Torrenticola flangipalpa 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 flangipalpa Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, Alabama, Lauderdale County, Natchez Trace Parkway, (34°56'31"N, 87°49'41"W), 27 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100162, DNA 1310.

PARATYPES (5 ♀; 7 ♂): Alabama, USA: 3 ♂ from Lauderdale County, Natchez Trace Parkway, (34°56'31"N, 87°49'41"W), 24 Sep 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090121 • 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Lauderdale County, Natchez Trace Parkway, (34°56'31"N, 87°49'41"W), 27 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100162, DNA 1309 • 1 ♀ and 2 ♂ from Lauderdale County, Natchez Trace Parkway, (34°56'31"N, 87°49'41"W), 27 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100162 • Arkansas, USA: 1 ♀ from Carroll County, beside Route 62, Kings River, 21 Jul 1960, by DR Cook, DRC600026 • Kentucky, USA: 1 ♀ from Larue County, beside Route 31E, 4 kilometers south of Route 61 at Hodgenville (37°35'N, 85°42'W), 28 May 1992, by IM Smith, IMS920014 • North Carolina, USA: 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Big Creek (35°45'3.92"N, 83°6'31.67"W), 15 Sep 2009, by AJ Radwell, AJR090008A • Tennessee, USA: 1 ♀ from Sevier County, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Sugarlands Nature Trail (35°40'47"N, 83°31'52"W), 7 Sep 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090101.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and most paratypes (3 ♀; 4 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola flangipalpa are similar to other members of the Nigroalba Group ( T. nigroalba , T. solisorta , and T. dentirostra ) in being small, slightly elongate, having purple dorsal coloration restricted posteriorly, and having distinct yet poorly-defined hind coxal margins (can be indistinct, at least in males). T. flangipalpa are best differentiated from other members of the Nigroalba Group by having a flange-like, anteriorly-directed pedipalp femoral extension (this extension is tuberculate in other members of the Nigroalba Group). Additionally, T. flangipalpa can be differentiated from T. nigroalba and T. solisorta by having a longer anterior venter (235-265 in T. flangipalpa ; 192-225 in others) and stockier pedipalpal tibiae (length/width ♀ = 4.79-5.0 in T. flangipalpa , 5.38-5.83 in others; length/width ♂ = 4.4-4.86 in T. flangipalpa , 5.08-5.33 in others). T. flangipalpa can be differentiated from T. dentirostra by having a smooth rostrum ( T. dentirostra has a dentate bump midway on the dorsal edge of the rostrum). Other Torrenticola with purple dorsal coloration restricted posteriorly, such as T. tahoei and T. oregonensis are larger (dorsum length ♀ = 530-565 in T. flangipalpa , 600-810 in others; ♂ = 480-510 in T. flangipalpa , 560-820 in others) and distributed in the west ( T. flangipalpa is only known from Alabama and Tennessee).

Description.

Female (Figure 79) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (530-580 (545) long; 365-425 (380) wide) ovoid with purple or bluish-purple coloration restricted posteriorly. Anterio-medial platelets (112.5130 (127.5) long; 47.5-57.5 (47.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (157.5-175 (172.5) long; 55-62.5 (55) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 255-295 (255)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.33-1.45 (1.43); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.39-1.49 (1.49); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.25-2.74 (2.68); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.86-3.14 (3.14); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.29-1.40 (1.35).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (305-330 (307.5) long (ventral); 225-255 (225) long (dorsal); 90-95 (90) tall) elongate and colorless. Rostrum (112.5-130 (117.5) long; 37.5-42.5 (37.5) wide) elongate. Chelicerae (285-320 (286) long) with curved fangs (43-50 (44) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 3.39-3.47 (3.42); rostrum length/width 2.82-3.06 (3.00). Pedipalps elongate (especially tibiae) with broad, dentate, anteriorly-directed flange on femora and with variable, dentate flange-like extension on genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (32.5-35 (35) long); femur (93.75-102.5 (93.75) long); genu (55-62.5 (55) long); tibia (80-90 (83.75) long; 16.25-18.75 (17.5) wide); tarsus (15-17.5 (15) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.60-1.70 (1.70); tibia/femur 0.82-0.90 (0.89); tibia length/width 4.79-5.00 (4.79).

