Testudacarus dawkinsi O'Neill & Dowling

O'Neill, Joseph C., Fisher, J. Ray, Nelson, Whitney A., Skvarla, Micheal J., Fisher, Danielle M. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2016, Systematics of testudacarine torrent mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae) with descriptions of 13 new species from North America, ZooKeys 582, pp. 13-110 : 55-59

Taxon classification Animalia Trombidiformes Torrenticolidae

Testudacarus dawkinsi O'Neill & Dowling sp. n.

Type series.

Holotype (1♀): New York, USA: 1♀ from Franklin County, Little Aldo Creek, Little Aldo Creek trail from Keese Mill Rd (44°25'32.00"N, 74°20'43.00"W), 19 July 2013, by AJ Radwell and C Milewski, AJR13-0719-205 (Specimen 141897 - DNA#1501); Paratypes (5♀, 9♂): Tennessee, USA: (allotype) 1♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Crosby Creek, Cosby Recreation Area beside Cosby Campground Road 0.3km from Route 321 (35°46'54.00"N, 83°13'2.00"W), 16 September 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100140 (Specimen 146744 - DNA#2156); 1♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bullhead Branch, Sugarlands Nature Trail off Route 441/71 (35°40'47.00"N, 83°31'51.00"W), 10 September 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100125; 2♀ and 1♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Crosby Creek, Cosby Recreation Area beside Cosby Campground Road 0.3km from Route 321 (35°46'54.00"N, 83°13'2.00"W), 16 September 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100140; 1♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bullhead Branch, Sugarlands Nature Trail off Route 441/71 (35°40'47.00"N, 83°31'52.00"W), 24 September 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100158; 1♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bullhead Branch, Sugarlands Nature Trail off Route 441/71 (35°40'48.00"N, 83°31'53.00"W), 3 September 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090095; 1♀ and 1♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bullhead Branch, Sugarlands Nature Trail off Route 441/71 (35°40'47.00"N, 83°31'52.00"W), 7 September 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090101; 1♀ and 2♂ from Sevier County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cosby Creek, beside road to Cosby Campground at Gabes Mountain Trailhead (35°45'27.00"N, 83°12'36.00"W), 19 September, by IM Smith, IMS050093A; Virginia, USA: 1♂ from Alleghany County, Simpson Creek, Longdale Furnace beside Route 850 2.2 km northeast of I-64 overpass (37°49'41.00"N, 79°39'30.00"W), 14 August 2008, by IM Smith, IMS080044; North Carolina, USA: 1♀ from Macon County, Rainbow Springs, beside Forest Road 67 4.4 km south of Standing Indian Campground (35°3'6.00"N, 83°30'45.00"W), 1 July 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060040.

Type deposition.

Holotype (1♀), allotype (1♂), and six paratypes (3♀, 3♂) deposited at CNC; seven paratypes (2♀, 5♂) at ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Both Testudacarus dennetti and Testudacarus dawkinsi have dorsal plates with uniform pores (unlike Testudacarus hitchensi ) and anterio-lateral platelets with color restricted to the posterior half (unlike Testudacarus harrisi ). However, they can be distinguished based on size. Testudacarus dennetti females and males have dorsal lengths less than 575 and 450 µm, respectively. Testudacarus dawkinsi females and males have dorsal lengths greater than 600 and 475 µm, respectively.

Description.

Female (n=6) with characteristics of the genus with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [160-168 ventral length; 102-105 dorsal length; 91-95 tall] ovoid with short rostrum. Chelicerae [136-141 long] unmodified with lightly curved fangs [29-30 long]. Pedipalp [188-193 long] unmodified. Trochanter [26-29 long; 28-32 wide]. Femur [50-54 long; 35-37 wide]. Genu [39-41 long; 30-33 wide]. Tibia [51-52 long; 19-22 wide]. Tarsus [19 –20(– 21) long; 9-11 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 30) - [615-640 long; 475-501 wide] round to ovoid. Dorsal plate [497-528 long; 402-421 wide]. Primary sclerotization [421-453 long] violet to blue. Dorso-glandularia-4 [136-171 apart] lateral to [23-48] and around the anterior tips of muscle scars. Platelets violet to blue or colorless. Anterio-medial platelet [132-153 long; 80-102 wide] colorless rounded trapezoid noticeably smaller than anterio-lateral platelets. Anterio-lateral platelets [170-179 long; 81-91 wide] with violet to blue restricted to posterior half or third of the platelet. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [52-56 long; 44-49 wide]; lateral-2 [117-138 long; 31-46 wide]; lateral-3 [29-46 long; 20-26 wide]; lateral-4 [95-129 long; 33-38 wide]; lateral-5 [57-68 long; 32-36 wide]; lateral-6 [79-99 long; 32-43 wide]; lateral-7 [62-76 long; 32-39 wide].

