Armascirus fendai, Kalúz, Stanislav & Vrabec, Michal, 2013

Kalúz, Stanislav & Vrabec, Michal, 2013, Two new species of Armascirus (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae) from Slovakia, Zootaxa 3734 (2), pp. 141-155 : 142-144

Armascirus fendai , new species

Differential diagnosis. Armascirus fendai sp. nov. resembles the species A. ozarkensis Skvarla & Dowling, A. gimpeli Smiley and A. cerris Kalúz by having a small hysterosomal median shield that lacks dorsal setae and has lateral platelets. It can be differentiated from A. ozarkensis and A. gimpeli by the shorter hysterosomal median shield (width/length=1/1) and by the number of sts on tarsi I–IV (15-12-11-11), from A. cerris by the short hysterosomal platelets and by two apophyses on the palpal telofemur. Further differential features are stated in the key.

Description. Female —body length 544 (481–861), width 386 (309–544), 5 specimens measured.

Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ): Propodosoma with a reticulate subrectangular shield, cone–shaped distally. Propodosomal shield reaching to anterior region of hysterosoma, bearing a pair of anterior (vi) and posterior (sce) setose trichobothria and also 2 pairs of tactile setae (ve and sci). Anterior trichobothrium 239 (239–258), posterior trichobothrium 509 (386–512) long, distance between bases of vi–vi and sce–sce 34 (34–37) and 308 (208–308), respectively. Propodosoma separated from hysterosoma by fine striae with broken dash-like papillae. Fine striae between pairs of setae d1–d1 and e1–e1 anteriorly slightly concave to transverse. Hysterosoma with hysterosomal median shield and a pair of lateral reticulate platelets; 6 pairs of tactile dorsal setae present on hysterosoma; c2, c1– h1. Short setae c1 and c2 about equal in length (8-9 Μm); following setae longer and increasing in length: d1 (11), e1 (18), f1 (31) and h1 (41). Distance between bases of setae c1–c1 about 16 times length of c1; d1–d1 about 6 times length of d1; e1– e1 about 4 times longer e1; f1– f 1, about 2 – times length of f1; h1–h1 nearly length of h1.

Venter ( Fig. 2). Coxal plates weakly sclerotized, coxae I–II and III–IV contiguous and finely reticuate, reticulation similar to those of dorsal shields, but three times smaller in diameter. Setal formula of coxae I–IV: 3-2- 3-3 sts. Venter of hysterosoma ( Fig. 2) with a pair of simple centro-medial setae on striated integument between coxae III. A pair of simple setae laterally between coxae II and III, and with 5 pairs of hysterogastral setae arranged anteriorly to genital plates; 4 pairs of simple setae on weekly sclerotized genital plates, 2 pairs of adanal and a pair of anal setae situated caudally.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 3 ). Five-segmented palp 409 (309–412) long with palpal tibiotarsus apically curved. Palp with gently punctate surface and bare tibiotarsus. Palpal chaetotaxy as follows: trochanter—bare, basifemur—1 dorso-medial simple seta (8–10) long; inner surface of telofemur with 1 latero-medial apophysis (17–19), 1 ventromedial apophysis (28–30), dorso-distal stout spine-like seta (14–17); inner surface of genu with 1 long and simple latero-medial seta (29–33 long), 1 elongate ventro-distal apophysis (65-90), genual outer surface ventrally with 1 simple short distal seta (15–20), dorsally with 1 spine-like distal seta (15–19), palpgenual apophysis 6 times long as adjacent spine-like seta; tibiotarsus inner surface with 1 simple proximal seta (14–16) and medially with 1 stout spine-like seta (12–15); outer surface with 1 dorso-medial simple seta (9–12); dorso-distal simple seta (9–10) and terminating with small short claw (9–12).

Chelicera. Slender and 235 (195–239) long, cheliceral segment I as well as proximal part of segment II with randomly placed papillae, a pair of distal setae present.

Subcapitulum ( Fig. 3 ). Subrectangular, distally cone-shaped subcapitulum with 2 pairs of short adoral setae and 4 pairs of hypognathal setae (hg). Setae hg4 (40 long) 2 times longer than hg2 (21), more than 2 times longer than hg1 (18) and nearly 3 times longer than hg3 (15). Coxal region of subcapitulum with randomly placed fine papillae, latero-proximal part finely reticulated.

Legs ( Fig. 4 ). All legs with fine reticulation, most distinct on proximal segments. Legs I–III shorter than leg IV. Chaetotaxy I–IV (excluding coxae) as follows: trochanters I–IV 1-1 -2-1 sts; basifemora I–IV 5-5 -4-2 sts; telofemora I–IV 4-4 -4-4 sts; genu I—2 asl, 1 mst, 6 sts; genu II—1 asl, 6 sts; genu III—6 sts; genu IV—6 sts; tibia I—1 asl, 5 sts; tibia II—1 asl, 5 sts; tibia III—1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia IV, 1 smooth T, 4 sts; tarsus I—1 fam, 1 asl, 1 tsl, 15 stsl; tarsus II—1 bsl, 1 tsl, 12 sts; tarsus III—1 tsl, 11 sts; tarsus IV—11 sts.

Length of leg segments (coxa and trochanter not measured): Basifemur I—109 (92–109), II—100 (98–108), III—123 (97–123), IV—103 (103–138); Telofemur I—68 (68–71), II—61 (53–65), III—53 (46–61), IV—65 (51– 65); Genu I—39 (37–45), II—43 (38–45), III—53 (46–53), IV—72 (51–72); Tibia I—51 (40–51), II—42 (36–49), III—72 (57–72), IV—93 (63–93); Tarsus, I—193 (146–204), II—180 (137–181), III—189 (154–204), IV—187 (154–208).

Male and developmental stages. Unknown.

Material studied. Holotype: female on slide, SW—Slovakia, Veľké Leváre village vicinity, Nature Reserve Abrod— Molinietum caerulae, 124 m a.s.l. (N-48˚31′57″, E-17˚00′21″), 14. Sept. 1999 from soil with grass roots on sands. Paratypes: 4 females on slides; SW—Slovakia, Bratislava, Podunajské Biskupice (N-48˚05′43″, E- 17˚09′44″), Nature reserve Ostrov Kopáč— Quercetum delechampi, 130 m a.s.l., 12. June 2006, 1 female from soil with grass roots; N—Slovakia, High Tatras Mts., Vyšné Hágy vicinity (N-49˚07′20″, E-20˚06′32″), 1175 m a.s.l., mountain meadow, 11. July 2008, 1 female collected from soil with grass roots; N—Slovakia, High Tatras Mts., Vyšné Hágy vicinity (N-49˚07′20″, E-20˚06′32″), 1175 m a.s.l., mountain meadow, 4. Sept. 2008, 1 female collected from soil with grass roots; W—Slovakia, Strážovské vrchy Mts., Čierna Lehota village vicinity (N- 48˚52′35″, E-18˚20′27″), 486 m a.s.l, 26. May 2011, 1 female from soil with grass roots on limestones. Material collected by S. Kalúz. Holotype and two paratypes will be deposited in Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia; one paratype in The Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium; one paratype in the collection of senior author.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Slovak acarologist Dr. Peter Fenďa.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Armascirus fendai sp. nov. — female (idiosoma dorsal). Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 3. Armascirus fendai sp. nov. — female; palps (dorsal view), subcapitulum (ventral view). Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 4. Armascirus fendai sp. nov. — female; legs I – IV (from left, dorsal view). Scale bar = 100 µm.