Afroleius amieae, Coetzee, Louise, 2014

Coetzee, Louise, 2014, Afroleius floridus (Mahunka, 1985) comb. nov. and three new Afroleius Mahunka, 1984 species (Acari: Oribatida: Mycobatidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 3889 (4), pp. 553-573 : 561-564

Afroleius amieae sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 6 , 11 )

Species diagnosis. Notogastral surface with small, round foveae; ventral surface with larger, round foveae; surfaces of prodorsum and pteromorph reticulate, with some cerotegument; octotaxic system consisting of saccules; bothridial seta clavate, sparsely barbed, stalk thin, directed antero-dorsally; rostral seta long, barbed; lamellar seta long, minutely barbed, thin, apices touching; postanal porose area present; large dorsal dens on tarsi I and II; genu I distally with dorsal and ventral cusps antiaxially; genu II distally with lateral cusp.

Dimensions. Holotype: (male) length 282, width 177: Paratypes: males (n = 8): length 268 (262–282), width 177 (166–186); females (n = 7): length 280 (276–284), width 190 (181–196).

Prodorsum ( Figs 5 A, C, 6A, B). Rostral margin anteriorly with two small notches, transparent U-shaped area between notches (similar to A. floridus comb. nov. Fig. 1 B); prodorsal surface reticulate ( Fig. 6 B); lamella wide, extending over lateral margin of prodorsum; rostral seta (ro) long, barbed (~38) ( Fig. 6 B), inserted at anterior apex of tutorium; lamellar seta (le) long (~44), minutely barbed, thin, apices medially touching; interlamellar seta (in) minute (~5); bothridial opening directed ventro-laterally, with overlapping slit in ventral wall of bothridium; bothridial seta clavate, sparsely barbed, stalk long, thin, directed antero-dorsally, length of bothridial seta from point of emerging from bothridium to tip of seta ~60 (56–63).

Notogaster ( Figs 5 A, C, 6A). Surface of notogaster with small, round foveae; octotaxic system consisting of saccules, notogastral setae minute (~5); orifice of opisthosomal gland (gla) very small, situated postero-laterally to lp; surface of pteromorph with thick reticulation and some cerotegument, reticulation replaced by fine granules along peripheral areas.

Podosoma and gnathosoma ( Figs 5 B, C, 6C). Surface of mentum anteriorly with shallow foveae, posteriorly smooth, some cerotegument present; subcapitular seta a of medium length, finely barbed, m slightly longer than a, barbed, h short, smooth; genal notch (gn) present; genal tooth broad, short; epimeral setae very short; epimeral setation (epimeres I–IV) 2-1-2-2; epimeral surface laterally with large foveae, foveae medially smaller ( Fig. 6 C); surface of pedotectum I reticulate with some cerotegument.

Ventral plate ( Fig. 5 B). Surface of genital plate smooth; surface of anal plate foveate; ventral plate with large, round foveae; postanal porose area present, small, round, covered by posterior notogastral tectum.

Legs ( Fig. 6 B). Setation of all legs similar to A. floridus comb. nov.; tarsi I and II proximally with small transverse ridges on dorsal surface, antiaxial surface granular; dorsal integument of tarsi I, II, IV and tibiae I, II, IV thick; femora I–IV, trochanters III–IV antiaxially with fine striae; tarsi I and II with large, pointed, distally directed dens; tarsus II short, broad; genua I and II distally with ventral and dorsal cusps antiaxially; tarsus IV antiaxially with weakly developed diagonal tectum running from insertion of ft towards proximo-lateral base of segment; femur ventrally with wide tectum.

Material examined ( Fig. 11 ). Holotype: Database no. 1768.15.1, Edenville 27°29’S, 27°42’E, litter underneath shrubs, 19.i.1982, leg. C.M. Engelbrecht. Paratypes: from the same sample; 6 males and 5 females deposited in the Acarology Collection of the National Museum (Database no 1768.15.2); 2 males and 2 females deposited in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum (Database no: NMSA-Aca 20008, Type 4030).

Additional material: Litter associated with trees and shrubs from grassland and savanna biomes in central South Africa (habitat types according to Mucina & Rutherford 2006). Grassland: Jim Fouche Resort (near Oranjeville) 27°00'S 28°22'E 4.vi.1964 DJK; Zastron 30°15'S 27°01'E 31.1.1977 CME; Welkom 28°04'S 26°27'E 14.ii.1977 CME; Reddersburg 29°39'S 26°11'E 21.ii.1977 CME; Heilbron 27°16'S 28°05'E 18.i.1982 CME; Edenville 27°29'S, 27°42'E 19.i.1982 CME; Kroonstad 27°36'S 27°26'E 19.i.1982 CME; Golden Gate Highlands National Park 28°31'S 28°36'E 25.i.1982 CME; Rhodes 30°45'S 28°01'E 3.xii.1993 JPE. Savanna: Vryburg 27°07'S 24°19'E 26.i.1983 CME.

Remarks. This species is very similar to A. floridus comb. nov., but differs in the notogastral surface having small, round foveae on the entire notogaster and in the length of the lamellar and rostral setae, with the rostral seta about twice the length of ro in A. floridus comb. nov. and the apices of the lamellar seta in A. amieae sp. nov. touching, whereas they are well separated in A. floridus . It also differs in habitat preference as it occurs mainly in the grassland biome of central South Africa.

Etymology. This species is named for my mother, Amie Botha.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Afroleius floridus comb. nov. A) Dorsal view. B) Rostrum, anterior view (not to scale). C) Ventral view. D) Lateral view. Scale bar 100 µm.

FIGURE 5. Afroleius amieae sp. nov. A) Dorsal view. B) Ventral view. C) Lateral view. Scale bar 100 µm.

FIGURE 6. Afroleius amieae sp. nov. A – B SEM images. C Light microscope image. A) Dorsal view. B) Tarsus I, dorsal dens indicated by arrow. (C) Epimeral region, epimeral border 4 indicated by arrow.

FIGURE 11. Distribution of Afroleius floridus comb. nov. (circles), A. amieae sp. nov. (triangles) and A. inae sp. nov. (squares) and A. valerieae sp. nov. (crosses) in South Africa.