Athyreacarus ovalis, Khaustov & Frolov, 2019

Khaustov, Alexander A. & Frolov, Andrey V., 2019, Revision of the genus Athyreacarus (Acari: Athyreacaridae), Zootaxa 4647 (1), pp. 168-225 : 211-216

Athyreacarus ovalis sp. nov.

( Figs 49–53 )

Description. Female ( Figs 49–53 ). Body narrowly-oval. Length of idiosoma 415 (375–425), width 260 (210– 260).

Gnathosoma . Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, almost oval in outline, length 62 (53–63), width 70 (59– 70). Two pairs of barbed, blunt-ended cheliceral setae cha 38 (31–38) and chb 30 (22–30). Postpalpal setae (pp) 8 (7–10) needle-like. Setae m 16 (13–17) and n 62 (57–63) pointed; setae m smooth, n weakly barbed. Setae dFe 16 (14–17) and dGe 34 (27–35) barbed; dFe blunt-ended, dGe pointed. Tibial claw small, with split tip as in A. angustus .

Idiosomal dorsum ( Figs 49A , 52A , 53A, B ). All dorsal shields with numerous small sparsely distributed dimples ( Figs 53A, B ). Hysterosomal shields D and EF narrow, not covering lateral surfaces of hysterosoma. Prodorsal shield with distinct lateral projections. Only alveoli of setae sc 1 present.All dorsal setae barbed. Setae v 2 and e bluntended, other dorsal setae pointed. Cupules and pore-like structures on hysterosomal tergites not evident. Pseudanal segment much shorter than tergite H. Lengths of dorsal setae: v 1 85 (76–91), v 2 31 (29–33), sc 2 145 (130–165), c 1 150 (115–150), c 2 160 (140–160), d 150 (130–150), e 93 (57–67), f 150 (140–160), h 1 105 (91–105), h 2 115 (100– 115). Distances between setae: v 1 – v 1 45 (35–45), v 2 –v 2 68 (58–68), sc 1 –sc 1 67 (65–68), sc 2 –sc 2 73 (70–77), c 1 – c 1 83 (82–87), c 1 – c 2 58 (57–60), d–d 87 (86–88), e–e 94 (86–96), f–f 76 (75–83), h 1 – h 1 54 (50–57), h 1 – h 2 18 (18–21).

Idiosomal venter ( Figs 49B , 52B , 53C, D ). All ventral plates with numerous small dimples ( Fig. 53C, D ). All ventral setae weakly barbed. Setae 1 b, 1 c, 2 b, 2 c, and 4 c blunt-ended, other ventral setae pointed. Ap5 long, reaching beyond bases of setae 4 a. Aggenital plate with three pairs of aggenital setae. Anal opening terminal. Length of mid-sternal plate 85 (80–86), width 49 (43–49); ratio length/width 1.7–1.9. Lengths of ventral setae: 1 a 50 (45–50), 1 b 26 (24–34), 1 c 29 (27–40), 2 a 58 (52–64), 2 b 39 (34–39), 2 c 38 (31–38), 3 a 36 (33–39), 3 b 52 (48–56), 3 c 45 (36– 4g), 4 a 43 (39–46), 4 b 62 (50–62), 4 c 36 (32–47), ag 1 72 (65–72), ag 2 87 (73–88), ag 3 79 (69–82), ps 1 68 (65–70), ps 2 84 (79–87), ps 3 58 (54–68).

Legs ( Figs 50 , 51 ). Length of legs: I 145 (135–145), II 150 (140–150), III 170 (155–170), IV 195 (185–195). Leg I ( Fig. 50A ): setae v’ of trochanter, v’ of femur, k of tibia, (pl), s, and pv” of tarsus smooth, other leg setae (except eupathidia) weakly barbed; setae v’ of trochanter, v’ of femur, d of genu, and k of tibia blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed; lengths of solenidia ω 1 14 (12–14), ω 2 10 (9–10), φ 1 14 (13–14), φ 2 10 (9–10); ω 1 digitiform, ω 2, φ 1 and φ 2 baculiform. Leg II ( Fig. 50B ): solenidion ω 12 (11–12) digitiform, solenidion φ 10 (9–10) baculiform; all leg setae barbed; setae v’ of trochanter and l’ of femur blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Leg III ( Fig. 51A ) similar in shape and length to leg II; solenidion φ 10 (9–10) baculiform; all leg setae barbed; setae tc” of tarsus weakly spatulate, other leg setae pointed. Leg IV ( Fig. 51B ): solenidion φ 11 (9–11) baculiform; all leg setae barbed; setae tc” and p’ of tarsus blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed; seta tc” of tarsus weakly spatulate distally.

Type material. Female holotype, slide No. ZISP T-Ath-004, MEXICO, Amoxoyahuatl, VIII.1989, J. Meha leg., on a beetle Bolbelasmus variabilis Howden. Paratype: 26 females, same data.

Type deposition. The holotype and five paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia ; other paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology , Tyumen, Russia .

Differential diagnosis. See differential diagnosis for A. angustus .

Etymology. The name of the new species derives from the Latin word “ ovalis ” meaning “ oval ” and refers to the oval shape of the body of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 49. Athyreacarus ovalis sp. nov., female: A—dorsum of body, B—venter of body.

FIGURE 50. Athyreacarus ovalis sp. nov., female: A—right leg I in dorsal view, B—right leg II in dorsal view.

FIGURE 51. Athyreacarus ovalis sp. nov., female: A—right leg III in dorsal view, B—left leg III in dorsal view.

FIGURE 52. Phase-contrast micrographs of Athyreacarus ovalis sp. nov., female: A—general aspect dorsally, B—general aspect ventrally.

FIGURE 53. Phase-contrast micrographs of Athyreacarus ovalis sp. nov., female:A—prodorsal shield, B—right half of tergites D and EF, C—anterior sternal plate, D— aggenital and midsternal plates and part of coxal fields IV.