Torrenticola erectirostra Fisher & Dowling

Fisher, J. Ray, Fisher, Danielle M., Skvarla, Michael J., Nelson, Whitney A. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2017, Revision of torrent mites (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae, Torrenticola) of the United States and Canada: 90 descriptions, molecular phylogenetics, and a key to species, ZooKeys 701, pp. 1-496 : 1

Torrenticola erectirostra Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from Canada, New Brunswick, York County, Stanley, Nashwaak River, Stanley Municipal Park, 19 Jun 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120031, DNA 2962.

PARATYPES (9 ♀; 9 ♂): New Brunswick, Canada: 3 ♂ from Charlotte County, Rollingham, Digdeguash River, beside Highway 770 at covered bridge, 30 Jun 1989, by IM Smith, IMS890053 • 1 ♀ and 2 ♂ from Charlotte County, Digdeguash River, beside Sorrel Ridge Road west of Whittier Road, 10 Jun 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120015 • 4 ♀ and 4 ♂ from York County, Magaguadavic River, beside Highway 3 just east of Thomaston Corners, 1 Jul 1989, by IM Smith, IMS890055A • 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from York County, Stanley, Davis Brook, beside Highway 3, 3.5 km south of Highway 4 at Thomaston Corner, 11 Jun 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120017, DNA 2964 • 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ from New Brunswick, York County, Stanley, Davis Brook, beside Highway 3, 3.5 km south of Highway 4 at Thomaston Corner, 11 Jun 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120017 • Maine, USA: 1 ♀ from Aroostook County, Ashland, beside Route 11, Aroostook River (46°38'N 68°24'W), 4 Jul 1989, by IM Smith, IMS890067 • New York, USA: 1 ♂ from Cayuga County, Dutch Hollow Brook, beside Route 38A at Niles, 22 Jul 1990, by IM Smith, IMS900113A • Virginia, USA: 1 ♀ from Amherst County, beside Blue Ridge, Otter Creek (37°36'57"N, 79°19'27"W), 7 Sep 2007, by IM Smith, IMS070056A.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and most paratypes (6 ♀; 4 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (3 ♀; 4 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola erectirostra are similar to other members of the Erectirostra Group ( T. karambita and T. robisoni ), species with similar dorsal patterning, such as Rusetria “4-Plate” group ( T. dunni , T. glomerabilis , T. kittatinniana , T. pollani , T. rufoalba and T. shubini ), Elongata Group ( T. gorti and T. elongata ), Neoanomala Group ( T. interiorensis and T. neoanomala ), T. bondi , T. irapalpa , T. racupalpa , and T. skvarlai . They can be differentiated from all other Torrenticola , except T. karambita and T. robisoni , by having a dentate, upturned rostrum that is wide when viewed ventrally. T. erectirostra can be differentiated from T. karambita by having dorsal coloration ( T. karambita is colorless) and a slightly more elongate rostrum (length/width ♀ = 1.72-1.91 in T. erectirostra , 1.57-1.62 in T. karambita ; ♂ = 2.0-2.2 in T. erectirostra , 1.6-1.95 in T. karambita ). T. erectirostra can be differentiated from T. robisoni by having less elongate anterio-lateral platelets (length/width ♀ = 2.52-2.69 in T. erectirostra , 2.96-3.00 in T. robisoni ) and by being distributed in the Appalachians, while T. robisoni is in the Interior Highlands.

Description.

