Pseudotorrenticola mitchelli Cook, 1966

Pešić, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2014, Torrenticolid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) from Ghana, Zootaxa 3820 (1), pp. 1-80 : 27

Pseudotorrenticola mitchelli Cook, 1966

( Fig. 16A–D )

Pseudotorrenticola mitchelli Cook 1966: 92 .

New records. Ghana: River Tordzi, 6º 32.819 N, 0º 41.445 E, alt. 79 m asl., 19.ii.2013 Smit 0/1/0 (mounted).

Morphology. Female. General features —Dorsal shield with two pairs of anterior platelets, shoulder platelets a little shorter than frontal platelets ( Fig. 16B ); Cxgl-4 subapical, only slightly posterior of Cx-I tips; posterior suture lines of Cx-IV extending posteriorly far beyond posterior margin of genital field; excretory pore and Vgl-2 posterior to the line of primary sclerotization, excretory pore posterior to Vgl-2; gnathosoma relatively long and narrow ( Fig. 16C ), located at the end of an extrusible membranous tube. Palp segments short, ventral margin of P- 2 and P-3 without ventral tubercles ( Fig. 16D ).

Measurements. Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 16A ) L 722, W 455; dorsal shield L 525, W 394, L/W ratio 1.33; dorsal plate L 488; shoulder platelets L 123, W 53–55, L/W ratio 2.26–2.32; frontal platelets L 134, W 47, L/W ratio 2.9; shoulder/frontal platelets L ratio 0.92. Gnathosomal bay L 56, Cx-I total L 284, Cx-I mL 228, Cx-II+III mL 34; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 8.35; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 6.7. Genital field L/W 142/138, ratio 1.03; distance genital field-excretory pore 203, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 258. Gnathosoma vL 269; chelicera total L 248; palp total L 157, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 21/25, 0.85; P-2, 49/35, 1.4; P-3, 33/33, 1.0; P-4, 38/23, 1.65; P-5, 16/ 11–12, 1.4; P-2/P-4 ratio 1.29; dL of I-L: 51, 70, 79, 101, 102, 104; I-L-6 H 40, dL/H I-L-6 ratio 2.6.

Remarks. In the general characters, the female specimen of this study agrees well with the description of Cook (1966). The only differences are found in slightly larger dimensions of idiosoma and palps of the specimen from Ghana.

Distribution. Liberia ( Cook 1966); Ghana (first record).

Figures

FIGURE 16 A – D. Photographs of Pseudotorrenticola mitchelli Cook, 1966, female, Tordzi River: A = idiosoma, ventral view; B = dorsal shield; C = gnathosoma; D = palp.