Hexabdella cinquaginta, Hernandes & Daud & Feres, 2007

Hernandes, Fábio A., Daud, Rodrigo D. & Feres, Reinaldo J. F., 2007, A new species of Hexabdella (Acari: Bdellidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 1501 (1), pp. 57-63 : 60-61

Hexabdella cinquaginta sp.n.

Figs 1–13

Body red in life.

Female. Dimensions: Body length 759 (649–770), width 352 (297–396), leg lengths: I 275 (275–308), II 231 (242–275), III 319 (275–341), IV 352 (319–374), VES 81.6 (70.3–84.3), DES 106.1 (100.6–108.8), palp segments I–V: 12 (8.2–19), 63 (59.8–76.2), 33 (19–33), 16 (16–19), 49 (43–54.4), vi 76 (76–84), ve 27 (27–38), sci 109 (90–111), sce 30 (27–33), c1 33 (33–38), c2 46 (43–54.4), d1 33 (30–33), e1 35 (33–38), f1 30 (24– 30), f2 30 (34–37), h1 38 (35–41), h2 46 (38–46). Gnathosoma ( Figs. 1–3 ): six pairs of ventral hypostomal setae longitudinally aligned (vh1 – vh6, Fig. 1 ). Chelicera with longitudinal striae; two setae present, distal seta about twice length of proximal seta; movable chela with two teeth and longer than fixed chela ( Fig. 3 ). Palp chaetotaxy ( Fig. 2 ): trochantera 0, basifemur 6t, telofemur 1t, genu 4t, tibiotarsus 1s, 3t, 2 long end setae (VES, DES). Dorsum: lateral areas of hysterosoma irregularly striated, with rounded lobes on striae, wider than long and spaced ( Fig.13 ), visible as interrupted striae under small magnification (400x) ( Figs. 4 ; 12–13 ): propodosomal striae longitudinal along midline ( Fig. 6); two pairs of eyes posterolateral to ve with longitudinal striae between each pair. Setae ve closer to vi than to sci. Opisthosomal setae and sce setae distally branched, transverse striae between dorsocentral setae; lobed and sparsely broken striae on lateral margins of hysterosoma ( Figs. 4 , 12; 13 ). Venter ( Fig. 5 ; 11): eversible ovipositor present; genital valves each with 6–7 setae; seven pairs of agenital setae; setae ps1 – ps3 smooth; one pair of ventral setae between coxae IV. Legs ( Figs. 7–10 ): Leg chaetotaxy: coxae I–IV 5t-4t- 4t, 1 prop- 2t; trochantera I–IV 1t-1t-2t- 1t; basifemora I–IV 6t, 2 reduced-7t- 6t, 1 reduced- 5t; telofemora I–IV 4t, 1 macr.plum.- 4t, 1 macr.plum.- 4t, 1 macr.plum.- 3t, 1 macr.plum.; genua I–IV 1s, 4t-1s, 4t-1s, 4t-1s, 4t; tibiae I–IV 6t, 3s, 1tr- 5t, 2s- 5t, 1s- 6t, 1tr; tarsi I–IV 20t, 4s, 1micr., 2 trichobothrium-like— 14t, 2s, 1micr., 2 trichobothrium-like— 13t, 1tr, 2 trichobothrium-like— 13t, 1micr, 1 trichobothrium-like.

Male. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis: The new species resembles H. singula Van der Schyff, Theron & Ueckermann, 2004 by the opisthosomal setae being distally branched. It can be distinguished from the latter by its lobed striae on lateral region of opisthosoma, by the distally branched macroseta on telofemur I–II (smooth in H. singula ), microseta present proximally on tarsi IV and by having 6 setae on palpal basifemur (rather than 5 in H. singula ). Chaetotaxy of trochanter II also differs from that of H. singula .

Remarks: The specimens from rubber trees were found at the basis of leaflets, inside a silken cocoon similar to that of Tetrabdella neotropica , whereas all specimens collected from Tibouchina sp. (Melastomataceae) were found wandering on twigs.

Etymology: From Latin cinquaginta , meaning fifty, in tribute to the 50 th anniversary of the Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE/UNESP).

Type material: Holotype female (n. 6802), Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) 07-III-2005, Itiquira (17°23’S, 54°45’W), Mato Grosso, Brazil; two paratype females with the same data as holotype. Four paratype females, Tibouchina sp. (Melastomataceae) , XII-2006, Serra do Japi (23 o 11’S, 46 o 52’W)—Atlantic Forest remnants, São Paulo, Brazil, deposited in DZSJRP.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. H. cinquaginta sp.n. gnathosoma: venter of hypostome (1), palp (2) and chelicera (3).

FIGURES 4–5. H. cinquaginta sp.n. dorsal idiosoma (4) and ventral view (5).

FIGURES 12–13. H. cinquaginta sp.n, paratype: lateral region of hysterosoma (12), with detail of lobed striae between setae d1–e1 (13), under phase contrast.

FIGURES 7–10. H. cinquaginta sp.n.: legs I–IV (7–10); respective trichobotriae depicted in full length.