Austrophthiracarus bicarinatus, Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2014

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2014, New and little known species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Cameroon, Zootaxa 3889 (1), pp. 31-57 : 47

Austrophthiracarus bicarinatus sp. nov.

( Fig. 8A–H )

Measurement of holotype. Prodorsum: length 520, width 379, height 182; prodorsal setae: sensillus 63, interlamellar (in) 215, lamellar (le) 177, rostral (ro) and exobothridial (ex) 51; notogaster: length 1040, width 778, height 737; notogastral setae: c 1 405, c 2 126, c 3 152, cp 190, h 1 455, h 3 66, ps 1 430; genitoaggenital plate 126×109, anoadanal plate 303×162.

Description. Big species, colour brown, body surface punctated.

Prodorsum with narrow sigillar fields, median longer than laterals. Two pairs of lateral carinae present, upper longer, reach almost the end of rostrum, posterior furrows absent. Sinus absent. Sensilli very short, slightly fusiform, rough. Very long interlamellar and lamellar setae, procumbent, similar to notogastral setae, attenuate, flexible, smooth, rostral and exobothridial setae short, needleform.

Notogaster with 16 pairs of notogastral setae, different in length, attenuate, flexible, smooth, generally dorsal longer than lateral setae, notogastral setae c 1 considerably longer than distance between c 1 -d 1. Additional setae in rows c. Setae c 1, c1' and c 2 slightly remote from anterior notogastral margin, notogastral setae c 3 less remote. Vestigial setae f 1 situated anteriorly of h 1 setae. Five pairs of lyrifissures, ia, im, ip, ih, and ips, present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum slightly shorter (0.9) than distance between their insertion points. Arrangement of fairly long genital setae: 5(4+1): 4; but in holotype only one seta at right plate is absent. Anoadanal plates with adanal setae ad 1 and ad 2 longer than anal and ad 3 setae.

Legs. Chaetome of legs complete type. Setae d on femora I relatively long and slightly remote from distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and five paratypes are deposited at DATE from the locus typicus: North–West Province, Mt. Oku, about 12 km W of Kumbo, 4–5. V. 2006, latitude 06°13'17.64" N, longitude 10°30'13.26" E, altitude 2800 m, montane foggy forest, litter and soil sifting sample, leg V. Grebennikov, two paratypes are deposited at ISB and one paratype is deposited at NHMG all from the same locality.

Etymology. The specific epithet bicarinatus refers to the presence of two pairs of lateral carinae of prodorsum.

Comparison. The new species is distinguishable from congeners by presence of two pairs of prodorsal lateral carinae, long notogastral setae, also interlamellar and lamellar setae of prodorsum, short fusiform sensilli and presence of one pair of additional setae in row c of notogaster.

Figures

FIGURE 8 A – H. Austrophthiracarus bicarinatus sp. nov. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, mentum of subcapitulum; E, right genitoaggenital plate; F, left genitoaggenital plate; G, right anoadanal plate; H, trochanter and femur of leg I.