Afrodacarellus xucurukariri Santos & Castilho, 2017

Dos Santos, Marcia D., Castilho, Raphael C., De Moraes, Gilberto J. & Silva, Edmilson S., 2017, esostigmata: Rhodacaridae) from Brazil and a key to the world species of the genus, Zootaxa 4363 (3), pp. 409-420 : 414-417

Afrodacarellus xucurukariri Santos & Castilho n. sp.

Diagnosis of adult female. Anterior region of epistome slightly acuminate, denticulate, with median denticle slightly longer than other denticles; podonotal shield smooth centrally; opisthonotal shield with 20 pairs of smooth setae and without punctate band along anterior margin; seta J2 at most 0.8 times as long as distance between its base and base of J3; seta J4 at most 0.7 times as long as distance between its base and base of J5; deutosternum narrow (distance h3–h3 about three times the length of distalmost transverse deutosternal line); without plates laterad of genital shield; ventrianal shield with five pairs of setae (including Jv1) in addition to circumanal setae; each side with a rounded and an elongate metapodal platelet, the former laterad of anterior end of the latter.

Adult female ( Fig. 12 –23) Five specimens measured.

Gnathosoma. Fixed cheliceral digit 25 (24–25) long, with five teeth in addition to apical tooth and a discreet setiform pilus dentilis ( Fig. 12 ); movable cheliceral digit 25 (24–25) long, with two teeth in addition to apical tooth; antiaxial and dorsal lyrifissures as well as dorsal seta distinct, the latter thin. Arthrodial process of chelicera brush-shaped. Number of setae on palp trochanter–tarsus: 2–5–6–14 –15; setae al1 and al2 of palp genu spatulate and smooth ( Fig. 13 ) (al2 markedly more ventral and only slightly posteriad of al1); apotele 3-tined. Anterior region of epistome slightly acuminate, with margin denticulate, with median denticle slightly longer than other denticles ( Fig. 14 ). Deutosternum narrow (distance h3–h3 over three times length of distalmost transverse deutosternal line), delimited by lateral lines, with eight transverse lines ( Fig. 15 ), each with four (distalmost) or three denticles (others). With four pairs of smooth lines laterad of deutosternum, at level of fourth, sixth, seventh and eight transverse deutosternal lines (from distalmost). Internal malae fimbriate, separated from each other, shorter than corniculi, the latter horn-like, about three times as long as its basal width. Seta h3 about in longitudinal line with h1 and posteromediad of h2. Measurements of setae: h1 15 (10–16), h2 10 (8–12), h3 7 (6–9), sc 11 (11– 12); all setae aciculate and smooth.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 16 ). Idiosoma 289 (285–296) long and 168 (153–188) wide at widest level. Podonotal and opisthonotal shields separate. Podonotal shield reticulate laterally and smooth centrally, without transverse line next and parallel to posterior margin; with a delineated marginal strip containing the insertions of j1, z1, r2, r3, r5 and r6; 130 (127–133) long and 142 (140–145) wide at widest level; with 22 pairs of setae (j1–j6, z1–z6, s1–s6, r2, r3, r5 and r6), four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures, three pairs of distinguishable pores and two pairs of scleronoduli between j5 and j6. Unsclerotised cuticle along lateral margins of podonotal shield with a pair of setae (r4). Opisthonotal shield reticulate and with a transverse line parallel to anterior margin delimiting a narrow anterior band smooth over most of its surface; with a delineated marginal strip containing the insertions of Z5, S5 and R1–R5; 145 (140–152) long and 120 (118–125) wide at widest level; with 20 pairs of setae (J1–J5, Z1–Z5, S1– S5 and R1–R5), ten pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and two pairs of distinguishable pores. Measurements of setae: j1 11 (10–12), j2 10 (9–11), j3 9 (8–9), j4 10 (8–10), j5 8 (7–10), j6 9 (7–10), z1 5 (4–6), z2 11 (9–11), z3 10 (9–12), z4 10 (9–10), z5 9 (8–11), z6 9 (8–10), s1 9 (8–9), s2 9 (6–9), s3 11 (10–12), s4 11 (10–12), s5 11 (10–12), s6 10 (7–11), r2 13 (10–14), r3 14 (12–15), r4 7 (6–9), r5 10 (7–10), r6 13 (11–15), J1 8 (8–10), J2 8 (8–9), J3 8 (7–9), J4 9 (8–9), J5 10 (9–12), Z1 9 (8–10), Z2 9 (8–10), Z3 10 (9–11), Z4 11 (10–12), Z5 14 (12–16), S1 8 (7–10), S2 8 (7–9), S3 10 (10–11), S4 11 (10–12), S5 14 (13–16), R1 9 (8–10), R2 10 (9–10), R3 10 (9–12), R4 12 (11–13), R5 12 (11–15). All dorsal idiosomal setae aciculate, smooth; and much shorter than distance to subsequent setae of the same series.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 17 ). Base of tritosternum 10 (9–10) long and 7 (6–7) wide proximally ( Fig. 18 ); laciniae 35 (30–43), separated for about 70% of their total length, pilose. Sternal shield reticulate laterally and smooth centrally; posterior margin slightly concave; region anterior to the first pair of lyrifissures (iv 1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; approximately 70 (69–75) long from center of anterior margin of punctate and lightly sclerotised region to center of posterior margin and 60 (55–65) wide between coxae II and III; with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures; seta st1 inserted in well sclerotised region of sternal shield. Discrete section of endopodal plate arched, extending from posterior region of coxa III to posterior region of coxa IV. Genital shield with few striae and a punctate band along straight posterior margin; extending posteriorly behind coxae IV; without plates laterad of genital shield; distance between st5–st5 45 (43–46). Lyrifissure iv 5 on unsclerotised cuticle, laterad of st5. Ventrianal shield reticulate, except for a smooth band along anterior margin, 104 (102–108) long and 90 (70–98) wide at widest level; with five pairs of setae (Jv1–Jv3, Zv1 and Zv2) in addition to circumanal setae and one pair of marginal lyrifissures. Unsclerotised cuticle along lateral margins of ventrianal shield with two pairs of setae (Jv4 and Jv5) and two distinguishable pairs of lyrifissures. Peritreme extending anteriorly to posterior region of coxa II (region between r2 and r3). Peritrematic plate narrow, fused anteriorly to dorsal shield at level of r2; extending posteriorly as a narrow strip behind coxa IV; with one distinguishable lyrifissure and one distinguishable pore next to coxa III, and with two lyrifissures and one pore behind stigma. Exopodal plate fragmented into subtriangular platelets between coxae II–III and III–IV. With a pair of rounded and a pair of elongate metapodal platelets, the former with a pore-like structure and laterad of anterior end of the latter. Measurements of setae: st1 15 (14–15), st2 14 (12–15), st3 13 (12–15), st4 12 (11– 14), st5 14 (13–15), Jv1 12 (12–13), Jv2 14 (12–15), Jv3 13 (12–15), Jv5 15 (12–16), Zv1 11 (10–12), Zv2 12 (11–12), Zv 3 11 (10–11), para-anal 15 (14–16), postanal 17 (15– 19). All ventral idiosomal setae aciculate and smooth.

