Protophthiracarus ruseki, Niedbała, 2009

Niedbała, Wojciech, 2009, New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Cuba, Journal of Natural History 43 (7 - 8), pp. 423-433 : 427-429

Protophthiracarus ruseki sp. nov.

( Figure 3 )

Material examined

Holotype: Cuba, Prov. Habana, Arroyo Bermejo , litter from semideciduous forest, north slope, 16 XI 1981, leg. J. Rusek.

Measurements of holotype

Prodorsum: length 333, width 252, height 162, sensillus 60.7, setae: interlamellar 30.4, lamellar 35.4, rostral 63.2; notogaster: length 707, width 465, height 404, setae: c 1 217, h 2 152, ps 2 136; genitoaggenital plate 172X151, anoadanal plate 177X162.

Description

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

Prodorsum with strong median crista. Sigillar fields narrow, median longer than laterals. Lateral carinae present. Posterior furrows distinct. Sensilli long with club-like, smooth head. Interlamellar and lamellar setae needle-shaped, rough, inserted near each other. Rostral setae spiniform, rough. Exobothridial setae vestigial.

Notogaster with 15 pairs (setae h 1 and ps 1 are broken) of rather long, rigid and rough setae. Setae c 1 and c 3 inserted at anterior border, setae c 2 slightly remote from border. All four pairs of lyrifissures ia, im, ip, ips present. Vestigial setae f 1 not visible.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 4+2: 3. Setae of anoadanal plates rather long, rough, setae ad 2 the longest.

Chaetome of legs of ‘‘complete type’’, setae d of femora I small but robust, inserted on distal end of article.

Etymology

The new species is named in honour of Dr J. Rusek, famous apterygologist. Comparison

The new species is easily distinguishable from congeners by the presence of the unique closeness of setting of the interlamellar and lamellar setae as well by the presence of long, rigid, rough notogastral, anal and adanal setae.

Figures

Figure 3. Protophthiracarus ruseki sp. nov. (holotype): (A) prodorsum, lateral view; (B) prodorsum, dorsal view; (C) opisthosoma, lateral view; (D) mentum of infracapitulum; (E) genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates; (F) trochanter and femur of leg I.