Venter - (680-750 (680) long; 430-495 (436) wide) with faint purple or bluish-purple coloration. Gnathosomal bay (112.5-140 (120) long; 67.5-75 (67.5) wide). Cxgl-4 far from apex. Medial suture (67.5-80 (67.5) long). Genital plates (145-160 (151.25) long; 125-132.5 (125) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (266-310 (266) long (total); 150-170 (156) long (medial)); Cx-3 (278-321 (278) wide); anterior venter (235-255 (245) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.50-2.00 (1.78); anterior venter/genital field length 1.55-1.76 (1.62); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.86-2.04 (1.96); anterior venter/medial suture 3.06-3.78 (3.63).

Male (Figure 80) (n = 6) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (480-510 (480) long; 330-370 (330) wide) ovoid with purple or bluish-purple coloration restricted posteriorly. Anterio-medial platelets (112.5-122.5 (115) long; 41.25-47.5 (41.25) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (152.5-162.5 (152.5) long; 50-53.75 (50) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 235-260 (235)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.38-1.45 (1.45); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.39-1.44 (1.40); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.42-2.79 (2.79); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 3.02-3.10 (3.05); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.33-1.44 (1.33).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (272.5-290 (272.5) long (ventral); 200-209 (200) long (dorsal); 75-87.5 (75) tall) elongate and colorless. Rostrum (102.5-107.5 (105) long; 32.5-35 (35) wide) elongate. Chelicerae (250-272 (260) long) with curved fangs (39-62 (40) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 3.31-3.68 (3.63); rostrum length/width 2.93-3.31 (3.00). Pedipalps elongate (especially tibiae) with broad, dentate, anteriorly-directed flange on femora and with variable, dentate flange-like extension on genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (27.5-31.25 (27.5) long); femur (85-90 (87.5) long); genu 47.5-57.5 (55) long); tibia (77.5-85 (80) long; 17.5-18.75 (17.5) wide); tarsus (12.5-15 (12.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.52-1.79 (1.59); tibia/femur 0.91-0.94 (0.91); tibia length/width 4.40-4.86 (4.57).

Venter - (600-640 (600) long; 356-420 (380) wide) with faint purple or bluish-purple coloration. Gnathosomal bay (100-112.5 (105) long; 65-72.5 (65) wide). Cxgl-4 far from apex. Medial suture (82.5-107.5 (95) long). Genital plates (122.5-127.5 (122.5) long; 92.5-100 (95) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (240-258 (240) long (total); 122-160 (135) long (medial)); Cx-3 (251-291 (265) wide); anterior venter (245-265 (245) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.48-1.62 (1.62); anterior venter/genital field length 1.98-2.12 (2.00); anterior venter length/genital field width 2.55-2.68 (2.58); anterior venter/medial suture 2.42-3.00 (2.58).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( flangipalpa ) refers the expanded (i.e., flanged) pedipalp femoral tubercle (flange, English; palpus, L. hand, feeler), which distinguishes this species from other members of the Nigroalba Group.

Distribution.

Southeastern (Figure 78).

Remarks.

Torrenticola flangipalpa groups with other members of the Raptor Complex with high support in all analyses and specimens are less than 1% different in COI sequence from each other. In all analyses, T. flangipalpa groups with two other morphologically similar species: T. nigroalba and T. solisorta . These three species are greater than 12% different from each other in COI sequence.

That clade of three species corresponds to an identification group, Nigroalba Group, the members of which are easily differentiated by their size, coloration, long medial suture in females, and overall appearance.

This species hypothesis is supported by low COI divergence within the species (0-2%) and high divergence between species (3-15%), and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.