Spermathecal apparatus. Not distinguishable.

Legs. ( Figs 19–22 ) Lengths: I 260 (248–298); II 175 (163–188); III 143 (130–145); IV 198 (198–200). Chaetotaxy: I coxa 0 0/2 0/0 0, trochanter 1 0/ 11/2 1, femur 2 3/1 2/3 2, genu 2 3/2 3/1 2, tibia 2 3/2 3/2 2; II coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 0/1 0/2 1, femur 2 3/1 2/2 1, genu 2 3/1 2/1 2, tibia 2 2/1 2/1 2; III coxa 0 0/1 0/1 0, trochanter 1 1/1 0/2 0, femur 1 2/1 1/0 1, genu 2 2/1 2/1 1, tibia 2 1/1 2/1 1; IV coxa 0 0/1 0/0 0, trochanter 1 1/1 0/ 2 0, femur 1 2/1 2/0 0, genu 2 2/1 3/1 1, tibia 2 1/1 3/1 2; tarsi II–IV: 18, 18, 17. Setae av 2 of tarsus II, pv 2 of tarsus III, pv of genu and tibia IV, and pv 2 of tarsus IV differing from other setae of the same segments by being distally divided. Seta av of genu II discreetly serrate. Pretarsus I absent; pretarsi II–IV similar in shape and length, each consisting of an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strongly sclerotised claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes.

Adult male. Not found.

Material examined. Holotype female from litter at the base of Byrsonima crispa Juss. (Malpighiaceae) , Palmeira dos Índios, Alagoas, Brazil, (09º23'44" S, 36º37'48" W), July 1, 2013; four paratype females from soil at the base of Spondias purpurea L. ( Anacardiaceae ) (09º22'929"S and 36º37'751"W), May 7 and July, 27 2013, all at Palmeira dos Índios, Alagoas, Brazil. All specimens collected by M.D. dos Santos and deposited in the Mite Reference Collection of the Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Etymology. The specific name xucurukariri is the name of a Brazilian Indian tribe from Alagoas state.

Remarks. Afrodacarellus xucurukariri is most similar to A. myersi Loots, 1969 , but females of the latter species differ by being about 50% smaller and having most dorsal shield setae proportionally shorter; by having wider deutosternum (distance h3–h3 about twice the length of distalmost transverse line), rounded and elongate metapodal platelets of each side about in line, and setae av2 of tarsus II, pv2 of tarsus III and pv2 of tarsus IV undivided.

Figures

FIGURES 12–18. Afrodacarellus xucurukariri Santos & Castilho n. sp. Female. 12. Chelicera; 13. Palp genu; 14. Epistome; 15. Hypostome and palp trocanter; 16. Dorsal idiosoma; 17. Ventral idiosoma; 18; Tritosternum. Lyrifissures enlarged for improved visibility.

FIGURES 19–22. Afrodacarellus xucurukariri Santos & Castilho n. sp. Female.19. Leg I; 20. Leg II; 21. Leg III; 22. Leg IV.