Sperchon

Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2009, Studies on water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the Himalayas, II. New records and descriptions of seven new species from India, Zootaxa 2119, pp. 1-22 : 6

Sperchon cf. hirsutus Cook, 1967

( Fig. 4A–E )

New records. Himachal Pradesh State, Lahaul, 13 km north of Keylong, spring and springbrook, 23.viii.1990, 3300m asl., one female, leg. Schwoerbel & Panesar.

Remarks. Due to the presence of the reticulated integument, the shape of the dorsum ( Fig. 4A ), palp ( Fig. 4C ), I-Leg-5 and -6 ( Fig. 4D ), and the setation of the coxae (numerous small setae associated with the coxae – Fig. 4B ) and the absence of glandularia at Cx-3, the specimen from Lahaul shows general conformity with Sperchon hirsutus Cook, 1967 a species described by Cook (1967) from a female specimen collected in the Himachal Pradesh. However, our specimen differs from Cook’s specimen of S. hirsutus in its major idiosoma, gnathosoma and legs dimensions (eg., coxal field L 584, palp total L 827, chelicera L 347). Because in the original description, sclerotization of the excretory pore has not been reported, our attribution of S. hirsutus is tentative.

Distribution. India (Himachal Pradesh State).

Figures

FIGURE 4 A – E. Sperchon hirsutus Cook, 1967, female: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = palp (dorsoposterior part of P- 3 broken), medial view; D = I-Leg- 5 and - 6; E = claw. Scale bars = 100 µm.