Afrodacarellus alagoensis 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 : 410-414

Afrodacarellus alagoensis Santos & Castilho n. sp.

Diagnosis of adult female. Anteromedian extension of epistome flanked by two pairs of anterolateral extensions; opisthonotal shield with 19 pairs of smooth setae (R5 absent); seta J2 at least as long as distance between its base and base of J3; seta J4 at least 1.3 times as long as distance between its base and base of J5; without plates laterad of genital shield; ventrianal shield with six pairs of setae (including Jv1) in addition to circumanal setae; unsclerotised cuticle laterad of ventrianal shield with two pairs of setae (Jv4 and Jv5); with a pair of rounded (bearing a pore-like structure) and a pair of elongate metapodal platelets, not fused with ventrianal shield.

Adult female ( Figs 1–11 ) Five specimens measured.

Gnathosoma. Fixed cheliceral digit 20 (20–22) long, with five teeth in addition to apical tooth and a discreet setiform pilus dentilis ( Fig. 1 ); movable cheliceral digit 24 (23–25) long, with three teeth in addition to apical tooth; antiaxial and dorsal lyrifissures as well as dorsal seta distinct, the latter stubby. Arthrodial process of chelicera brush-shaped. Number of setae on palp trochanter-tarsus: 2–5–6–14 –15; setae al of palp femur and al1 and al2 of palp genu distinctly stouter than other setae of same respective segments ( Fig. 2 ) (al2 markedly more ventral and only slightly posteriad of al1); apotele 3-tined. Anteromedian extension of epistome flanked by two pairs of anterolateral extensions and few irregular denticles, the inner slightly shorter than the median extension and slightly longer than the outer, both distally variously shaped (acute, blunt or expanded, smooth or denticulate) ( Fig. 3 ). Deutosternum delimited by lateral lines, with eight transverse lines, the basalmost smooth and others with 4–6 denticles each ( Fig. 4 ); smooth lines projecting outward from deutosternum between the first and second transverse lines and between the second and third transverse lines. Internal malae indistinct. Corniculus horn-like, about twice as long as its basal width. Seta h3 about in longitudinal line with h1 and posteromediad of h2. Measurements of setae: h1 10 (8–10), h2 9 (8–11), h3 6 (5–7), sc 11 (10–11); all setae aciculate and smooth.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 5 ). Idiosoma 260 (255–273) long and 136 (125–158) wide at widest level. Podonotal and opisthonotal shields separate. Podonotal shield smooth, except for few striae laterad of j6 and z5, and a line parallel to posterior margin, which delimits a narrow and smooth posterior band; with a delineated marginal strip containing the insertions of j1, z1, r2, r3, r5 and r6; 130 (125–135) long and 129 (126–134) 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, one pair 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, with a line parallel to anterior margin delimiting a narrow and smooth anterior band; with a delineated marginal strip containing the insertions of R1–R4; 129 (118–138) long and 111 (108–119) wide at widest level; with 19 pairs of setae (J1–J5, Z1–Z5, S1–S5 and R1– R4), eleven pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and a pair of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle along lateral margins of opisthonotal shield with one pair of distinguishable lyrifissures. Measurements of setae: j1 9 (7–10), j2 13 (12–14), j3 16 (15–17), j4 17 (16–17), j5 16 (15–17), j6 16 (16–17), z1 6 (5–7), z2 14 (9–16), z3 16 (14–18), z4 17 (16–18), z5 20 (18–21), z6 21 (20–21), s1 6 (5–7), s2 11 (9–16), s3 17 (16–17), s4 21 (20–22), s5 23 (20–26), s6 24 (22–25), r2 23 (21–26), r3 16 (15–17), r4 7 (6–9), r5 19 (15–21), r6 21 (20–22), J1 29 (27–30), J2 29 (27–30), J3 27 (25– 30), J4 30 (26–32), J5 28 (27–30), Z1 31 (30–33), Z2 32 (30–35), Z3 32 (30–33), Z4 30 (26–35), Z5 24 (20–26), S1 31 (30–32), S2 31 (30–32), S3 31 (30–33), S4 30 (30–32), S5 27 (25–30), R1 24 (21–25), R2 24 (23–25), R3 22 (21–22), R4 24 (23–25). All dorsal idiosomal setae aciculate and smooth, r6 distinctly stouter. Most podonotal setae shorter than distance to subsequent seta of same series; opisthonotal setae at least as long as distance between their base and base of the subsequent setae of same series.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 6 ). Base of tritosternum 10 long and 6 (5–7) wide proximally ( Fig. 7 ); laciniae 37 (30– 40), separated for about 50% of their total length, pilose. Sternal shield reticulate laterally and smooth centrally; region anteriad of first pair of lyrifissures (iv1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; posterior margin concave; approximately 63 (61–65) long from center of anterior margin of punctate and lightly sclerotised region to center of posterior margin, and 57 (55–59) wide between coxae II and III; with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures; seta st1 inserted in punctate and lightly sclerotised region of sternal shield. Discrete section of endopodal plate arched, extending from posterior region of coxa III to mid region of coxa IV. Genital shield reticulate and with a punctate band along straight posterior margin; extending posteriorly behind coxae IV; without plates laterad of genital shield; distance between st5–st5 32 (31–34). Lyrifissure iv 5 on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of st5. Ventrianal shield reticulate; except for a slender smooth band along anterior margin; 103 (98– 112) long and 99 (95–102) wide at widest level; with six pairs of setae (Jv1–Jv3, Zv1–Zv3). Unsclerotised cuticle laterad 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 (r3). Peritrematic plate narrow, fused anteriorly to dorsal shield at level of r2, extending posteriorly as a narrow strip behind coxa IV; lyrifissure and pore next to coxa III and lyrifissures and pore behind stigma not distinguishable. 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 first bearing a pore-like structure. Measurements of setae: st1 14 (12–15), st2 12 (11–14), st3 11 (11–14), st4 11 (11– 12), st5 12 (11–12), Jv1 14 (13–15), Jv2 15 (14–17), Jv3 23 (21–25), Jv4 28 (26–30), J v5 28 (27–31), Zv1 13 (12– 15), Zv2 12 (11–13), Zv3 11 (10–12), para-anal 20 (18–21), postanal 24 (23–26). All setae aciculate and smooth, except Zv2 and Zv3, forked distally.

