Xenotarsonemus cerrado, Lofego & De Moraes & Ochoa, 2007

Lofego, Antonio C., De Moraes, Gilberto J. & Ochoa, Ronald, 2007, Four new species of Xenotarsonemus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 1646 (1), pp. 1-15 : 7-11

Xenotarsonemus cerrado , sp. nov.

( Figs.13–18)

Diagnosis. Females of this new species resemble Xenotarsonemus viridis ( Ewing, 1939) but differ by having shorter tegula, extending to only half of length of leg IV; whereas in X. viridis it extends to the entire length of leg IV. Xenotarsonemus cerrado also differs from X. viridis by having dorsal setae c 1, d and h approximately twice longer.

Adult female (3 specimens measured).

Gnathosoma: capsule subcircular, length 27; dorsal apodeme indistinct. Setae ch 10 (10–11) and vm 6, smooth; seta pp not seen. Palpus short, with 2 small subterminal setae and terminal cone-shaped structures. Pharynx fusiform, 16 long and 6 wide at widest region.

Idiosoma ( Figs. 13 and 14): length 167 (150–185), width at level of c 1 107 (105–110); prodorsal shield covering gnathosoma. Stigma on lateral of prodorsal shield, slightly closer to bases of setae v 1 than of sc 2. Lengths of the setae: v 1 24 (22–25), sc 1 15, sc 2 35 (34–38), c 1 30 (29–32), c 2 29 (27–32), d 29 (28–30), e 20 (18–23), f 25 (24–27), h 33 (29–35). All setae, except sc 1, serrate and setiform; sc 1 capitate and with tiny spines. Distances between dorsal setae: v 1 -v 1 31 (29–34), sc 2 -sc 2 52 (50–55), v 1 -sc 2 19 (18–22), c 1 -c 1 71 (68– 72) c 2 -c 2 95 (90–100), c 1 -c 2 28 (25–29), d-d 36 (35–37), f-f 13 (12–14), e-f 22 (22–23), h-h 31 (31–32). Seta sc 1 inserted anteriorly to sc 2.

Coxisternal setae 1a 9 (8–9), near middle of apodeme I; 2a 13 (13–14), near middle of apodeme II; 3a 17 (16–18), near anterior end of apodeme III; 3b 12 (10–14), near external margin of posterior end of apodeme IV. Apodeme I conspicuous, fused to anterior end of prosternal apodeme. Apodeme II not fused to prosternal apodeme. Prosternal apodeme conspicuous, diffuse near sejugal apodeme, with a bifurcate node on anterior third. Sejugal apodeme uninterrupted. Apodeme III with anterior end foot-like, extending diagonally from proximity of base of seta 3a to anterior margin of trochanter III. Apodeme IV extending diagonally from the middle of the poststernal apodeme to base of seta 3b; diffuse on anterior third. Poststernal apodeme bifurcate anteriorly. Coxistenal plates smooth. Tegula elongate and pointed, 16 long and 5 wide. All ventral setae smooth.

Legs ( Figs. 15–18 ): lengths (femur to tarsus): leg I 47 (46–49), leg II 45 (44–47), leg III 55 (52–58), leg IV 30 (28–32). Number of setae (solenidia in parentheses) on femur, genu, tibia and tarsus, respectively: leg I: 4-4-5(2)-8(1), leg II: 3-3-4-6(1), leg III: 1+3-4-5. Tarsal solenidion ω of tibiotarsus I 6, stout, narrow near base. Sensory cluster of tibia I complete, solenidion Φ1 3, slender, capitate; solenidion Φ 2 3, stout, narrow near base; famulus k 5 (4-5); Φ 2 is the most proximal and k the most distal element of the cluster. Seta d of tibia I 29 (27–31), serrate. Solenidion ω of tarsus II proximal, 5 (5–6) long, stout, narrow near base; seta pl´´6, spinelike, inserted on the middle of tarsus II. Seta d of tibia II 11 (11–12), serrate. Femorogenu IV 24 (22–25); tibiotarsus IV 6 (5–7). Lengths of setae of leg IV: v´F 11 (10–12), v´G 18 (16–19), v´Ti 33 (32–35) and tc´´42 (41–44); all setae smooth.

Adult male: unknown.

Type material: holotype female from Campomanesia pubescens (DC.) , Pirassununga, State of São Paulo, Brazil, 03/ V /2000, A.C. Lofego, deposited at ESALQ / USP; 2 paratype females, from São José do Rio Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil, 24/IV/1992, R.J. F. Feres, one on Desmodium canum (J.F.Gmel.) (Fabaceae) and the other on an unidentified plant, both specimens are deposited at DZSJRP.

Etymology: the species name cerrado refers to vegetation type of the region where the type specimens were collected.

Figures

FIGURES 15–18. Xenotarsonemus cerrado (female). 15, leg I; 15’, sensorial cluster; 16, leg II; 17, leg III; 18, leg IV.