Plenotocepheus neotropicus, Ermilov & Sandmann & Marian & Maraun, 2013

Ermilov, S. G., Sandmann, D., Marian, F. & Maraun, M., 2013, THREE NEW SPECIES OF ORIBATID MITES (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) FROM ECUADOR Sergey G. E, Dorothee S, Franca M and Mark M, Acarologia 53 (1), pp. 111-123 : 115-118

Plenotocepheus neotropicus n. sp.

( Figures 3-4 )

Diagnosis — Body size 581 – 763 x 249 – 332. Notogaster and anogenital region foveolate. Interlamellar setae longer than rostral and lamellar setae. Sensilli with lanceolate, smooth head. All prodorsal and notogastral lateral condyles present, median notogastral condyles absent. Notogastral setae shorter than notogaster, setiform, slightly barbed. Lyrifissures iad in direct apoanal position. Leg setae u thorn-like.

Measurements — Body length 581 (holotype), 630 – 763 (mean 701; seven paratypes); notogaster width 249 (holotype), 249 – 332 (mean 284; seven paratypes).

Integument — ( Figures 3 A-C; 4F). Body color yellow-brownish. Surface of body densely microfoveolate (diameter of foveolae up to 1). Notogaster and anogenital region foveolate (diameter of foveolae up to 6). Lateral region nearly to pedotectae II with reticulate pattern. Genital plates with several longitudinal stria.

Prodorsum — ( Figures 3A, C, D ; 4A ). Rostrum simple, broadly rounded in dorsal view. Rostral (69 – 77), lamellar (73 – 77) and interlamellar (139 – 147) setae setiform, slightly barbed. Sensilli (106 – 118) lanceolate, smooth. Exobothridial setae (8) thin, smooth. All prodorsal condyles well developed, similar in sizes, rounded distally, located separately. Pedotecta I and II (Pt II) developed typically for genus.

Notogaster — ( Figures 3A, C ; 4A ). Median condyles absent. Lateral condyles present, small, rounded distally. Notogaster with 14 pairs of notogastral setae, which are medium sized (127 – 164), setiform, slightly barbed. Lyrifissures and opisthonotal gland openings developed in the typical arrangement of the family.

Gnathosoma — ( Figures 4 B-D). Typical for Tetracondylidae ( Grobler 1995 a; Ermilov et al. 2010). Subcapitulum longer than wide: 143 – 151 x 110 – 114. Subcapitular setae setiform, slightly barbed; h and m (both 53 – 61) longer than a (32 – 36). Adoral setae and their alveoli absent. Palps (length 69 – 77) with setation 0-2-1-3-8 (+1ω). Solenidion not attached with eupathidium. Chelicerae (length 155- 164) with one cheliceral seta (cha, 53 – 57), chb absent. Trägårdh’s organ distinct.

Epimeral region — ( Figures 3B , 4E ). Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-3-3; setae setiform, smooth (except barbed 3c). Lengths of setae: 1a, 2a, 3a 28 – 32; 1b 49 – 53; 1c, 4b 32 – 36; 3b, 3c, 4a, 4c 65 – 77. Discidia triangular, blunt-ended.

Anogenital region — ( Figures 3B ; 4 F-H). Three pairs of genital (28 – 32) and one pair of aggenital (61 – 69) setae setiform, smooth. Three pairs of adanal (ad 1, ad 2, 131 – 135, ad 3, 98 – 102) and two pairs of anal (an 1, an 2, 90 – 98) setae setiform, slightly barbed. Lyrifissures iad in direct apoanal position.

Legs — ( Figure 4I ). Typical for Tetracondylidae ( Grobler 1995 a; Ermilov et al. 2010). Claw of each tarsus with several small barbs in dorsal side. Homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 2. Tarsi I and II with one to two conical teeth on dorsal side. Leg setae u thorn-like on all tarsi. Famulus short, with small swelling distally. Solenidia simple.

Material examined — Holotype (male) and seven paratypes (four males, three females): Southern Ecuador, 3°58’ – 4°70’ S, 78°58 ’ – 79°50’ W, Bombuscaro , Podocarpus National Park and Estation Scientifica San Francisco, 2000 – 3000 m. a.s.l., upper organic soil layer in mostly undisturbed rain forest, 01.04.2008, collected by F. Marian.

Type deposition — The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia; three paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Siberian Zoological Museum , Novosibirsk, Russia; four paratypes are in the personal collection of the first author.

Etymology — The specific name " neotropicus " refers to the region of origin, the Neotropical region.

Remarks — Plenotocepheus neotropicus n. sp. is most similar to Plenotocepheus mollicoma Hammer, 1966 (see Hammer 1966) from New Zealand in the absence of medial notogastral condyles and shape of body setae. However, it is clearly distinguishable from the latter by the long interlamellar setae, which are longer than the rostral and lamellar setae (interlamellar setae considerably shorter than rostral and lamellar setae in P. mollicoma ), sensillar heads weakly pointed distally, shorter than its stalk (sensillar heads with long, thin tip, longer than its stalk in P. mollicoma ), lyrifissures iad in direct apoanal position (inverse apoanal in P. mollicoma ), distance between adanal setae ad 3 - ad 3 longer than that between ad 2 - ad 2 (shorter in P. mollicoma ), and thorn-like leg setae u on tarsi I (setiform in P. mollicoma ).

Figures

FIGURE 3: Plenotocepheus neotropicus n. sp.: A – dorsal view; B – ventral view, legs, subcapitular setae and palps not shown; C – lateral view of prodorsum, legs and gnathosoma not shown; D – sensillus. Scale bar (A, B) 200 µm, scale bar (C) 100 µm, scale bar (D) 20 µm.

FIGURE 4: Plenotocepheus neotropicus n. sp.: A – Prodorsal and notogastral condyles; B – subcapitulum, left half; C – palptarsus; D – anterior part of chelicera; E – epimeral seta 4b; F – genital plate, right; G – aggenital seta; H – anal seta an2; I – leg tarsus I, right, antiaxial view. Scale bar (A) 50 µm, scale bar (B, D, F, I) 20 µm, scale bar (C, E, G, H) 10 µm.