Spermathecal apparatus. Not distinguishable.

Legs. ( Figs 8–11 ). Lengths: I 228 (213–243), II 162 (143–173), III 133 (130–135), IV 174 (170–176). Chaetotaxy: I coxa 0 0/2 0/0 0, trochanter 1 0/1 1/2 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. Seta al2 of femur II stubby. Several setae of tarsi II and III, a d2 and pd1 of femur IV, distinctly stouter than other setae of same respective segments. Seta pd3 of basitarsus IV distinctly longer than other basitarsal setae. 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 examine d. Holotype female from soil at the base of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir (Fabaceae) at Arapiraca, Alagoas state, Brazil, March 24, 2012; one paratype female from soil at the base of Cupania oblongifolia Mart. (Sapindaceae) at Teotônio Vilela, Alagoas state, August 8, 2012; three paratype females from soil at the base of Tapirira guianensis Aublet (Anacardiaceae) at Teotônio Vilela, Alagoas state, November 15, 2011. Types collected by M.E. Duarte and J.C. Santos, and deposited in the Mite Reference Collection of 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 alagoensis is derived from Alagoas, the state where the type specimens were collected.

Remarks. Afrodacarellus alagoensis is most similar to A. minutus Hurlbutt, 1974 , A. pocsi Hurlbutt, 1974 and A. msituni Hurlbutt, 1974 . Females of all of these species differ from the new species by having a single pair of opisthogastric setae off the ventrianal shield. In addition, females of A. minutus and A. pocsi differ by having sternal shield totally smooth, while female of A. minutus has 20 pairs of opisthonotal setae (R 5 present).

Figures

FIGURES1–7.Afrodacarellus alagoensis Santos& Castilho n.sp. Female.1. Chelicera; 2. Palpfemur and genu; 3. Epistome; 4. Hypostome and palp trochanter;5. Dorsalidiosoma;6.Ventral idiosoma; 7.Tritosternum.Lyrifissuresenlarged for improved visibility.

FIGURES 8–11. Afrodacarellus alagoensis Santos& Castilho n. sp. Female.8. Leg I; 9. Leg II; 10. Leg III; 11. Leg IV.