Podotarsonemus nipponicus Seeman, Lindquist & Husband, 2018

Seeman, Owen D., Lindquist, Evert E. & Husband, Robert W., 2018, A new tribe of tarsonemid mites (Trombidiformes: Heterostigmatina) parasitic on tetrigid grasshoppers (Orthoptera), Zootaxa 4418 (1), pp. 1-54 : 35-39

Podotarsonemus nipponicus Seeman, Lindquist & Husband sp. nov.

Figures 20–22

Type material. Holotype. Adult female. JAPAN, Maesato, Ishigaki-jimi Is., Okinawa Pref., T. Takahashi, 22 Aug. 1975, ex hind wings of Euparatettix tricarinatus (Bolívar) ( Tetrigidae ), Kurosa No. 4880-1. In NMST.

Paratypes. 16 females, 7 males, 32 larvae, as follows. 3 females, 3 larvae, same data as holotype (slides 2–7) . 2 females, 2 larvae, same data as holotype except 17 Jun. 1975, Kurosa No. 4877 (slides 1–4) . 3 females, 1 male, 4 larvae, same data as holotype except 17 Jun. 1975, Kurosa No. 4879 (slides 1, 3, 4, 5, 6) . 1 female, 3 males, 4 larvae, same data as holotype except 17 Jun. 1975, Kurosa No. 4881 (slides 1, 2, 3, 4–8) . 3 females, 1 male, 3 larvae, same data as holotype except 17 Jun. 1975, Kurosa No. 4882 (slides 1–6, 8) . 2 larvae, same data as holotype except Kurosa No. 4883 (slides 1–2) . 4 females, 2 males, 14 larvae, same data as holotype except Kurosa No. 4884 (slides 1–18, 20–24). In NMST except 1 female, 1 male, 1 larva in each of CNCI, QM , UMMZ.

Diagnosis. Female and male: Palps with 2 setae; chelicerae with 1 tooth (female) or without teeth (male); prodorsal plate with punctate sculpturing anteriorly, imbricate sculpturing behind sc2; femora I–II without seta lʹ; genua II–III bare; tarsi II–III with 5 setae, seta uʹʹ present; trochanter IV without seta. Female: Setae sc1 present; vestigial setae v2 expressed as alveoli within prodorsal shield; coxisternal plates III–IV separated by soft cuticle; setae h attenuate,> 100 long; femorogenu IV with 2 setae; tracheal atria separate, post-atrial sac lightly sclerotized, not punctate. Male: Genital capsule without copulatory flanges; setae h1 rudimentary, like h2; femorogenu IV with 1 seta; tibia IV with solenidion and rudimentary seta; tarsus IV absent. Male and larva: Leg I with tibia and tarsus fused. Larva: Setae h1-2, ps1-2 attenuate; leg I without claws.

Description. ADULT FEMALE ( Fig. 20 , n = 15 measured)

Gnathosoma . Length 41–42, width 43–45. Palps 10, with 2 setae (3–5 and 1–4 long). Cheliceral stylets 1 7–20, each with 1 tooth. Pharynx length 23–29, width 22–24. Dorsal setae ch 20–24, ventral setae su 14–23, palpcoxal setae e 8–13.

Idiosoma . Length 166–180 (physogastric 275–500), width 135–139. Tracheal atria separate, post-atrial sac lightly sclerotized, not punctate, with two small distal prongs indicating separate terminal tracheae. Prodorsal plate with punctate sculpturing anteriorly, imbricate posterior to sc1, 72–78 long, 110–111 wide; with 3 pairs of setae: v 1 16–20, thickened, blunt, with small barbs, sc 1 6–12, sc2 58–61, and vestigial v2. Distance between setae v1-v1 34 – 38, v2-v2 42 –50, sc1-sc1 90–95, sc2-sc2 54– 62, v1 -sc 2 22–26. Plates C, D with punctate sculpturing anteriorly, imbricate posteriorly, EF and H with punctate sculpturing. Setae c1, d, e, f thickened, with small barbs, c 1 15–17, c2 40–47, d 15–19, e 15–17, f 17–20. Distance between setae c1-c1 70–77, c2-c2 127–137, c1-c 2 23–28, d-d 42– 46, e-e 41–46, f-f 20–26. Setae h attenuate,> 100. Distance between setae h-h 22–25. Cupules ia, im present, ih indiscernible. Setae ps attenuate 220, distance between setae ps-ps 9–11. Coxisternal setae short to attenuate, 1a 9– 11, 2a 19–25, 3a> 200, 3b 30. Distance between setae 1a-1a 15–21, 2a-2a 21–25, 3a-3a 5–13, 3b-3b 24–35; alveolar vestiges of setae 1b and 2b present.

