Torrenticola comorosensis Pešić & Smit, 2015

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Mary, Nathalie, 2015, Third contribution to the knowledge of water mites from the Comoros, with the description of two new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 3964 (4), pp. 445-459 : 447-451

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3964.4.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:66864D1E-99B4-4858-B9C0-BC6A793A333D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5672151
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3529F647-7200-FFBD-FF60-F8F8FDAFC3E5
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Torrenticola comorosensis Pešić & Smit
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Torrenticola comorosensis Pešić & Smit n. sp.

( Figs. 2A–F View FIGURE 2 A – F , 3A–D View FIGURE 3 A – D , 4A–F View FIGURE 4 A – F )

Synonymy. Torrenticola sp. Smit et al. (2010, p. 52, figs. 2A–D).

Type series. Holotype male ( MNHN), dissected and slide mounted, Comoros , Mayotte, River Koualé tributary, 12°47'57,3"S, 45°09'51,2"E, 21-iv-2009, N. Mary. Paratypes ( MNHN): one female, same data as holotype, dissected and slide mounted.

Other material. One female ( RMNH), Comoros , Mayotte: Mro oua Dembeni (Dembeni River), downstream, 6-x-2008, leg. N. Mary-Sasal; described and illustrated by Smit et al. (2010) in fig. 2 as Torrenticola sp., dissected and slide mounted.

Diagnosis. Idiosoma elongated-oval (dorsal shield L/W ratio 1.3); Cxgl–4 subapical, only slightly posterior of Cx-I tips; excretory pore embedded in the area of primary sclerotization; P-2 ventrodistal protrusion slender, spatula-shaped. Male: medial suture line of Cx-II+III short.

Description. General features —Idiosoma elongated-oval; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally rounded; Cxgl–4 subapical, only slightly posterior of Cx-I tips; suture line of Cx-IV distinct, extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field; excretory pore in a medioposterior indentation of primary sclerotization, Vgl–2 posterior to excretory pore ( Figs. 2B View FIGURE 2 A – F , 4B View FIGURE 4 A – F ); gnathosoma proximally higher, ventral margin strongly curved, rostrum mid-sized ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 A – F ); P-2 ventral margin slightly curved, ventrodistal protrusion slender, spatula-shaped, distally finely serrate; ventrodistal projection at P-3 irregularly cone-shaped, anterior margin frayed; P-4 relatively short, dorsal margin weakly curved, with ventral tubercles pointed and separated, bearing one long and three short setae ( Figs. 2E, F View FIGURE 2 A – F , 4F View FIGURE 4 A – F ). Male: medial suture line of Cx-II+III short; genital field rectangular in shape; ejaculatory complex with small proximal chamber ( Figs. 2C View FIGURE 2 A – F , 4C View FIGURE 4 A – F ). Female: genital field pentagonal in shape ( Figs. 3C View FIGURE 3 A – D , 4E View FIGURE 4 A – F ).

Measurements. Male (holotype)—Idiosoma L 706, W 541; dorsal shield L 597, W 450, L/W ratio 1.32; dorsal plate L 540; shoulder platelet L 178–183, W 70–72, L/W ratio 2.5; frontal platelet L 128, W 69, L/W ratio 1.9; L shoulder/frontal platelet ratio 1.39–1.43. Gnathosomal bay L 147, Cx-I total L 267, Cx-I mL 120, Cx-II+III mL 85; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 3.1; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.4. Genital field L/W 147/125, ratio 1.18; ejaculatory complex L 219; distance genital field-excretory pore 130, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 188. Gnathosoma vL 306; palp total L 312, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 37/31, 1.2; P-2, 100/52, 1.9; P-3, 60/44, 1.37; P-4, 95/26, 3.6; P-5, 20/12, 1.6; L P-2/P-4 ratio 1.05.

Female (paratype)—Idiosoma L 763, W 563; dorsal shield L 631, W 481, L/W ratio 1.31; dorsal plate L 583; shoulder platelet L 100, W 77–78, L/W ratio 1.28–1.31; frontal platelet L 122–128, W 69–70, L/W ratio 1.77–1.82; L shoulder/frontal platelet ratio 0.78–0.82. Gnathosomal bay L 161, Cx-I total L 285, Cx-I mL 124, Cx-II+III mL 48; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 5.9; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 2.6. Genital field L/W 161/143, ratio 1.12; distance genital field-excretory pore 184, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 253. Gnathosoma vL 327; chelicera total L 388; palp total L 332–333, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 38–39/31, 1.24; P-2, 110/55, 2.0; P-3, 65/44, 1.46; P-4, 100/27, 3.72; P-5, 19/12, 1.54; L P-2/P-4 ratio 1.1.

Etymology. Named after the archipelogo ( Comoros ) where the new species was found.

Remarks. Smit et al. (2010) collected a single female from Dembeni River ( Mayotte) and mentioned that most probably this specimen represents a species new to science. This specimen is in perfect agreement with specimens examined in our study. In the description of a female specimen from Dembeni River (here assigned to a new species T. comorosensis ) Smit et al. (2010) mentioned similarity in the shape of gnathosoma and palp (ventral protrusion at P-2 spatula-shaped) with T. spatulifera Goldschmidt & Smit, 2009 , a species known from South Africa ( Goldschmidt & Smit 2009). The latter species can easily be separated from T. comorosensis n. sp. due to the Cxgl–4 shifted more posteriorly, between tips of Cx-I, and and insertion of leg-I, the shorter ventral seta on P-2 and the excretory pore lying posterior to caudal margin of primary sclerotization.

Distribution. Comoros ( Mayotte) .