Neophyllobius tescalicola, Paredes-León & Corona-López & Flores-Palacios & Toledo-Hernández, 2016

Paredes-León, Ricardo, Corona-López, Angélica María, Flores-Palacios, Alejandro & Toledo-Hernández, Víctor Hugo, 2016, Camerobiid mites (Acariformes: Raphignathina: Camerobiidae) inhabiting epiphytic bromeliads and soil litter of tropical dry forest with analysis of setal homology in the genus Neophyllobius, European Journal of Taxonomy 202, pp. 1-25 : 17-20

Neophyllobius tescalicola sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C58F130B-B7EC-423F-8AB5-EF5C0216EC0C

Fig. 6 A–F

Diagnosis

This species is unique due to a combination of following characters: dorsal setae reaches setae immediately behind, femur II with three setae (d, v’ and v”), femur III with two setae (d and v’), setae d on genua I–IV passing tibiae, long setae (about ¼ of podomere length) on femur I; setae d on femur I positioned behind setae l’, dorsal idiosomal setae pdx and c1 grouped on small and finely-striated platelet.

Etymology

The specific name refers to the parent rock of the soil (lava flow) in which soil litter, the habitat of this mite species, is deposited. The word “tescal” in the náhuatl language means covered basalt stone from ancient volcanic eruptions or volcanic lava field, and the latin suffix “cola” means inhabitant (one who inhabits). So, tescalicola means “inhabitant of volcanic lava fields”.

Type material

Holotype

MEXICO: ♀, CNAC009247 , on soil litter of Quercus obtusata . Collected from the type locality on 12 Mar. 2014, O. Cortés and R. Paredes coll. ( RPL1224 ).

Paratypes

MEXICO: 2 ♀♀, CNAC 009248, 1 ♀, CIUM, on soil litter of Quercus obtusata , 23 Oct. 2014, R. Reyes and R. Paredes coll. ( RPL 1317). All collected from the type locality, with same data as holotype except where noted.

Type locality

MEXICO: Morelos, Tepoztlán, 1 km S of San Andrés de la Cal, 18.94329° N, 99.11784° W, 1485 m a.s.l.

Description

Female (n = 3) ( Fig. 6 A–F)

Holotype female (followed in parentheses by range of holotype and two paratype females).

GNATHOSOMA. 88 (85–90) long and 82 (80–85) wide. Subcapitulum with subcapitular setae m 24 (24–27) and two pairs of adoral setae Or1 15 (12–15) and Or2 8 (8); these three pairs nude and slender, m longest ( Fig. 6B ); distance m–m 22 (20–23). Chelicerae 24 (23–25) long. Palp, five-segmented with following setal distribution: trochanter without setae; femur with two serrated setae, d 16 (15–16) and l’ 27 (25– 28); genu with one long, slender, nude dorsal (d) seta 37 (35–38); tibia with three tactile setae (l’, l” and d) and one claw (sword-like seta); tarsus with two eupathidia (acmζ and sulζ), two simple setae (ba and va) and one small solenidion (ω) ( Fig. 6A ). Setae elcp present.

