Trichothyas (Kashmirothyas) jadrankae Pešić, 2018

Pešić, Vladimir, Bańkowska, Aleksandra, Goldschmidt, Tom, Grabowski, Michał, Michoński, Grzegorz & Zawal, Andrzej, 2018, Supplement to the Checklist of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Balkan peninsula, Zootaxa 4394 (2), pp. 151-184 : 153

Trichothyas (Kashmirothyas) jadrankae Pešić sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 )

Type material: Holotype female, dissected and slide mounted, Montenegro, Skadar Lake area, Poseljani , spring, moss, 42°18'34.25"N 19°3'5.91"E, 15.viii.2014 leg. Pešić ( RMNH).

Diagnosis (Male unknown). Genital field with pairs of 6–8 Ac, third acetabular group of 4–6 Ac solidly fused with the genital flaps, medial separation between Ac-1 and Ac-2 less or as wide as half Ac-2 length; P-4 L/H ratio 2.8.

Description. Colour red. Anterior margin of frontal shield convex, L/W ratio 1.05; frontal eye near anterior margin. Dc-3 transverse oval (L/W ratio 0.8), Dc-4 transverse oval (L/W ratio 0.9). Excretory pore elongated (L/W ratio 1.7). Cx-I with about 21 flattened, pennate setae, 11–12 of these at medial margin surrounding gnathosomal bay. Genital field with 6–8 pairs of Ac, third acetabular group of 4–6 Ac solidly fused with the genital flaps, medial separation between Ac-1 and Ac-2 less than, or as wide as, half Ac-2 length ( Fig. 1F ). Gnathosoma elongated, with nearly straight ventral margin ( Fig. 1E ). Palp: ventral margin of P-3 slightly convex ( Fig. 1C–D ). Legs compact, bearing many strong setae ( Figs. 2A–D ).

Measurements. Female—Idiosoma L/W 920/560; L/W frontal shield 291/276, Dc-3, 125/152; Dc-4, 153/177. Genital flap L 199. Gnathosoma vL 247, L chelicera total 277, claw 83, basal segment 194, basal segment/claw L ratio 2.3. Palp: total L 328, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 41/38, 1.08; P-2, 87/50, 1.73; P-3, 50/50, 1.0; P-4, 108/39, 2.8; P-5, 42/17, 2.45; L ratio P-2/P-4, 0.8. Legs: dL of I-L-2-6: 83, 66, 88, 98, 100; dL of II-L-2-6: 94, 75, 100, 116, 137; dL of III-L-1-6: 97, 88, 66, 94, 119, 134; dL of IV-L-1-6: 134, 122, 109, 178, 154, 144.

Male: unknown.

Etymology: Named after Jadranka Pešić (1965–1971), the sister of the first author (V.P.).

Discussion: The polyacetabulate subgenus Kashmirothyas Lundblad, 1934 includes two species known so far: Trichothyas hutchinsoni Lundblad, 1934 , described from a high altitude stream (2590 m asl.) in the Kashmir Himalayas and T. akguli Özkan & Boyaci 1992 described from Artvin Province at the Turkish Black Sea coast (Özkan & Boyaci 1992). The females of both species can easily be separated from the new species by a much wider medial separation between Ac-1 and -2: wider than Ac-2 length in T. hutchinsoni (calculated from Lundblad 1934, fig. 20D) and more than 1.5 times wider than Ac-2 length in T. akguli (calculated from Özkan & Boyaci 1992, fig. 2A). Moreover, the latter species differs in smaller and more roundish Ac-1 and -2. Trichothyas hutchinsoni differs in larger idiosoma dimensions, length>1000 µm, a third acetabular group consisting of 2–4 Ac, and a more slender P-4 (L/H ratio 4.1, calculated from Lundblad 1934, fig. 9).

Remarks: Despite of our intensive efforts in 2017 we were not able to collect additional specimens of the new species. We speculate that it is a rare species restricted to mossy calcareous seepage habitats.

Distribution: Montenegro; known only from the locus typicus.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Trichothyas (Kashmirothyas) jadrankae sp. nov., female holotype: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = palp, medial view; D= palp, lateral view; E = gnathosoma; F = genital field. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 2. Trichothyas (Kashmirothyas) jadrankae sp. nov., female holotype:A = I-L-2-6; B = I-L-2-6; C = III-L; D = IV-L. Scale bar = 100 µm.