Protophthiracarus aethes, Niedbała, 2009

Niedbała, Wojciech, 2009, New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Cuba, Journal of Natural History 43 (7 - 8), pp. 423-433 : 424

Protophthiracarus aethes sp. nov.

( Figure 1 )

Material examined

Holotype: Cuba, Prov. Pinar del Rio, Sierra del Rosario, Vayesito , submontane forest, mull-like moder, 18 XI 1981, leg. J. Rusek.

Measurements of holotype

Prodorsum: length 404, width 263, height 192, sensillus 70.8, setae: interlamellar 30.4, lamellar 25.3, rostral 17.7; notogaster: length 757, width 475, height 485, setae: c 1 37.9, d 1 114, h 1 202, ps 1 169; genitoaggenital plate 162X111, anoadanal plate 207X106.

Description

Colour, grey-brown. Surface of body covered with strong concavities.

Prodorsum with strong, humped median crista. Posterior furrows well marked. Lateral carinae absent. Strong ridge above bothridium present. Sensilli long, narrow, rough without distinct head. Interlamellar (in) and lamellar (le) setae short, thick, obtuse distally, covered with small spines. Rostral (ro) setae the shortest, rough. Exobothridial setae vestigial.

Notogaster with 15 pairs of heterotrichous setae, setae d 1, e 1, h 1, ps 1 long, setiform, ciliate, other setae short and plumose, setae c 1 and c 3 remote from anterior border, setae c 2 farther from border than setae c 1 and c 3. Vestigial setae not visible. Four pairs of lyrifissures ia, im, ip, ips present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 3+1: 5, also 5 setae in progenital position. Anoadanal plates with five pairs of short, rough setae.

Chaetome of legs of ‘‘complete type’’ ( Niedbała 2004), setae d of femora I slightly remote from anterior end.

Etymology

The specific name aethes is Greek for ‘‘curious, unusual’’ and refers to the number of five genital setae in progenital position which is unique in this genus.

Comparison

The new species is easily distinguishable from congeners by the unique shape of heterotrichous notogastral setae, medial long, setiform and ciliate, a different shape of aspergillum and the unusual number of five genital setae in progenital position.

Figures

Figure 1. Protophthiracarus aethes sp. nov. (holotype): (A) prodorsum, lateral view; (B) prodorsum, dorsal view; (C) opisthosoma, lateral view; (D) mentum of infracapitulum; (E) genitoaggenital plate; (F) anoadanal plate; (G) paraxial border of genitoaggenital plate; (H) trochanter and femur of leg I.