IDIOSOMA. Longer than wide, 340 (330–345) long (gnathosoma excluded), 305 (300–310) wide. Cuticle striated, except on coxae and attenuated between setal pairs pdx, c1 and d1 ( Fig. 6 C–D). Dorsum. With 15 pairs of serrated setae set on small tubercles; all setal pairs longer than distance to setal pairs immediately behind, e2 longest and h2 shortest. Two pairs of eyes are positioned between setae sci and sce. Setal pairs pdx and c1 associated in a small and weakly striated platelet ( Fig. 6C ). Length of setae: vi 81 (80–81), ve 77 (76–77), sci 70 (70), sce 77 (75–80), pdx 71 (70–73), c1 80 (80–83), c2 84 (84–85), d1 77 (75–77), d2 74 (74–75), e1 84 (84–85), e2 87 (85–90), f1 84 (83–84), f2 40 (39–41), h1 45 (43–45), h2 36 (35–36). Distances between setae: vi–vi 53 (50–53), ve–ve 99 (99–100), vi–ve 36 (35–36), sci– sci 120 (120–125), sce–sce 160 (160–165), sci–sce 42 (40–43), c1–d1 53 (50–53), d1–d1 19 (18–19), d1–d2 88 (85–90), d1– e1 54 (53–54), ve–sci 20 (18–20), pdx–pdx 20 (20), pdx–c1 26 (25–28), c1–c1 19 (18–20), c1–c2 91 (90–95), c2–c2 185 (180–185), e1– e1 12 (11–12), e1–f1 37 (36–38), f1–h1 53 (53–55), e1–e2 67 (65–67), d2– e2 54 (54–55), f1–f1 12 (12), f1–f2 56 (55–56), f2–f2 70 (70–73), e2–f2 68 (65–70), h1–h1 9 (9), h1–h2 23 (20–25), h2–h2 42 (40–43), f2–h2 28 (27–28). Venter. Coxal setae slenderer than dorsal setae. Setal pairs 1a, 3a, 4a, ag, g, ps1, ps2 and ps3 nude and short. Setae 1b, 1c, 2c, 3b, 3c, 4b and 4c serrated. Setae 1c longest and ps2 shortest. Setal pairs 3a and 4a located on individual platelets. Genito-anal valves with one pair of genital setae (g). Coxa I grouped with coxa II, and coxa III with IV but not completely fused ( Fig. 6D ). Length of setae: 1a 29 (28–29), 1b 19 (15–20), 1c 58 (55–58), 2c 51 (50–55), 3a 21 (20–21), 3b 27 (27–30), 3c 30 (30), 4a 22 (20–22), 4b 26 (25–27), 4c 30 (30), ag 20 (20), g 14 (13–14), ps1 14 (13–14), ps2 12 (11–12), ps3 14 (13–14).

LEGS. Slender and long, leg IV longest. Lengths (excluding ambulacra): leg I 660 (650–665), leg II 570 (565–580), leg III 660 (660–675), leg IV 750 (745–765). Podomere lengths: femur I 215 (210–215), femur II 170 (170–180), femur III 185 (185), femur IV 225 (220–230), tibia I 215 (210–220), tibia II 185 (180–190), tibia III 235 (230–235), tibia IV 265 (260–270), tarsus I 80 (80), tarsus II 82 (80–83), tarsus III 83 (81–84), tarsus IV 86 (86–90). Leg setae as indicated in Fig. 6 E–F. Tarsi I with five setal pairs: vs serrated, tc, a, p and u slender and nude, u bifurcated at tip. Setae tc longest. Setae lengths: v’ on femur I 80 (75–85), v” on femur I 67 (65–70), l’ on femur I 94 (94–98), d on femur I 68 (65–70), dorsal seta on genu I 250 (245–250), dorsal seta on genu II 250 (250), dorsal seta on genu III 285 (280– 290), dorsal seta on genu IV 341 (340–345). All tarsi with ambulacrum bearing a pair of claws and an empodium with two rows of tenent hairs. Counts of setae on legs I–IV, indicating additional solenidia in parenthesis: coxae: 3–1–2–2, trochanters 1–1–1–1, femora 4–3–2–2, genua 1(κ)–1(κ)–1–1, tibiae 9(φ)–8(φ)–8(φ)–7(φ), tarsi 10(ω)–10(ω)–8–8.

Remarks

Neophyllobius tescalicola sp. nov. resembles N. farrieri and N. cibyci sp. nov. In these three species, the dorsal setae on genua I–IV are very long, extending beyond the tip of the tarsus. These species can be differentiated by the following characters: in N. tescalicola sp. nov., setae on femur I are long, about ¼ of podomere length, setae d on femur I is positioned behind setae l’, dorsal idiosomal setae pdx and c1 are grouped on a small and finely-striated platelet. In N. farrieri and N. cibyci sp. nov., setae on femur I are short, about a sixth of the length of the podomere, setae l’ and d on femur I are nearly positioned horizontally at same level, and dorsal idiosomal setae pdx and c1 are not joined on a platelet.

Ecology

Neophyllobius tescalicola sp. nov. inhabits soil litter of Quercus obtusata , and was collected in dry (March) and in rainy seasons (October).

Distribution

This species is only known from the type locality.

Figures

Fig. 6. Neophyllobius tescalicola sp. nov., ♀, holotype. A. Palp. B. Subcapitulum. C. Dorsal idiosoma. D. Ventral idiosoma. E. Trochanter–tibia of leg I. F. Tarsus I.