Legs. Leg lengths: I 49 –51, II 48 –50, III 50. Leg IV Fe-Ge length 19–21, Ti-Ta length 17–19. Leg III, femur and genu fused.

Femur I d 1–2, lʹʹ 3–12, vʹʹ 22–27; genu I lʹ 9–15, lʹʹ 7–11, vʹ 10–13, vʹʹ 9–12; tibia and tarsus I fused, tibial setae d 23, lʹ 11–12, lʹʹ 4–6, vʹ 9–11, vʹʹ 12–13, solenidion φ 3–4, tarsal setae tcʹ 13–14, tcʹʹ 11–12, pvʹ 14–17, pvʹʹ 10–12, s spine-like, 7–8, solenidion ω 7–8.

Femur II vʹʹ 12–19; tibia II d 21–23, lʹ 11–17, vʹ 16–22, vʹʹ 18–22; tarsus II tcʹ 15–20, tcʹʹ 20–23, pvʹ 16–20, uʹ spine-like, 7–8, uʹʹ 2–4, solenidion ω 6.

Tibia III d 18–21, lʹ 17–23, vʹ 16–20, vʹʹ 16–21; tarsus III pvʹ 22–25, tcʹ 21–26, tcʹʹ 22–24, uʹ spine-like, 5–6, uʹʹ 6–8. Femorogenu IV with proximal femoral seta 13–18, distal genual seta 26–28; tibiotarsus with attenuate ventral tibial seta> 80 and terminal tarsal seta> 180.

ADULT MALE ( Fig. 21 , n = 5 measured)

Gnathosoma . Length 30–31, width 32–36. Palps 6–7. Cheliceral stylets 12–13, without teeth. Pharynx length 20–21, width 11–12. Dorsal setae 9–16, ventral setae 11–13, palpcoxal setae 6–8.

Idiosoma . Length 127–138, width 99–108. Prodorsal plate punctate, 59–62 long, 83–94 wide; with 3 pairs of setae (v 1 10–11, sc 1 7–10, sc 2 28–40) and vestigial v2. Distance between setae v1-v 1 21–25, v2-v 2 27–30, sc1-sc1 56–59, sc2-sc 2 30–33, v1-sc2 33–39. Plate CD punctate. Setae c1 tapering, with small barbs, 11–13, c2 fine, 16– 21, d with small barbs, 10–12; setae c1 obliquely aligned between setae c2 and d. Plate EF punctate, e 5–7, f 6–8, with small barbs. Distance between setae c1-c1 51–59, c2-c2 85–92, c1-c 2 23–26, d-d 15–18, e-e 19–21, f-f 6–8. Cupules ia, im present. Genital capsule 27–30 long, 24–27 wide, bearing alveolar remnants of h1, h2; ventral flanges absent. Coxisternal setae attenuate 1a 9–11, 2a 13–17, 3a 80–100, 3b 16–20. Distance between setae 1a-1a 10–13, 2a-2a 23–25, 3a-3a 14–16, 3b-3b 14–17; setae 1a at level of or just posterior to ap1, setae 2b at level of ap2. Apodemes: ap2 almost reaching medially obsolete ap sj; ap5 small, extend 11–13 from base, not fused medially.

Legs. Leg lengths: I 38 –39, II 40, III 38, IV 2 6–29. Leg III, femur and genu fused.

Femur I, d 1–2, lʹʹ 3–4, vʹʹ 10–15; genu I lʹ 3–4, lʹʹ 3–4, vʹ 3–4, vʹʹ 3–4; tibia and tarsus I fused, tibial setae d 14– 19, lʹ 3–4, lʹʹ 2, vʹ 3–5, vʹʹ 6–8, solenidion φ 2, tarsal setae ftʹ 7–9, ftʹʹ 7–9, tcʹ 11–13, tcʹʹ 9–10, pvʹ 10–11, pvʹʹ 7–8, s spine-like, 6, solenidion ω 5–6.

Femur II vʹʹ 6–7; tibia II d 14–17, lʹ 7–8, vʹ 10–11, vʹʹ 11–14; tarsus II tcʹ 10–12, tcʹʹ 11, pvʹ 7–9, uʹ spine-like, 6, uʹʹ 2, solenidion ω 8.

Tibia III d 15–20, lʹ 7–10, vʹ 11–15, vʹʹ 13–15; tarsus III tcʹ 11–16, tcʹʹ 11–15, pvʹ 7–10, uʹ spine-like, 6, uʹʹ 5–6. Trochanter IV bare; femorogenu IV with genual seta 3–6; tibia IV solenidion φ 7, vʹ 1; tarsus IV absent.

