Hoplophthiracarus spinus, Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2014

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2014, New and little known species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Cameroon, Zootaxa 3889 (1), pp. 31-57 : 42-44

Hoplophthiracarus spinus sp. nov.

(Fig. 6A–H)

Measurements of holotype. Prodorsum: length 328, width 217, height 131; prodorsal setae: sensillus 51, interlamellar (in) 66, lamellar (le) 28, rostral (ro) 61; notogaster: length 656, width 434, height 424, notogastral setae: c 1 94, h 1 71, ps 1 81; genitoaggenital plate 187×113, anoadanal plate 210×106.

Measurements of paratypes. Paratype I: prodorsum: length 313, width 222, height 141; notogaster: length 626, width 454, height 444. Paratype II: prodorsum: length 242, width 149, height 76; notogaster: length 444, width 303, height 263. Paratype III: prodorsum: length 303 width 227, height 126; notogaster: length 606, width 424, height 404, c 1 121, c 1/ c 1- d 1=0.8, h 1 131, ps 1 111.

Description. Colour light brown to brown. Surface of body covered with concavities especially genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates.

Prodorsum with strong posterior furrows, sigillar fields not very distinct, median longer than laterals. Lateral carinae reach the sinus. Sensilli of medium size with fusiform, ciliate head. Interlamellar setae rather semi-erect, short, narrow, stout, covered sparsely with small spines, lamellar setae short, spiniform, rostral setae longer, thick, rough.

FIGURE 6A–H. Hoplophthiracarus spinus sp. nov., A–G, I, J. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, seta c 1; E, mentum of subcapitulum; F, left genitoaggenital plate; G, left anoadanal plate; I, trochanter and femur of leg I; J, tibia IV; H, notogaster of paratype.

Notogaster with rather short notogastral setae (c 1/ c 1- d 1=0.54), spiniform, ciliate only at one side, except fine, flexible, smooth notogastral setae c 3 directed posteriorly. Setae c 3 near anterior margin, setae c 1 slightly remote, setae c2 far from margin. Vestigial setae f1 not visible. Two pairs of lyrifissures, ia and im, present. Four paratypes with longer and slender notogastral setae, not as spinous as in holotype. All other morphological characters as in holotype.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 6(4+2): 3. Anoadanal plates with five pairs of rough setae, adanal setae ad 2 longer and thicker than ad 1 and anal setae, adanal setae ad 3 the shortest; adanal setae ad 2 situated near paraxial border at level between anal setae, adanal setae ad 3 remote from paraxial border and situated in middle of plate.

Legs. Chaetome of legs complete type. Setae d on femora I remote from anterior end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and 15 paratypes are deposited at DATE from the locus typicus: North–West Province, Mt. Oku, about 12 km W of Kumbo, 4–5. V. 2006, latitude 06°13'17.64" N, longitude 10°30'13.26" E, altitude 2800 m, montane foggy forest, litter and soil sifting sample, leg V. Grebennikov, four paratypes are deposited at ISB and two paratypes are deposited at NHMG, all from the same locality.

Etymology. The specific epithet spinus is Latin for “spines, with spines” and refers to the shape of majority of notogastral setae.

Comparison. This species is very easily distinguishable from congeners by the shape of thick, short, spiniform majority of notogastral setae, except fine setae c 3.