Torrenticola pinocchio 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 pinocchio Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, California, Mendocino County, beside Rt. 128, 7.3 km south of Boonville, (38°57'57"N, 123°19'19"W), 4 August 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870126A

PARATYPES (3 ♀; 2 ♂): California, USA: 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Mendocino County, beside Rt. 128, 7.3 km south of Boonville, (38°57'57"N, 123°19'19"W), 4 August 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870126A • 1 ♀ from Trinity County, beside Rt. 36 at Forest Glen Station Campground, (40°23'23"N, 123°20'20"W), 6 August 1987, by IM Smith & JD Smith, IMS870131 • Oregon, USA: 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Curry County, Port Orford; Butler Bar Campground off Elk River Road, (42°43'43"N, 124°16'16"W), 25 June 1976, by IM Smith, IMS760162 • 1 ♀ from Curry County, Sixes; Edson Creek Campground beside Sixes River Road, (42°48'48"N, 124°24'24"W), 4 July 1983, by IM Smith, IMS830021A

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and some paratypes (2 ♀) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (1 ♀; 1 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola pinocchio are similar to members of the Miniforma group ( T. copipalpa , T. manni , T. miniforma , T. pacificensis , T. rockyensis , and T. oliveri ) in having similar pedipalpal extensions (unique to members of this group); and being among the smallest Torrenticola in the west (dorsum 500-625 long) (except T. oliveri ). T. pinocchio can be differentiated from all other Torrenticola by having a more elongate rostrum (length/width = 4.58-3.91 in T. pinocchio , 1.29-4.40 in others).

Description.

Female (Figure 191) (n = 4) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (580-610 (580) long; 360-400 (370) wide) ellipsoid and colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (95-115 (102.5) long; 47.5-50 (47.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (150-165 (150) long; 55-65 (60) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 much closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 280-310 (295)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.53-1.64 (1.57); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.25-1.30 (1.25); anterio-medial platelet length/width 1.90-2.30 (2.16); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.50-2.82 (2.50); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.43-1.63 (1.46).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (300-310 (305) long (ventral); 230-240 (230) long (dorsal); 100-107.5 (107.5) tall) colorless. Rostrum (137.5-145 (140) long; 30-30 (30) wide). Chelicerae (290-305 (300) long) with curved fangs (40-45 (45) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.84-3.05 (2.84); rostrum length/width 4.58-4.83 (4.67). Pedipalps with broad, dentate, and anteriorly-directed ventral extensions on femora and dentate, flanged ventral extensions on genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (30-30 (30) long); femur (97.5-102.5 (97.5) long); genu (67.5-71.25 (67.5) long); tibia (65-70 (70) long; 20-20 (20) wide); tarsus (15-17.5 (17.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.39-1.45 (1.44); tibia/femur 0.65-0.72 (0.72); tibia length/width 3.25-3.50 (3.50).

Venter - Subcapitulum (720-755 (730) long; 400-450 (410) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (140-145 (145) long; 55-60 (60) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (52.5-55 (55) long). Genital plates (155-167.5 (160) long; 135-150 (140) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (260-270 (270) long (total); 120-130 (130) long (medial)); Cx-3 (52.5-55 (55) wide); anterior venter (180-195 (192.5) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.42-2.59 (2.42); anterior venter/genital field length 1.16-1.20 (1.20); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.30-1.41 (1.38); anterior venter/medial suture 3.43-3.71 (3.50).

Male (Figure 192) (n = 2) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (520-540 (520) long; 340-350 (340) wide) ellipsoid and colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (95-102.5 (95) long; 45-47.5 (45) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (145-155 (145) long; 50-57.5 (50) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 much closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 260-270 (260)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.53-1.54 (1.53); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.30-1.31 (1.31); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.11-2.16 (2.11); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.70-2.90 (2.90); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.51-1.53 (1.53).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (275-290 (275) long (ventral); 215-225 (215) long (dorsal); 90-95 (95) tall) colorless. Rostrum (130-135 (130) long; 27.5-27.5 (27.5) wide). Chelicerae ((265) long) with curved fangs ((45) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.89-3.22 (2.89); rostrum length/width 4.73-4.91 (4.73). Pedipalps with broad, dentate, and anteriorly-directed ventral extensions on femora and dentate, flanged ventral extensions on genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (30-32.5 (30) long); femur (90-96.25 (90) long); genu (67.5-67.5 (67.5) long); tibia (62.5-65 (65) long; 18.75-20 (18.75) wide); tarsus (15-15 (15) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.33-1.43 (1.33); tibia/femur 0.65-0.72 (0.72); tibia length/width 3.13-3.47 (3.47).

Venter - (650-670 (650) long; 385-410 (385) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (120-125 (110) long; 50-52.5 (50) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (80-85 (80) long). Genital plates (117.5-125 (117.5) long; 97.5-100 (97.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (240-240 (240) long (total); 110-125 (110) long (medial)); Cx-3 (260-280 (260) wide); anterior venter (210-225 (210) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.29-2.50 (2.50); anterior venter/genital field length 1.79-1.80 (1.79); anterior venter length/genital field width 2.15-2.25 (2.15); anterior venter/medial suture 2.63-2.65 (2.63).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( pinocchio ) refers to the elongate rostrum of this species, which resembles the ever-growing nose of Pinocchio (noun in apposition), a fictional character from the popular Italian children’s novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1883). Pinocchio is well-known for his nose, which grows every time he tells a lie.

Distribution.

California and Oregon (Figure 190).

Remarks.

Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire fresh material of Torrenticola pinocchio 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 appearance, small size, dentate flange on the pedipalpal genua, and distribution, are consistent with placing this species in the Miniforma Complex and Miniforma Identification Group.