Cunaxoides decastroae Den Heyer, 2013

Heyer, Jacob den, Ueckermann, Edward A. & Khanjani, Mohammad, 2013, Iranian Cunaxidae (Acari: Prostigmata: Bdelloidea). Part III. Subfamily Cunaxoidinae, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 47 (31 - 32), pp. 2049-2070 : 2050-2053

Cunaxoides decastroae Den Heyer sp. nov.

( Figures 1 , 2 )

Material studied

Holotype female, clover, Asadabad (Pirmalo), Iran, 8 August 1994, M. Khanjani (Slide 197–27).

Diagnosis

The most striking feature of this species is the presence of a pair of integumental invaginations in the area between the posterolateral edges of the genital valves and the nearby lyrifissure ih. This soft-bodied species closely resembles Cunaxoides croceus Koch 1838 , but differs from it as follows: in this new species setae pair e1 are situated on dorsal shield; in C. croceus and C. paracroceus Sionti and Papadoulis, 2003 they are located on the integument. Invagination near anal region; dorsal “shield” entire; genua IV with 2 asl.

Female ( Figure 1 A–G) (n = 1)

Dimension and description. Idiosoma: length 316, width 223; hypognathum: length 131, width 77; lengths: palps 89, chelicerae 119: legs: I 223, II 200, III 223, IV 246; sensillae vi 111, sce 126: dorsal setae: ve 26, sci 32, c1 23, c2 22, d1 20, e1 28, f1 30, h1 35.

Dorsum ( Figure 1A–C ). Dorsum ( Figure 1A ) with a weakly sclerotized but welldemarcated shield-like area carrying sensillae pairs vi, sce ( Figure 1B, C ) and setae pairs ve, sci, c1, c2, d1 and e1. Shield provided with lobes whose pattern is shown in Figure 1 . Integumental striae also lobed. Dorsal integument carries smooth setae pairs f1 and h1 on region posteriad to dorsal shield.

Venter ( Figure 1D ). Sternal, coxal and genital areas somewhat heavier lobed than integument ( Figure 1E ). Propodogastral setae on posteromedian edge of undivided sternal area; paracoxal setae occur on median edges of coxal IV regions. Genital valves with four pairs of simple setae; seta g4 longer than g1–3; two pairs of genital papillae. Genital valves surrounded by longitudinal striae: surface of genital valves covered with flat striae.

Gnathosoma ( Figure 1 E–G). Hypognathum with ventral surface papillate; coxal region with conspicuous internal apodemes; four pairs of hg setae; setae hg3 longer than others ( Figure 1E ). Cheliceral joint I papillate; joint II punctuate with terminal setae. Palp ( Figure 1E, F ) three-jointed; trochanter short without seta, femorogenu with three setae dorsally and two laterally. Tibiotarsus with five simple setae, a bulge-like process, distally a tooth-like process, a terminal solenidion and a terminal claw.

Legs ( Figures 1H , 2 A–C). Right leg III (as on slide) shows teratological variation; chaetotaxy of these podomeres based on left leg III. Leg chaetotaxy: coxae I–IV 3 sts, 1 peg –1 sts –3 sts –2 sts; trochanters I–IV 1–1–2–1 sts; basifemora I–V 4–3–3– 0 or 1 sts; telofemora I–IV 4–4–3–2 sts; genua I–V 4 asl, 5 sts –2 asl, 5 sts –1 asl, 5 sts – 2 asl, 5 sts; tibiae I–IV 1 asl, 1 alveolus with very short peg-like solenidion, 5 sts–1 bsl, 5 sts –1 asl, 5 sts – 4 sts, 1 T; tarsi I–IV 4 asl, 1 famulus pit distally, 1 dtsl, 2 tsl, 18 sts–1bsl, 1 dtsl, 1 tsl, 19 sts–1 tsl, 15 sts –15 sts.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology

This species is named for the Brazilian acarologist, Dr Tatiane Marie Martins Gomes de Castro, a former postgraduate student of senior author.

Figures

Figure 1. Cunaxoides decastroae Den Heyer sp. nov. female. (A) Dorsum; (B) sensilla vi; (C) sensilla sce; (D) venter; (E) hypognathum, ventral; (F) palp; (G) palp tibiotarsus, ventral; (H) leg I.

Figure 2. Cunaxoides decastroae Den Heyer sp. nov. female. (A) Leg II; (B) leg III; (C) leg IV. Cunaxoides lootsi Den Heyer sp. nov. female. (D) Dorsum; (E) dorsal striae enlarged; (F) chelicera.