Female (Figure 73) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum- (690-750 (735) long; 480-510 (510) wide) ovoid with bluish-purple or purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions with orange medially. Anterio-medial platelets (150-165 (162.5) long; 62.5-75 (75) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (195-225 (220) long; 77.5-83.75 (82.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 325-370 (370)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.41-1.47 (1.44); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.38-1.51 (1.38); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.17-2.48 (2.17); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.52-2.69 (2.67); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.26-1.36 (1.35).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (315-350 (350) long (ventral); 225-247.5 (247.5) long (dorsal); 130-140 (130) tall) colorless. Rostrum (105-125 125) long; 55-72.5 (72.5) wide) wide and upturned with dentation. Chelicerae (320-345 (345) long) with curved fangs (45-55 (45) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.42-2.69 (2.69); rostrum length/width 1.72-1.91 (1.72). Pedipalps short and stocky (especially tibiae) with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (45-55 (50) long); femur (100-107.5 (102.5) long); genu (57.5-67.5 (57.5) long); tibia (50-65 (62.5) long; 27.5-30 (28.75) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (20) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.48-1.78 (1.78); tibia/femur 0.50-0.61 (0.61); tibia length/width 1.82-2.17 (2.17).

Venter - (860-920 (900) long; 580-650 (650) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (210-220 long; 105-150 wide). Cxgl-4 far from apex. Medial suture (17.5-27.5 (22.5) long). Genital plates (187.5-202.5 (202.5) long; 162.5-180 (180) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (330-360 (350) long (total); 140-160 (160) long (medial)); Cx-3 (410-460 (460) wide); anterior venter (192.5-220 (220) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.47-2.00; anterior venter/genital field length 0.98-1.09 (1.09); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.13-1.25 (1.22); anterior venter/medial suture 7.09-12.14 (9.78).

Male (Figure 74) (n = 5) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (580-640 (620) long; 400-430 (400) wide) ovoid with bluish-purple or purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions with orange medially. Anterio-medial platelets (130-150 (138.75) long; 52.5-58.75 (58.75) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (187.5-205 (205) long; 62.5-70 (68.75) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 275-305 (300)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.41-1.55 (1.55); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.33-1.45 (1.33); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.26-2.73 (2.36); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.78-3.20 (2.98); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.37-1.48 (1.48).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (270-292.5 (285) long (ventral); 175-215 (197.5) long (dorsal); 96.25-110 (105) tall) colorless. Rostrum (90-107.5 (98.75) long; 45-50 (46.25) wide) wide and upturned with dentation. Chelicerae (265-285 (265) long) with curved fangs (45-50 (50) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.45-2.86 (2.71); rostrum length/width 2.00-2.17 (2.14). Pedipalps short and stocky (especially tibiae) with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (42.5-47.5 (42.5) long); femur (80-91.25 (87.5) long); genu (55-57.5 (55) long); tibia (50-57.5 (50) long; 23.75-27.5 (23.75) wide); tarsus (15-17.5 (15) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.39-1.59 (1.59); tibia/femur 0.57-0.63 (0.57); tibia length/width 2.00-2.11 (2.11).

Venter - (720-780 (750) long; 470-495 (470) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (167.5-177.5 (172.5) long; 100-105 (105) wide). Cxgl-4 far from apex. Medial suture (75-82.5 (75) long). Genital plates (152.5-165 (157.5) long; 112.5-125 (112.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (290-330 (310) long (total); 125-150 (140) long (medial)); Cx-3 (360-390 (360) wide); anterior venter (232.5-250 (250) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.60-1.78 (1.64); anterior venter/genital field length 1.47-1.64 (1.59); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.94-2.22 (2.22); anterior venter/medial suture 2.94-3.33 (3.33).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( erectirostra ) refers to the upturned rostrum characteristic of members of the Erectirostra Group (erectus, raised up; rostrum, L. snout).

Distribution.

Appalachians (Figure 72).

Remarks.

Torrenticola erectirostra groups with other members of the Raptor Complex with high support and specimens are 2.7% different from each other in COI sequence. This variation in COI is higher than in most species hypotheses proposed herein, especially since those specimens were form the same region (New Brunswick). However, we could not find morphological differences that corresponded to clades in our analysis, and we were only able to examine four sequence, therefore, we consider these specimens to represent a single species hypothesis.

This species groups with T. karambita and T. robisoni to form the Erectirostra Identification Group, which can be readily identified by the shape of the rostrum.

This species hypothesis is supported by biogeography, molecular divergence (although COI variation is greater than most hypotheses herein), and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.