Trichouropoda szabadi, Kontschán & Starý, 2013

Kontschán, Jenő & Starý, Josef, 2013, Two new Uropodina species from Ethiopia (Acari: Mesostigmata), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 49-56 : 53-56

Trichouropoda szabadi sp. n.

Figs 14–26

Etymology: We dedicate the new species to the memory of Dr Gábor Szabad, medical researcher in the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical Center of the University of Szeged, who was shot by terrorists in January 2012 in the northern part of Ethiopia.

Description:

Female.

Idiosoma: length of 820–980 μm, width 610–740 μm (n=4). Body shape oval, dorsal part domed, colour reddish brown.

Dorsal aspect ( Fig. 14 ): Dorsal and marginal shields fused anteriorly, dorsal shield polytrichous, all dorsal setae short (ca 40–50 μm) and apically pilose. Surface of dorsal shield covered by oval pits ( Fig. 15 ). Marginal shield complete, not reduced in caudal region, bearing smooth and needle-like setae (ca 20 μm), surface without sculpture.

Ventral aspect ( Fig. 16 ): Surface of sternal shield smooth. Five pairs of smooth and needle-like sternal setae present, St1 (ca 8 μm) placed near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 (ca 12 μm) at level of central area of coxae II, St3 (ca 12 μm) at level of posterior margins of coxae II, St4 (ca 20 μm) at level of central area of coxae IV, St5 (ca 15 μm) near basal edges of genital shield. Ventral shield bears four pairs of smooth and needle-like setae (ca 25–40 μm); ad and pa similar in shape to ventral setae, but shorter (ad1 ca 33 μm, ad2 ca 23 μm and pa ca 15 μm); several short (ca 15–20 μm) and needle-like setae situated near caudal margin of ventral shield. Anal opening oval and elevated from surface of ventral shield. Metapodal lines present. Pedofossae deep and their surface smooth, with separate furrows on tarsi IV. Surface of ventral shield smooth. Genital shield scutiform, anteriorly pointed, covered by oval pits basally and centrally, but anterior area with oblong elliptic pits ( Fig. 17 ). Stigmata situated between coxae II and III, prestigmatid area long with two curves, poststigmatid part absent ( Fig. 18 ). Tritosternum with narrow base, laciniae divided into two serrate branches ( Fig. 19 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 20 ): Setae h1 situated near anterior margin of gnathosoma on small protuberances, smooth and needle-like (ca 30 μm), h2 short (ca 18 μm) and marginally serrate, h3 long (ca 38 μm), basally serrate and apically smooth, h4 long (ca 23 μm) and marginally serrate. Palp trochanter with one marginally serrate seta and one smooth and needle-like seta, other setae on palp smooth. Corniculi short and horn-like, laterally with one tooth, internal malae longer than corniculi, smooth and wide. Epistome marginally serrate. Chelicerae short and robust, movable digit as long as fixed digit, with three teeth, fixed digit with four teeth, internal sclerotized node present ( Fig. 21 ).

Legs ( Figs 22–25 ): All legs with ambulacral claws, all setae on legs smooth.

Male.

Idiosoma : Length of 850 μm, width 750 μm (n=1). Shape and dorsal aspect as in female. Ventral aspect ( Fig. 26 ): Sternal shield covered by oval pits, six pairs of needle-like sternal setae present, St1–St4 and St6 short (ca 9–14 μm), St5 long (ca 21μm). St1 placed near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St3 at level of anterior margin of coxae III, St4 at level of posterior margin of coxae III, St5 near lateral margin of genital shield, St6 near caudal margin of genital shield. One pair of lyriform fissures situated near St1. Genital shield circular, without sculptured pattern and eg, situated between coxae IV.

Gnathosoma: As in female.

Comparison: The new species belongs to the Trichouropoda ovalis group ( Hirschmann & Wiśniewski 1986). A common character within this group is the presence of oval pits on the surface of the body. The new species can be easily separated from the other species of this group on the basis of the anterior ornamentation on the female genital shield, the smooth ventral shield and the number of sternal setae on the male, which is six pairs in the new species and five pairs in the previously described ones.This character combination is not found in other species in this species group.

Holotype: ♀ ETHIOPIA: 10 km S Ginchi city, 8 53'N 38 09'E, 2900 m, Cholomu forest , sample of mosses on trees, 15.xi.2009, leg. L.B. Rybalov ( HNHM).

Paratypes: 3♀ 1♂ same data as for holotype (2♀ ISB, 1♀ 1♂ HNHM) .

Figures

Figs 14–18. Trichouropoda szabadi sp. n., female, holotype: (14) body, dorsal view; (15) dorsal setae and ornamentation; (16) body, ventral view; (17) intercoxal area; (18) peritreme.

Figs 19–26.Trichouropoda szabadi sp.n.: (19–25) female,holotype:(19) tritosternum (lateral parts covered by coxae I); (20) ventral view of gnathosoma and palps; (21) chelicerae; (22–25) legs I–IV, leg I in ventral view, other legs in lateral view; (26) intercoxal area of male.