Veigaia tibbetsi Farrier, 1957

Jung, Eunsun Keum and Chuleui, 2019, Redescription of Veigaia tibbetsi Farrier, 1957 (Acari: Mesostigmata: Veigaiidae) based on the specimens found from the Korean Peninsula, Journal of Species Research 8 (2), pp. 233-237 : 236

Veigaia tibbetsi Farrier, 1957

ḋŭfflẍṣȃj (ṳḡ) ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Specimens examined. four females, Samcheok, Gangwon Province, 37°19 ʹ N, 128°12 ʹ E, 6 May 2012, C. Jung and E. Keum coll., from soil and humus ( Pinus densiflora ); 29 females and 10 deutonymph, Daegwallyeong Natural Recreation Forest, Gangneung, Gangwon Province, South Korea 37°42 ʹ N, 128°47 ʹ E, 07 Jun 2012, C. Jung and E. Keum coll., from soil and humus ( Pinus densiflora for. Erecta.); 36 females, Cheongtae Natural Recreation Forest, Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, South Korea 37°31 ʹ N, 128°17 ʹ E, 12 Jun 2013, C. Jung and E. Keum coll., from soil and humus ( P. densiflora and P. koraiensis ); 12 females, Chilbosan Natural Recreation Forest, Yongdeok, Gyeongbuk Province, South Korea 36°37 ʹ N, 129°21 ʹ E, 7 Sep 2013, C. Jung and E. Keum coll., from soil ( P. densiflora ); 18 females and 12 deutonymphs, Cheongoksan Natural Recreation Forest, Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk Province, South Korea 37°02 ʹ N, 128°59 ʹ E, 08 July 2014, 6 Oct 2014, C. Jung and E. Keum coll., from soil ( P. densiflora and P. koraiensis ).

Diagnosis. Female. Dorsal shield length 920.7 μm, width 613.8 μm; arterial shield 544.5 μm, posterior shield 376.2 μm. Dorsal shield joined medially, incisions wider lateral- ly from the center, point curved slightly posteriorly. Dorsal setae not pilose; anterior part with cervical, humerals and third, fourth and sixth medial pairs enlarged two or more times the other dorsal setae in diameter but not in length; posterior shield with setae longer than those on anterior shield. Tectum Y-shaped and median projection, anterior margin indistinctly serrate in the middle; lateral projections with medial margins converging slightly apically and terminating at fork of medial projection; with two larger teeth, anterior margin irregularly serrate apically; lateral margin short and emarginated. Palps with anteromedial setae on genu slightly spatulated apically; on apical two-thirds of shaft posteromedial seta with 6-8 toothed comb. Corniculi small projecting half the length of their medial surface. Presternal shield two pairs; anterior and posterior margins of sternal shield emarginated. Triangular metasternal shield, anteriorly rounded; triangular mark on genital area; on medial margin of punctiform organ lateral epigynial setae located; punctiform organ having 16-19 pits located in two rows on posterior margin; epigynium joined to ventral shield by punctiform organ. Trapezoidal ventral plate not joined to peritremal shield; with five pairs of setae, most posterior and medial two pairs twice longer than others on plate. Anal plate having three perianal setae. Legs without noticeable specific characters ( Farrier, 1957).

Remarks. This species can be distinguished from congener species by following characteristics; Dorsal shields joined medially and with first, second, third and sixth anterior medial seta significantly longer, disjoined peritremal and ventral shields, and Y-shaped tectum. From this character, we named “ḋŭfflẍṣȃj”. Farrier (1957) originally described and reported as a new species with the specimens collected from Korean National Forest collected by Ted Tibbets. Holotype of one female in leaf mold, Korea, 2 October, 1953 collected by Ted Tibbets was deposited in USNM. No further information could be found after Farrier (1957), but as Kaczmarek (2000) and Jung et al. (2010) reported, this species is abundant in pine forest area in Korea.

Figures

Fig. 1. Original description of Veigaia tibbetsi Farrier, 1957, Female. (A) dorsal idiosoma; (B) ventral idiosoma; (C) palp; (D) tectum (from Farrier, 1957).

Fig. 2. Specimen recorded in this paper as Veigaia tibbetsi Farrier, 1957, Female(A, B, E) and Deutonymph (C, D). (A) dorsal idiosoma; (B) ventral idiosoma; (C) chelicera; (D, E) gnathosoma and palp (drawing and photo).