Paraquanothrus grahami, Norton & Franklin, 2018

Norton, Roy A. & Franklin, Elizabeth, 2018, Paraquanothrus n. gen. from freshwater rock pools in the USA, with new diagnoses of Aquanothrus, Aquanothrinae, and Ameronothridae (Acari, Oribatida), Acarologia 58 (3), pp. 557-627 : 564-565

Paraquanothrus grahami n. sp.

Zoobank: 32E180E2-8CB2-4BED-8FF9-C963057CB266

Diagnosis — With traits of Paraquanothrus n. gen. (above). Adult. Total length 766-912

μm. Cuticle moderately wrinkled dorsally and laterally; sclerites weak, easily deformed, circumgastric scissure often not well discernible from weak notogaster and ventral plate. Notogaster with distinct central dome and surrounding rim, without posterolateral tectum; setation consistently unideficient (15 pairs). With variably developed vertical ridge posterior to leg acetabulum I and distinct epimeral tooth posterior to II; acetabulum III distinctly closer to

II than to IV. Leg IV (claw not included) 0.63-0.71 times body length. Trochanters III, IV and all femora with stigma and trachea. Leg tarsi without iteral setae; seta d of femora I, II inserted in proximal half of segment, d and l′ similar to other setae in form and direction. Juveniles. Hysterosoma with integumental plications finely spaced; leathery patches indistinct, pale in preserved specimens. Larva with gastronotic seta h3 and coxisternal seta 3a present.

Etymology — The species epithet honors Dr. Tim Graham, an expert on the biology of rock pool and pothole microhabitats of the Colorado Plateau, who first discovered the species and studied its biology, and who provided most of the material studied herein.

Type locality — USA ; Utah; Grand County, ca. 1 km northeast of Moab ; lat/long 38.583, -109.535; ca. 1460 m a.s.l.

Material examined — The following were collected from the type locality (1991, 2007,

2015) by Dr. Tim B. Graham from sediment in small, shallow rock-pools (‘pans’, 1 m or less in diameter) on barren ‘fins’ of Navajo sandstone. The type-series (51 adults, preserved in alcohol) includes: the holotype female and five paratypes, collected 5-VII-2015 and deposited in the USNM ; 10 paratypes collected 16-III-2007 and deposited in the CNC ; five paratypes collected 16-III-2007 and deposited in the INPA, and 30 paratypes (four from 2015, 26 from

2007) retained by the first author. Non-type material from the type locality includes 20 nymphs (from 2007, in alcohol) divided between the USNM and CNC. The first author retains the following from collections on 17-XI-1991 and 16-III-2007: 27 alcoholic and 23 dissected, slide-mounted adults ; 40 alcoholic and 30 slide-mounted juveniles.

Other studied material (all collected by Tim Graham from small aquatic pans on rock surfaces and retained by first author) is also from Utah: Garfield County, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Highway 95, west of mouth of Dirty Devil River, 26-II-1993 (12 adults,

three juveniles); Sevier / Emery County border region, route I-70, 1 km W of mile marker 94, 5-III-1993 (six adults, three juveniles) .