Ultratenuipalpus avarua, Xu, Yun, Fan, Qing-Hai & Zhang, Zhi-Qiang, 2013

Xu, Yun, Fan, Qing-Hai & Zhang, Zhi-Qiang, 2013, A new species of Ultratenuipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) from Cook Islands, with a key to the known species, Zootaxa 3731 (2), pp. 223-233 : 224-230

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3731.2.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:77466136-FA53-404D-B950-056CB809C610
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6146642
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CD3310-FFEE-FFE8-FD8A-FC5D6C15004E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Ultratenuipalpus avarua
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Ultratenuipalpus avarua sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–7 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 )

Diagnosis. The adult female of Ultratenuipalpus avarua sp. nov. is readily distinguished from those of the other 24 species by rostral shield deeply cleft medially with 2 forked projections on each side; prodorsum smooth, divided into 5 regions, the prodorsal setae v 2 and sc 1, dorsalcentral setae c 1, d 1 and e 1 setiform and subequal; the dorsolateral setae e 3, f 3, h 2 and h 1 broadly lanceolate, subequal in length and about 7 times as long as setae d 3; triangular body projections present anterior to setae h 2 and h 1 on each side, and a broadly truncated projection between setae h 1.

Type specimens. Holotype ♀. Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Avarua , 15 March, 1983, by Uri Gerson, ex. Cocos sp. ( Arecaceae ). Paratypes: 3♀, same collection data as holotype. The holotype and paratypes were deposited in New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand.

Adult Female (n=4)

Gnathosoma. ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 , 4 View FIGURE 4 B) Gnathosoma reaching base of femur I, subcapitular setae m setiform, m = 14 (14– 16), m–m = 20 (20–21). Palp 4-segmented, setal formula: 0, 0, 2, 3; tibia with 2 bare setae near distal portion, tarsus with 2 eupathidia 5 (5–6), 6 and a companion seta.

Idiosoma. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 3 A, 6) 415 (415–425) long, 283 (277–283) wide. Rostral shield deeply cleft medially with 2 forked projections on each side. Idiosoma widest at posterior margin of propodosoma, narrowing abruptly at base of opisthosoma, then expanding posteriorly. PRODORSUM smooth, divided into 5 regions, bearing 3 pairs of prodorsal setae (v 2, sc 1 and sc 2) and 2 pairs of eyes ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Setae v 2 and sc 1 setiform, sc 2 broadly lanceolate; lengths: v 2 7, sc 1 7 (7–8), sc 2 61 (61–67); distances: v 2– v 2 54 (53–54), sc 1– sc 1 136 (132–137), sc 1– sc 2 40 (40–47), sc 2– sc 2 222 (222–232). HYSTEROSOMA bearing 3 pairs of dorsalcentral setae (c 1, d 1 and e 1), 1 pair of humeral seta c 3 and 5 pairs of dorsolateral setae (d 3, e 3, f 3, h 2 and h 1). Triangular body projections present anterior to setae h 2 and h 1 on each side, and a broadly truncated projection between setae h 1 ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 6 View FIGURE 6 ). Setae c 1, d 1 and e 1 setiform, subequal in length; setae d 3 lanceolate, c 3 leaf-like and about half as long as setae vR on trochanter III, and e 3, f 3, h 2 and h 1 broadly lanceolate, subequal in length and about 7 times as long as setae d 3. Lengths: c 1 8 (8–10), d 1 8, e 1 8, c 3 29 (28–29), d 3 10 (10–12), e 3 71 (71–85), f 3 73 (73–82), h 2 73 (67–73), h 1 74 (74–81); distances: c 1– c 1 61 (61–63), d 1– d 1 57 (55–57), e 1– e 1 33 (32–33), d 3– e 3 103 (103–116), e 3– f 3 29 (28–29), f 3– h 2 26 (26–27), h 2– h 1 27 (27–30), h 1– h 1 67 (64–71).

Venter. ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 B, 4C, 7) Venter with a few transverse striations between coxae II and III, fine transverse striations between setae 1a – 4a and dense round knots in lateral area of ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ). All coxal setae setiform. Seta 1a and posterior medioventral seta 4a flagelliform, anterior medioventral seta 3a setiform. Length of 1a and 4a subequal, approximately 3.5 times as long as seta 3a ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 C). Lengths: 1a 77 (70–77), 3a 20 (20–22), 4a 71 (70–71). Distances: 1a – 1a 21 (21–29), 3a – 3a 46, 4 a– 4a 35 (35–40). Genital and ventral plates with flap of cuticles as shown in Fig. 3 B, bearing 1 pair of aggenital setae ag and 2 pairs of gential setae (g 1 and g 2), setiform, g 1 and g 2 subequal. Anal plate with 3 pairs of pseudanal setae (ps 1, ps 2 and ps 3). Setae lengths: ag 8 (8–9), g 1 13 (12– 14), g 2 13 (11–13), ps 1 27 (26–27), ps 2 17 (17–23), ps 3 8 (8–10). Distances: ag – ag 34 (32–34), g 1– g 1 11 (8–14), g 1– g 2 11 (8–12), ps 1– ps 2 9 (9–11).

Legs. ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ) Lengths of legs I–IV: 207 (207–223), 176 (176–192), 170 (167–176), 176 (172–183). Chaetotaxy: I 2, 1, 4, 3, 4, 8 + ω; II 2, 1, 4, 3, 4, 8 + ω; III 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 5; IV 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 5. Most dorsal and lateral setae on trochanters, femora, genua and tibiae lanceolate, dorsal setae d on femora I and II broadly lanceolate and lateral setae l' on genua and tibiae setiform; ventral setae v setiform except on femora I and II barbed. Lateral setae l" on tibiae I–IV as long as corresponding tibiae. Setae ft ′ζ on tarsi I–IV flagelliform, much longer than others and about 1.5 times as long as corresponding tarsi; ft′′ setiform; unguinal setae u pectinate and equal in length. Lengths of solenidia: I ω 9, II ω 9 (8–9). Claws developed with tenent hairs on each side.

Etymology. The species is named for its type locality Avarua and here treated as a noun in apposition.