Uropoda karnai, Kontschán, JenŐ, 2012

Kontschán, JenŐ, 2012, New Uropodina mites from India (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 3518, pp. 25-44 : 36-38

Uropoda karnai sp. nov.

( Figs 45–53 )

Material examined. Holotype. Female. India, Berijam, Palni Hills , Tamil Nandu , Nature Reserve , extracted from litter of shola, 11 April 1980, Gy. Topál coll. ( HNHM) . Paratypes. One female in MHNG , locality and date same as for holotype.

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 850–880 µm, width 610–630 µm (n=2). Shape of body circular, dorsally domed.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 45 ). Dorsal and marginal shields completely separated, all dorsal setae long and needlelike, setae in anterior area shorter (ca. 75–83 µm) than in posterior area (ca. 235–265 µm). Dorsal shield without pits, caudal area strongly sclerotised and elevated, one pair of strongly sclerotised, C-shaped lines situated on margins of dorsal shield, at level of elevated area. Marginal shield reduced caudally, bearing short (ca. 55–60 µm) needle-like setae, except the last pair long (ca. 120–140 µm) and needle-like. Surface of marginal shield smooth. Caudal part of dorsal idiosoma covered by membranous cuticle, bearing three pairs of short (ca. 55–60 µm) needlelike setae.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 46 ). Surface of sternal shield smooth. Five pairs of short (ca. 8–10 µm), smooth needlelike sternal setae present, St1 placed near anterior margin of genital shield, St2 at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St3 at central level of coxae III, St4 at level of posterior margin of coxae III, St5 near basal margin of genital shield. Two pairs of ventral setae in lateral position very long (ca. 140–150 µm) and needle-like, other ventral setae needle-like, on central area short (ca. 20–22 µm) and on margins of ventral shield longer (ca. 45–50 µm). Postanal seta absent, adanal setae needle-like, ad1 very short (ca. 8 µm), ad2 as long as shortest ventral setae. Surface of ventral shield without ornamentation. Anal opening small and oval. Pedofossae reduced, metapodal line present. Genital shield linguliform, with wide process on anterior margin, its surface smooth. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III, post-stigmatal part of peritremes absent, pre-stigmatal area long, apically hooked. Tritosternum with triangular base, laciniae divided into three smooth branches ( Fig. 47 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 48 ). Hypostomal setae h1 long (ca. 62 µm) and smooth, h2 short (ca. 18 µm), smooth, h3 (ca. 10 µm), h4 short (ca. 11 µm), marginally serrate. Corniculi short and horn-like, internal malae longer than corniculi, marginally pilose. Epistome marginally pilose. Fixed digit of chelicera longer than movable digit, bearing a bulbiform sensory organ, internal sclerotised node absent ( Fig. 49 ). Palp trochanter with one smooth and one marginally serrate seta, other setae on palp smooth.

Legs. First leg without ambulacral claws, all setae on legs smooth and needle-like ( Figs 50–53 ).

Etymology. This species is named after Karna, a character of the ancient epic Mahabharata. Karna was the ally and friend of the Pandawas.

Notes. The new species belongs to the Uropoda gibba -species group ( Hirschmann 1972b). Eight species have been described in this group, namely U. gibba Hiramatsu from Japan, U. hiramatsui Hirschmann U. hiramatsuformis Hirschmann , U. hiramatsuioides Hirschmann , U. hiramatsuisimilis Hirschmann , U. lauta Hiramatsu & Hirschmann and U. meridiana Hiramatsu & Hirschmann from New Guinea, U. matskasii Hirschmann and U. setata Kontschán from Vietnam. The species of this group are easy to recognise and easy to separate from other Uropoda species on the basis of the elevated caudal area of the dorsal shield. Unfortunately one species is described on the basis of only nymphs and larva ( U. meridiana ), three species are known only from males ( U. hiramatsuioides , U. lauta and U. matskasii ), hence I can only show the differences between those species the females of which are known. The characteristic differences between the known females are presented in Table 3 .

Figures

FIGURES 45 – 49. Uropoda karnai sp. nov., holotype, female. 45. Body in dorsal view; 46. Body in ventral view; 47. Tritosternum; 48. Ventral view of gnathosoma and first two segments of leg I; 49. Chelicera.

FIGURES 50 – 53. Uropoda karnai sp. nov., holotype, female. 50. Leg I; 51. Leg II; 52. Leg III; 53. Leg IV (all legs in ventral view).