Venter (Fig. 30) - [790-798; 510-534 wide] round to ovoid, fully sclerotized, and with anterior area of primary sclerotization [620-654 long] and posterior area of secondary sclerotization, violet to blue. Gnathosomal bay [77-84 dorsal length; 148-152 ventral length; 51-66 wide]. Coxal field [473-495 long; 330-368 wide]. Coxa-I [250-266 long; 100-114 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [119-125 distance to top of coxa-II; 188-195 distance to top of coxa-III; 350-370 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 229-245 total length]. Coxa-IV [325-343 distance to top; 144-155 total length]. Genital field [329-343 distance to top; 490-501 distance to bottom; 150-162 total length; 122-137 width; 181-194 distance from gnathosomal bay; 69-90 distance from coxa-I; 191-208 distance to excretory pore; 293-304 distance to caudad]. Distance to excretory pore [682-707].

Legs - violet to blue. Total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [487-500 total; trochanter 57-63; basifemur 84-86; telofemur 67-73; genu 90-94; tibia 94-99; tarsus 87-94]. Leg-II [532-548 total; trochanter 58-65; basifemur 84-89; telofemur 67-72; genu 94-99; tibia 107-113; tarsus 110-116]. Leg-III [599-629 total; tro chanter 63-68; basifemur 88-97; telofemur 73-76; genu 107-117; tibia 128-138; tarsus 134-140]. Leg-IV [830-861 total; trochanter 83-104; basifemur 113-130; telofemur 119-130; genu 156-164; tibia 172-181; tarsus 164-175].

Male (n=9) similar to female except for sexually dimorphic characters previously discussed and with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [143-156 ventral length; 89-97 dorsal length; 81-91 tall]. Chelicerae [113-129 long]. Fangs [26-30 long]. Pedipalp [180-195 long]. Trochanter [24-30 long; 26-29 wide]. Femur [50-53 long; 33-36 wide]. Genu [38-43 long; width 27-29 wide]. Tibia [47-52 long; 19-22 wide]. Tarsus [17-20 long; 9-10 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 31) - [491-540 long; 368-421 wide]. Dorsal plate [401-443 long; 322-364 wide]. Dorso-glandularia-4 [101-143 apart] lateral to [6-35] and far anterior to [43-81] muscle scars. Anterio-medial platelet [121-144 long; 73-83 wide]. Anterio-lateral platelets [156-173 long; 74-80 wide]. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [37-46 long; 33-43 wide]; lateral-2 [95-115 long; 30-43 wide]; lateral-3 [33-48 long; 19-23 wide]; lateral-4 [75-95 long; 27-32 wide]; lateral-5 [40-50 long; 22-28 wide]; lateral-6 [58-69 long; 24-33 wide]; lateral-7 [42-56 long; 23-27 wide].

Venter (Fig. 31) - [618-683 long; 395-454 wide]. Primary sclerotization [583-641 long]. Gnathosomal bay [59-78 dorsal length; 139-153 ventral length; 50-61 wide]. Coxal field [434-484 long; 305-329 wide]. Coxa-I [227-256 long; 86-106 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [106-122 distance to top of coxa-II; 171-194 distance to top of coxa-III; 346-388 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 240-269 total length]. Coxa-IV [303-334 length to top; 130-154 total length]. Genital field [367-419 distance to top; 502-556 distance to bottom; 135-146 total length; 108-120 width; 224-267 distance from gnathosomal bay; 135-171 distance from coxa-I; 70-93 distance to excretory pore; 105-134 distance to caudad]. Genital skeleton [170-173 long; 85-105 wide]. Distance to excretory pore [583-641].

Legs - total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [452-497 total; trochanter 52-63; basifemur 78-87; telofemur 63-72; genu 84-92; tibia 89-99; tarsus 84-93]. Leg-II [486-519 total; trochanter 53-61; basifemur 77-85; telofemur 59-70; genu 87-91; tibia 102-107; tarsus 101-112]. Leg-III [551-588 total; trochanter 54-60; basifemur 81-90; telofemur 66-73; genu 100-107; tibia 118-129; tarsus 126-134]. Leg-IV [752-796 total; trochanter 85-94; basifemur 99-120; telofemur 107-117; genu 143-146; tibia 158-163; tarsus 148-158].

Distribution.

Eastern United States east of the Mississippi River, with southern limits in Florida.

Etymology.

Specific epithet dawkinsi after Clinton Richard Dawkins, the English evolutionary biologist and writer. Dawkins has proven repeatedly that one can change the world as a biologist by day and keep going as a free-thinker by night.