Torrenticola sharkeyi 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 sharkeyi Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, New Mexico, Catron County, Gila Hot Springs, Little Creek Recreational Area, Little Creek, off Route 15, 6 May 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120006, DNA 2891.

PARATYPES (13 ♀; 11 ♂): Arizona, USA: 2 ♀ and 2 ♂ from Coconino County, Oak Creek Canyon, Oak Creek, beside Route 89A, between Banjo Bill & Bootlegger campgrounds, 21 Jul 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870100A & IMS870100B • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Yavapai County, West Clear Creek at Clear Creek campground, off Forest Road 9, east of Camp Verde, 19-22 Jul 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870098 & IMS870102 • New Mexico, USA: 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Catron County, Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument, West Fork of Gila River, 10 Jul 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870080A • 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Catron County, Gila Hot Springs, Little Creek, Little Creek Recreational Area off Route 15, 6 May 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120006, DNA 2892 • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Catron County, Gila River, beside Route 15, just below mouth of Little Creek, 11 Jul 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870083A • 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Catron County, Gila Hot Springs, Little Creek, Little Creek Recreational Area off Route 15, 6 May 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120006 • 2 ♀ and 3 ♂ from Catron County, Little Creek, beside Route 15, 65 kilometers north of Route 180 in Silver City, 10 Jul 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870081A • 3 ♀ and 2 ♂ from Grant County, Gila River Recreation Area, East Fork of Gila River, beside Route 15, 11 Jul 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870082A • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Grant County, Grapevine Recreational Area, East Fork of Gila River, off Route 15 north of Silver City, 5 May 2012, by IM Smith, IMS120007.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and most paratypes (8 ♀; 5 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (5 ♀; 5 ♂) deposited in ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola sharkeyi is unlike all other western species by having the following combination of characters: dorsal coloration, although faint, restricted posteriorly; indistinct hind coxal margins; and ellipsoid body. It is only known from Catron & Grant Counties, New Mexico. It is most similar to members of the Rala Group ( T. rala , T. keesdavidsi , T. kurtvietsi , T. boettgeri , T. lamellipalpis , T. dolichodactyla , and T. anoplopalpa ); however, members of this group are colorless. T. sharkeyi can be differentiated from T. boettgeri , T. kurtvietsi , T. lamellipalpis , T. keesdavidsi , and T. anoplopalpa by having tuberculate ventral extensions on the pedipalpal femora (others are lacking extensions, have dentate flanged extensions or wide lamellate extensions). T. sharkeyi can be differentiated from T. rala , T. kurtvietsi , T. boettgeri , T. dolichodactyla and T. anoplopalpa by having a more elongate pedipalpal tibiae (length/width = 3.81-4.10 in T. sharkeyi , 1.75-3.38 in others). T. sharkeyi can be differentiated from T. kurtvietsi , T. keesdavidsi , T. lamellipalpis , and T. anoplopalpa by having a stockier subcapitulum (ventral length/width = 2.03-2.40 in T. sharkeyi , 2.51-4.16 in others).

Description.

Female (Figure 235) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (650-750 (715) long; 450-530 (490) wide) ovoid with faint bluish-purple coloration restricted posteriorly or colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (130-155 (137.5) long; 50-57.5 (52.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (187.5-225 (202.5) long; 62.5-75 (67.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 305-360 (335)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.41-1.46 (1.46); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.38-1.52 (1.46); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.60-2.77 (2.62); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.91-3.08 (3.00); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.39-1.47 (1.47).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (300-335 (310) long (ventral); 215-245 (227) long (dorsal); 135-157.5 (152.5) tall) colorless. Rostrum (117.5-137.5 (125) long; 45-55 (46.25) wide). Chelicerae (290-340 (314) long) with curved fangs (62.5-70 (68) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.03-2.25 (2.03); rostrum length/width 2.45-2.89 (2.70). Pedipalps with short tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (42.5-50 (50) long); femur (112.5-132.5 (125) long); genu (66.25-75 (68.75) long); tibia (100-107.5 (105) long; 25-27.5 (26.25) wide); tarsus (23.75-27.5 (27.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.67-1.83 (1.82); tibia/femur 0.81-0.91 (0.84); tibia length/width 3.91-4.10 (4.00).

Venter - (730-880 (870) long; 513-610 (543) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (145-186.25 (181.25) long; 92.5-105 (105) wide). Cxgl-4 apical. Medial suture (20-25 (20) long). Genital plates (177.5-200 (200) long; 157.5-180 (167.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (280-350 (323) long (total); 125-160 (140) long (medial)); Cx-3 (365-405 (365) wide); anterior venter (167.5-186.25 (181.25) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.57-1.84 (1.73); anterior venter/genital field length 0.91-0.97 (0.91); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.03-1.08 (1.08); anterior venter/medial suture 7.30-9.25 (9.06).

Male (Figure 236) (n = 5) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (580-650 (650) long; 415-470 (470) wide) ovoid with faint bluish-purple coloration restricted posteriorly or colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (125-137.5 (137.5) long; 40-60 (60) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (180-197.5 (197.5) long; 62.5-82.5 (82.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 280-320 (320)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.36-1.44 (1.38); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.46-1.49 (1.47); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.29-3.13 (2.29); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.39-2.96 (2.39); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.37-1.51 (1.44).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (250-300 (300) long (ventral); 195-216 (215.75) long (dorsal); 105-127.5 (127.5) tall) colorless. Rostrum (100-119 (118.75) long; 37.5-50 (42.5) wide). Chelicerae (270-303 (303) long) with curved fangs (46-50 (47) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.31-2.40 (2.35); rostrum length/width 2.30-2.91 (2.79). Pedipalps with short tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (45-47.5 (47.5) long); femur (102.5-115 (110) long); genu (57.5-67.5 (67.5) long); tibia (88-104 (103.75) long; 22.5-27 (26.25) wide); tarsus (22.5-27.5 (22.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.63-1.80 (1.63); tibia/femur 0.83-0.94 (0.94); tibia length/width 3.80-3.95 (3.95).

Venter - (670-771 (770) long; 460-520 (496) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (127.5-170 (170) long; 80-90 (90) wide). Cxgl-4 apical. Medial suture (85-105 (100) long). Genital plates (177.5-202 (201.25) long; 135-147.5 (147.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (270-315 (305) long (total); 140-157.5 (157.5) long (medial)); Cx-3 (325-370 (360) wide); anterior venter (237.5-270 (270) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.46-1.94 (1.89); anterior venter/genital field length 1.28-1.41 (1.34); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.70-1.93 (1.83); anterior venter/medial suture 2.43-2.79 (2.70).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( sharkeyi ) named in honor of braconid systematist, Michael Sharkey, who advised JRF during his master’s degree and solidified his life-long passion for taxonomy.

Distribution.

Southwestern, New Mexico and Arizona (Figure 234).

Remarks.

Our analyses were unable to confidently place Torrenticola sharkeyi phylogenetically. The COI analyses recovers this species at the base of the Raptor Complex, but this relationship was not recovered in the combined analysis. Because of this ambiguity, we refrain from placing this species in a species complex. Furthermore, because of the unique morphology of this species, we refrain from placing this species in an identification group.

All specimens are less than 2% different in COI sequence from each other and greater than 16% different from sister species.

This species hypothesis is supported by low COI divergence within the species (0-2%) and high divergence between species (greater than 3%), and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.