Torrenticola mohawk 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 mohawk Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, Maine, Aroostook County, Ashland; beside Rt. 11 at bridge over Aroostook River, (46°38'38"N, 68°24'24"W), 4 July 1989, by IM Smith, IMS890067.

PARATYPES (4 ♀; 5 ♂): 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Aroostook County, Ashland; beside Rt. 11 at bridge over Aroostook River, (46°38'38"N, 68°24'24"W), 4 July 1989, by IM Smith, IMS890067 • 4 ♀ and 4 ♂ from Aroostook County, Ashland; beside Rt. 11 at bridge over Aroostook River, (46°38'38"N, 68°24'24"W), 4 July 1989, by IM Smith, IMS890067.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and some paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola mohawk are similar to other members of the Tricolor Complex ( T. bittikoferae , T. hoosieri , T. larvata , T. pearsoni , T. olliei , T. sierrensis , T. tricolor , T. trimaculata , T. unimaculata , T. cardia , T. kringi , and T. dimorpha ) in having a short, conical rostrum. T. mohawk are most similar to other members of the Tricolor Complex that have bold patterning ( T. larvata , T. tricolor , T. trimaculata , T. unimaculata , T. cardia , and T. kringi ). T. mohawk can be differentiated from T. larvata , T. tricolor , T. cardia , and T. kringi by having a stockier rostrum (length/width ♀ = 1.80-2.00 in T. mohawk , 2.14-3.13 in others; ♂ = 2.00-2.13 in T. mohawk , 2.27-2.93 in others). T. mohawk can be differentiated from T. unimaculata and T. trimaculata by dorsal pattern.

Description.

Female (Figure 153) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (680-725 (680) long; 540-560 (560) wide) ellipsoid with faint reddish-purple coloration medially. Anterio-medial platelets (130-140 (132.5) long; 60-77.5 (60) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (185-197.5 (190) long; 75-82.5 (75) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 365-385 (365)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.21-1.32 (1.21); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.40-1.53 (1.53); anterio-medial platelet length/width 1.81-2.21 (2.21); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.31-2.53 (2.53); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.40-1.43 (1.43).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (240-267.5 (260) long (ventral); 170-190 (185) long (dorsal); 115-125 (120) tall) colorless. Rostrum (82.5-95 (90) long; 42.5-52.5 (45) wide) short and conical. Chelicerae (225-255 (240) long) with curved fangs (50-60 (60) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.08-2.33 (2.17); rostrum length/width 1.80-2.00 (2.00). Pedipalps with short, tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (37.5-42.5 (41.25) long); femur (87.5-100 (95) long); genu (60-67.5 (65) long); tibia (77.5-87.5 (82.5) long; 25-27.5 (27.5) wide); tarsus (22.5-23.75 (23.75) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.38-1.48 (1.46); tibia/femur 0.87-0.92 (0.87); tibia length/width 3.00-3.18 (3.00).

Venter - (800-850 (825) long; 600-630 (605) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (125-145 (125) long; 70-75 (70) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (30-45 (35) long). Genital plates (190-205 (195) long; 157.5-170 (160) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (260-285 (260) long (total); 130-140 (130) long (medial)); Cx-3 (355-370 (360) wide); anterior venter (187.5-200 (190) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.70-2.07 (1.79); anterior venter/genital field length 0.93-0.99 (0.97); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.12-1.21 (1.19); anterior venter/medial suture 4.44-6.33 (5.43).

Male (Figure 154) (n = 5) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (615-660 (655) long; 460-485 (470) wide) ellipsoid with faint reddish-purple coloration medially. Anterio-medial platelets (120-130 (122.5) long; 65-76.25 (67.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (180-192.5 (187.5) long; 75-80 (75) wide) free from dorsal plate Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 355-375 (360)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.33-1.39 (1.39); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.27-1.31 (1.31); anterio-medial platelet length/width 1.70-1.85 (1.81); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.25-2.50 (2.50); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.44-1.54 (1.53).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (227.5-250 (250) long (ventral); 170-172.5 (172.5) long (dorsal); 105-107.5 (107.5) tall) colorless. Rostrum (80-90 (90) long; 40-45 (45) wide) short and conical. Chelicerae (210-225 (225) long) with curved fangs (50-55 (55) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.17-2.33 (2.33); rostrum length/width 2.00-2.13 (2.00). Pedipalps with short, tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (36.25-37.5 (37.5) long); femur (87.5-92.5 (90) long); genu (60-67.5 (65) long); tibia (75-80 (77.5) long; 26.25-28.75 (27.5) wide); tarsus (20-22.5 (22.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.37-1.50 (1.38); tibia/femur 0.83-0.89 (0.86); tibia length/width 2.73-2.95 (2.82).

Venter - (735-780 (780) long; 510-530 (520) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (107.5-127.5 (120) long; 65-70 (70) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (120-130 (130) long). Genital plates (145-155 (152.5) long; 105-107.5 (105) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (250-280 (280) long (total); 145-155 (155) long (medial)); Cx-3 (350-360 (360) wide); anterior venter (290-307.5 (307.5) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.54-1.82 (1.71); anterior venter/genital field length 1.93-2.03 (2.02); anterior venter length/genital field width 2.74-2.93 (2.93); anterior venter/medial suture 2.27-2.42 (2.37).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( mohawk ) named in honor of the Mohawk people ( Kanien’kehá:ka), in reference to the dorsal coloration of this species, which resembles the hair-style by the same name (as a noun in apposition). The modern hairstyle does not exactly match traditional Mohawk styles, which resembled that of other tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy. Nevertheless, mohawks the hairstyle, which were originally associated with the Mohawk people in the historically problematic film Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), remains a symbol of the Mohawk people.

Distribution.

Maine (Figure 152).

Remarks.

Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire fresh material of Torrenticola mohawk and therefore this species is not included in our phylogenetic analyses. However, we were able to examine morphology with material preserved in GAW. The overall similarity, distribution in the east, and short conical rostrum that is downturned in males, are consistent with placing this species in the Tricolor Complex and within the eastern clade of the Tricolor Identification Group.