LARVA ( Fig. 22 , n = 30 measured)

Gnathosoma . Length 37–41, width 33–39. Palps 6–7. Cheliceral stylets 11–14, without teeth. Pharynx length 15–17, width 11–12. Dorsal setae 11–14, ventral setae 8–10.

Idiosoma . Length 167–250, width 114–155. Prodorsal plate smooth, 47–52 long, 89–99 wide; with 3 pairs of weakly barbed setae (v 1 8–10, sc1 6, sc 2 14–17) and vestigial v2. Distance between setae v1-v 1 25–29, v2-v2 37 – 44, sc1-sc1 59–65, sc2-sc2 41– 44, v1 -sc 2 16–21. Plates C, D, EF smooth. Setae weakly barbed, c 1 11–13, c 2 9–11, d 11–13, e 8–10, f 11–12. Distance between setae c1-c1 53–59, c2-c2 90–105, c1-c 2 20–24, d-d 28–33, e-e 28–30, f-f 11–15. Plate H smooth, setae h1 attenuate,> 70, h2 ventral,> 100. Distance between setae h 16–21. Cupules ia, im, ih present. Setae ps1-2 attenuate, ps1 ca. 40, ps2> 40. Coxisternal setae 1a 4–8, 2a 8–10, 3a attenuate,> 110, 3b 10–14. Distance between setae 1a-1a 15–16, 2a-2a 30–31, 3a-3a 34–43, 3b-3b 37–48.

Legs. Femur I, lʹʹ, d rudimentary, vʹʹ 6–10; genu I lʹ 1–2, lʹʹ 1–2, vʹ 1–2, vʹʹ 1–2; tibia and tarsus I fused, tibial setae d 10–16, lʹ 2, lʹʹ 1–2, vʹ 2–3, vʹʹ 6–7, solenidion φ 2, tarsal setae tcʹ 9–10, tcʹʹ 8, pvʹ 7–8, pʹʹ 2–3, s spine-like, 5– 6, solenidion ω 3–5.

Femur II vʹʹ 3; tibia II d 7–10, lʹ 3–5, vʹ 7, vʹʹ 8–9; tarsus II tcʹ 10–13, tcʹʹ 9–11, pʹ 5–6, uʹ spine-like, 5–6, uʹʹ 7– 8, solenidion ω 3–5.

Tibia III d 7, lʹ 3, vʹ 7–8, vʹʹ 7–9; tarsus III tcʹ 11–12, tcʹʹ 10–11, pʹ 4–5, uʹ spine-like, 5–6, uʹʹ 7–11. Leg I without claws.

Etymology. The species name nipponicus refers to the country where the type specimens were collected.

Differential diagnosis. Podotarsonemus nipponicus belongs to the boliviensis species group ( P. boliviensis , P. ecuadorensis , P. nipponicus , and P. queenslandensis ) whose females lack a seta on trochanter IV, lack longitudinal striae between coxisterna III–IV, and have setae h attenuated. Of these species, P. nipponicus is most similar to P. queenslandensis in having no more than three setae on femur I and just one seta on femur II. Podotarsonemus nipponicus is distinguished from P. queenslandensis , which is known only from the female, by having setae sc1 (absent in P. queenslandensis ), retaining a rudimentary seta d on femur I (absent in P. queenslandensis ) and having the prodorsal, C and D plates with some imbricate sculpturing (punctate in P. queenslandensis ).

Remarks. One specimen (4881-4) is a pharate male, demonstrating that both sexes have active, sexually monomorphic larvae. This is the plesiomorphic condition in the Tarsonemidae and other Acariformes, but within the Podapolipidae , only the genera Chrysomelobia and Tarsopolipus retain an active, monomorphic male ( Husband 1997; Seeman & Nahrung 2005). Most other genera of Podapolipidae have free-living larval and adult females, but adult males that emerge directly from their eggs as sexually mature paedomorphic forms (i.e. larviform males). The only exception is Scarabapolipus which have active larvae in both sexes, but they are dimorphic ( Husband & Kurosa 1994).

Figures

FIGURE 21. Podotarsonemus nipponicus sp. nov. male, dorsum.

FIGURE 22.Podotarsonemus nipponicus sp. nov. larva, dorsum.

FIGURE20.Podotarsonemus nipponicus sp. nov. female. (A) dorsum;(B) respiratory system.st = stigmata,at = atrium, pa = post-atrial chamber.