Oplitis ticumbi Kontschán & Bernardi, 2016

Pereira, Matheus Carvalho Soares De Aguiar, Kontschán, Jenő, Bernardi, Leopoldo Ferreira De Oliveira & Hermes, Marcel Gustavo, 2016, Description of a new species of Oplitis Berlese, 1884, and the first record of a phoretic uropodid mite (Acari: Oplitidae) on a Neotropical solitary wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), Zootaxa 4067 (3), pp. 394-400 : 395-397

Oplitis ticumbi Kontschán & Bernardi sp. nov.

( Figures 1–12 )

Material examined. Holotype. Female. Conceição da Barra, Espírito Santo, south-eastern Brazil (18°35'36" S, 39°43'56" W), 14 October 1968. C. & C.T. Elias coll. (in CEUFLA). Paratypes. Two females housed at CEUFLA, one female housed at MZLQ and two females housed at HNHM. Locality and date same as in holotype.

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 880–890 µm, width 740–670 µm (n=5). Idiosoma oval, caudally rounded.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Figure 1 ). Dorsal and marginal shields fused anteriorly. Dorsal shield without sculptural pattern and bearing numerous short (ca 25–30 µm) and spear-like setae ( Figure 2 ). Marginal shield without sculptural pattern, setae on marginal shield needle-like and similar in length to dorsal setae.

Ventral idiosoma ( Figure 3 ). Sternal shield smooth, without sculptural pattern. Ten pairs of short (ca 25–30 µm) and needle-like sternal setae situated around genital opening. St1 inserted close to anterior margin of sternal shield, St2–St4 at level of coxae II, St5–St10 at level of coxae IV. One pair of lyriform fissures situated near anterior margin of sternal shield and poroids situated close to each sternal seta except St1. Ventral shield without ornamentation and bearing numerous ventral setae, first two pairs setae needle-like, other ventral setae spear-like, each ventral seta ca 42–46 µm ( Figure 4 ). Pre-anal groove present, posterior to pre-anal groove five (two pairs of adanal and one postanal) needle-like and smooth (ca 40–45 µm) setae inserted around anal opening. One pair of setae similar situated on this region and with two pairs of lyriform fissures. Pedofossae deep and smooth with furrows for tarsi IV. Genital shield oval, without sculptural pattern and apical process. Genital shield situated between coxae II-IV and bearing one pair of lyriform fissures at level of St9–St10 setae. Smooth and rounded perigenital line present. Prestigmatid part of peritremes convoluted, poststigmatid part short. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III. Base of tritosternum ( Figure 5 ) narrow, laciniae divided into two short lateral and two long central pilose branches.

Gnathosoma ( Figure 6 ). Corniculi horn-like, internal malae divided into numerous pilose branches. Hypostomal setae h1 and h2 needle-like and short (ca 20–25 µm), h3 long and marginally serrate (ca 65–70 µm), h4 short and marginally serrate (ca 30–33 µm). All setae on palp smooth and needle-like, palp apotele with two claws. Chelicerae fixed digit longer than movable digit, both digits with two large teeth, dorsal part of chelicerae with one long and needle-like seta, internal sclerotized node present ( Figure 7 ). Epistome not clearly visible, apical part triangular and marginally serrate ( Figure 8 ).

Legs ( Figures 9–12 ). All legs with claws, all femora bearing flap-like ventral process. Setae on legs smooth and needle-like, except tarsi II–IV where some robust setae situated.

Etymology. The new species is named after a folkloric dance rooted in African traditions called Ticumbi , typical of the region where the mites were collected.

Remarks. On the basis of the presence of the pre-anal groove and perigenital line, and the shape of the peritremes, we place the new species into the Oplitis paradoxa group ( Hirschmann, 1991). Hirschmann referred to the peritremes of the paradoxa group as “mushroom-shaped”, which differs from the U-shaped (minutissima group) and the V-shaped (conspicua group) peritremes. The shapes of the peritremes and the genital shield, along with the position and shape of the sternal and ventral setae are a unique character combination within the Oplitis paradoxa group. The perigenital line is also a unique character for this species, but only females were collected and observed, so the presence of this line in males could not be confirmed.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Oplitis ticumbi, female. 1. Dorsal idiosoma; 2. Dorsal shield; 3. ventral idiosoma; 4. Ventral shield; 5. Base of tritosternum; 6. Gnathosoma; 7. Chelicerae; 8: Apical portion of epistome.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Oplitis ticumbi, female. 9. Leg I; 10. Leg II; 11. Leg III; 12. Leg IV.