an 1 and an 2 inserted near anterior and posterior margins of plate, respectively. Adanal setae (ca. 13 µm) ad 1 aligned in postanal position, ad 2 in adanal, and ad 3 lost ( Fig. 5C ). Lyrifissures iad located postero-laterally to anterior margin of anal aperture. Sternal ridge indistinct. Epimeral borders II and sejugal distinct. Pedotecta I well developed. Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-3-3; setae (14 16 µm) thin, smooth setiform. Pedipalpal setal formula: 0- 2-1-3-9[1]; palpal eupathidium acm (ca. 7 µm) free from solenidion ω (ca. 7 µm); ω bacilliform ( Fig. 3F ). Diarthric subcapitulum bearing 3 pairs of setae, a (ca. 9 µm), m (ca. 17 µm), and h (ca. 13 µm); setae thin, smooth setiform. Cheliceral setae cha (ca. 16 µm) and chb (ca. 7 µm) barbed throughout length; cha longer than chb ( Fig. 3E ).

Legs — All tarsi monodactyl; claws without distinct dent or dilated portion ( Figs. 3A , 5D ); length (µm): [Right-left]: I [24-24], II [22-26], III [23-29] and IV [29-29]. Setal formula of legs including famulus but excluding solenidia: I (1-5- 3-4-15), II (1-5-3-4-14), III (2-3-1-3-14), IV (1-2-2-3- 12). Measurements (µm) of segments (trochanter to tarsus): [Right-left]: I [8-7]-[66-71]-[14-12]-[25-23]- [36-36], II [10-13]-[60-61]-[11-12]-[29-24]-[39-36], III [?-51]-[43-34]-[16-15]-[29-34]-[36-36], IV [38-31]-[39- 45]-[16-14]-[36-41]-[41-43]. Femora I bearing three kinds of formed setae: thin, smooth setiform (v), thick barbed bacilliform (l) and spiculate phylliform d ( Fig. 3C ). Genu III and trochanter III bearing carina ( Fig. 3D ). Solenidiotaxy I (1-2-2), II (1-1-2), III (1-1-0), IV (0-1-0). On tarsus I, famulus ( (ca. 3 µm) bacilliform, situated between solenidia ω 1 and ω 2 ( Fig. 3A ). Solenidion ω 1 (ca. 19 µm) setiform with rounded tip; ω 2 (ca. 37 µm) setiform. Solenidion φ 1 (ca. 99 µm) setiform, originating from apophysis at the anterior margin of segment, about four times longer than the length of tibia (ca. 24 µm); φ 2 setiform (ca. 21 µm) ( Figs. 3B ). On genu I, solenidion σ (ca. 7 µm) short, bacilliform as long as seta d.

Remarks — Hitherto a single species, Eremella induta Berlese, 1913 has been found from Japan in Niigata Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture ( Maruyama 1984; Ichisawa and Harada 2001; Yamamoto and Yamamoto 2000). However, the new species differs from E. induta according to the original description and redescription by Mahunka and Mahunka-Papp (1995) in having setae ro longer than setae le, phylliform p -series notogastral setae and long solenidion of tibia I. The new species is distinguished from E. vestita Berlese, 1913 by smaller body size, basely simple claws of legs, phylliform p -series setae, two transverse ridges between costulae and long solenidion of tibia I, from E. pulchella ( Balogh, 1959) by phylliform notogastral setae and long costulae, from E. africana ( Balogh, 1966) by smaller body size, phylliform notogastral setae, subparallele costulae and notogaster without protuberance, from E. ensifera Balogh et Mahunka, 1968 by smaller body size, two pairs of adanal setae, setae ro longer than le, phylliform notogastral setae and long costulae with two transverse ridges, and from E. matildebellae Mahunka et Palacios-Vargas, 1995 by monodactylous legs, two pairs of adanal setae, subparallele costulae and notogaster without crests.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Eremella funnagasatoensis n. sp. (NSMT-Ac 13580): Dorsal view.

FIGURE 2: Eremella funnagasatoensis n. sp.: A – Ventral view (NSMT-Ac 13580); B – Lateral view of propodosoma (a depressed specimen) (NSMT-Ac 13581).

FIGURE 3: Eremella funnagasatoensis n. sp. (NSMT-Ac 13581): A – Tarsus I; B – Tibia and genu of leg I; C – Femur I; D – Genu to trochanter of leg III; E – Chelicera; F — Pedipalp.

FIGURE 4: Eremella funnagasatoensis n. sp. scanning electron micrographs (photos by Nakamura Y.-N., Nishi Y. and Nakamura, Y.). Adult female: A – Dorsal view; B – Ventral view.

FIGURE 5: Eremella funnagasatoensis n. sp. scanning electron micrographs (photos by Nakamura Y.-N., Nishi Y. and Nakamura, Y.): A – Rostral region; B – Postro-marginal region of notogaster; C – Anal region; D – Tarsus and tibia of right leg III.