Armascirus bahiaensis Den Heyer

Heyer, Jacob Den & Castro, Tatiane Marie Martins Gomes De, 2012, New Neotropical cunaxine species (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae), Zootaxa 3265, pp. 22-42 : 29-33

Armascirus bahiaensis Den Heyer sp. nov.

( Figs 17–30 )

Material examined: 1 female holotype and 1 male paratype from Musa coccinea, Ibirapitanga, Boa Esperança , Bahia, Brasil, 17-IV-2007, A.R. Oliveira; 1 male paratype, Euterpa sp., (Follia basai), Recife, PE, Brasil, 06-I-1999 M.G.C. Gondim jnr.

Description.

Female ( Figs. 17- 25 ). Dimensions. Idiosoma : length 585; width 366; length hypognathum 293; width hypognathum 158; length palp 412 – 416; length chelicerae 243; length legs: I 485. – 487; II 458 – 474; III 474 – 477; IV 655 – 674; length sensillae vi 407 – 429, sce 485 – 501

Dorsum ( Fig. 17 a). Provided with four idiosomal shields: 1 propodosomal, 1 median and 2 lateral hysterosomal shields; all being reticulate ( Fig. 17 a). The median shield is provided with 1 pair of setae d1 and bordered by setal pairs c1, c2 and e1 and lateral shields; it is proportionally larger than in the female of Armascirus brasiliensis sp. nov. The propodosomal sensillae are unequal in length. Setae h1 are the longest dorsal setae. The integument is densely and finely striated.

Venter ( Fig. 17 b). This body region is typical for the genus except that the lateral coxal seta on coxae III are absent. Six hysterogastral, 1 pair each of propodogastral and paracoxal setae are present. No paragenital setae present. Integument striate and papillate. Each genital shield carries 4 g- setae.

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 18–22 )

Hypognathum ( Figs 22 a&b). Setation normal for the genus. The ventral surface is randomly and finely papillate ( Fig. 18 ). The stoma is situated between the cheliceral bases ( Fig. 19 ), giving rise to the paired podocephalic canals and a median trachea.

Palp ( Fig. 20 ) The chaetotaxy is: trochanter 0; basifemur 1 dorsal st-seta, telofemur 1 spine-like seta, 1 apophysis; genu 3 spine-like setae, 1 apophysis; tibiotarsus 1 proximal seta, 1 tubercle, 2 tiny st-setae, 1 distal solenidion and a monofid (single) terminal claw. The palp extends from the genu past the entomalae.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 21 ). Cheliceral segment I dorsally randomly papillate; segment II papillae form a reticulate pattern on proximal part. Cheliceral setae present.

Legs ( Figs. 23 & 24 ). Leg chaetotaxy: coxae I – IV 3 sts, 1 peg – 2 sts – 2 sts – 2 sts; trochanters I–IV 1 – 1 – 2 - 1 sts; basifemora I –IV 1 spine, 3 or 4 sts – 1 spine, 4 sts – 1 spine, 3 sts – 1 spine, 1 sts; telofemora I – IV 2 spine-like setae, 2 sts – 1 spine, 3 sts – 1 spine, 3 sts – 1 spine, 3 sts; genua I – V 1 asl, {1 sts, 1 asl}, 1 asl, 4 sts – 2 asl, 5 sts – 1 asl, 1 spine, 4 sts – 2 asl, 5 sts (of which 3 are spine-like); tibiae I–IV 1 short asl,{1 long asl, 1sts}, 4 sts – 1 asl, 5 sts – {1 bsl, 1 sts}, 1 dorsal stout sts, 3 sts – 1T, 4 sts; tarsi I – IV 3 asl, (1 sts,1fmls, 1 long asl}, 1 dtsl, 2 tsl, 3 lateral spine-like sts, 19 sts – 1 bsl,1 dtsl, 1tsl, 3 spine-like setae, 19 sts – 1 tsl, 17 sts – 21 or 22 sts

Male ( Figs 25–30 ). Dimensions. Idiosoma : length 329 (327–331); width 214 (208–219); length hypognathum 121 (119–123); width hypognathum 94 (92–96); length palp 140 (131–150); length chelicera 115 (104–123); length legs: I 287 (281–300); II 267 (254–281); III 314 (308–320); IV 327 (316–339); length sensillae vi 175 (169–181), sce 231 (223–243).

Idiosoma . The idiosoma very closely resembles that of the male of Armascirus brasiliensis sp. nov. The ventral idiosomal “shield”-like area carries 5 pairs of setae: 1 pair propodogastral sts, 1 pair paracoxal sts, 3 pairs of hysterosomal setae.

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 24–26 ). All components heavily sclerotized.

Hypognathum ( Fig. 24 a & b). Bears the four ventral hg setae plus 2 pairs of adoral setae on the entomalae. Ventrally randomly papillate.

Palp ( Fig. 25 a & b) Two variants of palpi were observed in the males of this species ( Figs 25 a & b). The difference lies in the apophysis at the base of the palpal tibiotarsus. The palp in Fig. 25 a is fully stretched and the small apophysis can be observed; in Fig 25 b the palp is bent and this might render the small apophysis unobservable. The palps reach past the entomalae with the distal half of the genu plus tibiotarsus. The chaetotaxy of the palp is as follows: trochanter 0, basifemur 1 dorsal sts, telofemur 1 dorsal spine-like seta, genu 3 spine-like setae, tibiotarsus 1 small median apophysis, 1 moderately long ts, 1 median tubercle, 2 sts, 1 dorsoterminal solenidion and a terminal claw (bi- or mono-fid). The dorsal integument is randomly papillate.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 26 ). Typical for the genus.

Legs (figs. 27–30). As in all Armascirus spp. the leg integument is dorsally provided with papillae forming a reticulate pattern. Leg chaetotaxy: coxae I – IV 3 sts, 1 peg – 2sts – 2 sts – 2 sts; trochanters I – IV 1 – 1 – 2 – 1 sts; basifemora I – IV 5 sts – 5 sts – 3 sts – 0; telofemora I – IV 4 – 4 – 4 – 4 sts; genua I – IV {1stout bsl, 1 asl, 1 sts}, 2 asl, 4 sts – 1 stout bsl, 1 asl, 5 sts – 1 stout bsl, 1 asl, 4 sts – 1stout bsl, 5 sts; tibiae I – IV 1 stout bsl, {1 asl, 1 sts}, 4 sts – 1 asl, 5 sts – {1 bsl, 1 sts}, 4 sts – 1 T, 4 sts; tarsi I – IV {1 fmls, 1 stout bsl, 1 sts}, 3 asl, 1 dtsl, 2 tsl, 14 sts – {1 stout bsl, 1 sts}, 1 dtsl, 1 tsl, 13 sts – 1 tsl, 12 sts – 13 sts.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 21. Armascirus bahiaensis Den Heyer & Castro sp. nov. Female. Dorsum, right half (17 a); venter, left half (17 b); hypognathum (18); stoma and tracheae (19); palp (20); chelicera (21). UMB = 100 μm.

FIGURES 22 – 25. Armascirus bahiaensis Den Heyer & Castro sp. nov. Male. Hypognathum (22 a); entomalae (22 b); leg I (23); leg

FIGURES 26 – 30. Armascirus bahiaensis Den Heyer & Castro sp. nov. Male. Chelicera (26); leg I (27); leg II (28); leg III (29); leg IV (30). UMB = 100 μm.