Axonopsis (Navinaxonopsis) persica, Pesic, Vladimir, 2004

Pesic, Vladimir, 2004, The second species of the subgenus Navinaxonopsis Cook, 1967 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Aturidae: Axonopsinae) from Iran, Zootaxa 482, pp. 1-4 : 2-4

Axonopsis (Navinaxonopsis) persica sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–6 )

Axonopsis abnormipes Cook, 1967 (Sepasgozarian, 1999)

Type material: Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; Iran: river Sarab Zia (Kermanshah Province), 0 2.10.1977, leg. Schwoerbel. Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females, same data as holotype, two female of them dissected and slide mounted on Hoyer's fluid.

Diagnosis: Characters of the subgenus Navinaxonopsis (see: Cook, 1967, 1974); Idiosoma long in both sexes (L dorsal shield 470­490, ventral shield 470­530). Male: IV­L­6 relatively shorter (L ratio IV­L­5/6>1.4), distal margin of IV­L­6 gently concave; ventral margins of IV­L­5 strongly bowed, dorsal margins of IV­L­5 strongly convex at distal end, expanded portion of IV­L­5 bearing fine hairs.

Description

Male: Dorsal and ventral shields anteriorly lightly fused; dorsal shield length 475, width 325; dorsal shield as in female ( Fig. 2 ), with 7 pairs of glandularia, seventh pair of glandularia inconspicuous, flanking excretory pore; excretory pore located at posterior end of dorsal shield; ventral shield ( Fig. 1 ) length 471, width 391; tips of first coxae blunt; capitular bay 106 in length; a single pair of large glandularia located approximately midway between genital field and insertions of fourth legs, a second pair of glandularia closely associated with genital field; genital field with 3 pairs of acetabula, distance between outer edges of lateralmost pair of acetabula 148, width of gonopore 31; gonopore flanked by several small setae; a pair of small gland platelets present in soft integument posterior to genital field; palp total length 203; dorsal length (relative length in parentheses) of individual palpal segments: P­1 25 (12.3), P­2 47 (23.2), P­3 36 (17.7), P­4 71 (35.0), P­5 24 (11.8); distoventral portion of P­2 expanded. Figure 4 illustrating proportions and chaetotaxy of palp; IV­L­5 and 6 highly modified; IV­L­5 greatly expanded at distal end, this expanded portion bearing 6 fine hairs; IV­L­6 gently concave, not bowed on dorsal side; Figures 5­6 illustrating IV­L­5­6; dorsal lenghts of distal segments of fourth leg: IV­L­4 95; IV­L­5 119; IV­L­6 83; second, third, and fourth legs with a few swimming hairs.

Female: similar to male except for shape of genital field ( Fig. 3 ); dorsal shield length 488, width 333; ventral shield length 525, width 400; genital field with 3 pairs of acetabula, these arranged in an arc; width between outer edges of lateralmost pair of acetabula 164, maximum width of gonopore 92; palp total length 216; dorsal length (relative length in parentheses) of the individual palpal segments: P­1 35 (16.2), P­2 49 (22.7), P­3 37 (17.1), P­4 71 (32.9), P­5 24 (11.1); structure of palp similar to that in male. Length of gnathosoma 96, dorsal lenghts of distal segments of first leg: I­L­4 56; I­L­5 66; I­L­6 67; second, third, and fourth legs with a few swimming hairs.

Discussion: The new species is the second representative of the subgenus Navinaxonopsis Cook. So far, only Axonopsis abnormipes Cook, 1967 has been reported from running waters in India ( Cook, 1967). Compared with Axonopsis persica sp. nov (in parentheses), male of A. abnormipes differs in the following morphological details: relatively longer IV­L­6, L ratio IV­L­5/6 being 1.0 (IV­L­6 relatively shorter, L ratio IV­L­5/6 is 1.43); expanded portion of IV­L­5 bearing 4 enlarged setae (6 fine hairs); ventral margins of IV­L­5 gently convex at distal end (strongly bowed in A. persica sp. nov.), and dorsal margins of IV­L­5 strongly bowed (strongly convex at distal end in A. persica sp. nov.).

The most important difference between A. abnormipes and A.persica sp. nov. is present in the IV­L­6: in male of A. abnormipes dorsal margins of IV­L­6 is bowed on the dorsal side, while it is gently concave in A. persica sp. nov. ( Figs. 5–6 ). The female of A. persica sp. nov. can be distinguished from that of A. abnormipes (in parentheses [from Cook, 1967] on the basis of a larger idiosoma (L/W dorsal shield <435/325, ventral shield 445/370) and a more longer palp (L 194 µm).

Etymology: The species is named for its occurrence in Iran ( Persia).

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Iran.

Biology: A. persica sp. nov. is probably rhitrobiontic. No information is available on the morphology and behaviour of larvae of species in this subgenus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 ­ 4. Axonopsis persica sp. nov. (1, 4, 5 – 6 = male; 2 – 3 = female): 1 = idiosoma, ventral view; 2 = dorsal shield; 3 = idiosoma, ventral view; 4 = palp. Scale Bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 5 ­ 6. Axonopsis persica sp. nov., male: 5 ­ 6 = IV­L­ 5 ­ 6. Scale Bar = 0.1 mm.