Torrenticola motasi Cook, 1966

Pešić, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2014, Torrenticolid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) from Ghana, Zootaxa 3820 (1), pp. 1-80 : 10-13

Torrenticola motasi Cook, 1966

( Figs. 6A–D , 12G–H , 14G–H )

Torrenticola motasi Cook 1966: 68 .

New records. Ghana: Laboun River, downstream, Kyabobo NP, 8º 19.931 N, 0º 34.476 E, alt. 303 m asl, 24.ii.2013, Smit, 1/1/0; Fuller Falls, 8º 0 4.975 N, 1º 47.842 W, alt. 189 m asl, 6.iii.2011, Smit, 2/1/0; Afiaso stream, Kakum NP, 5º 30.087 N, 1º 26.373 W, alt. 114 m asl., 12.ii.2013, Smit, 1/0/0; Tagbo River, downstream of falls, 7º 0 0.708 N, 0º 34.326 E, alt. 394 m asl., 23.ii.2013, Smit, 1/3/0; stream downstream of Wanjakli Falls, Likpe Todome, 7º 09.976 N, 0º 36.456 E, alt. 478 m asl., 23.ii.2013, Smit, 1/0/0 (mounted); Nubui River, Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary, 7º 06.986 N, 0º 35.548 E, alt. 254 m asl., 22.ii.2013, Smit, 1/0/0; tributary of Oguntwe, Ankasa NP, 5º 16.563 N, 2º 38.733 W, alt. 78 m asl., 14.ii.2013, Smit, 0/1/0 (mounted); Supon stream near Asiakwa, Atewa Hills, 6º 15.530 N, 0º 30.642 W, alt. 250 m asl, 7.iii.2011, Smit, 2/2/0.

Morphology. General features —Idiosoma roundish; dorsal shield with colour pattern as illustrated in Fig. 12G ; coxal field anteriorly extending far beyond frontal margin; gnathosomal bay V-shaped; Cxgl-4 far posterior at margin of Cx-I/II near II-L insertion; posterior suture lines of Cx-IV extending beyond posterior margin of genital field, laterally curved; Vgl-2 on the line of primary sclerotization, excretory pore posterior to Vgl–2 ( Figs. 6A–B ); gnathosoma ventral margin only slightly curved, rostrum well developed ( Fig. 6D ); P-2 shorter than P-4, ventral margin of P-2 distally with a laterally compressed, longish, anteriorly directed, serrated hyaline extension (covering more than half of ventral margin), ventral seta very short (hardly visible due to the serrate distal edge of the ventrodistal protrusion) and denticle-like; P-3 with a shorter, subrectangular, apically serrated ventrodistal projection; P-4 slender, with ventral tubercles pointed and separated, each bearing only one seta ( Fig. 6C ). Male: medial suture line of Cx-II+III moderately long; genital field small and subrectangular, ejaculatory complex normal in shape (with well developed anterior keel and proximal and distal arms). Female: genital field pentagonal in shape.

Measurements. Male (from stream downstream of Wanjakli Falls, n = 1)—Idiosoma (ventral view: Figs. 6A , 14G ) L 559, W 397; dorsal shield ( Fig. 12H ) L 419, W 341, L/W ratio 1.23; dorsal plate L 375; shoulder platelets L 124–125, W 48, L/W ratio 2.56–2.58; frontal platelets L 116–119, W 53, L/W ratio 2.18–2.24; shoulder/frontal platelets L ratio 1.05–1.07. Gnathosomal bay L 59, Cx-I total L 200, Cx-I mL 141, Cx-II+III mL 109; ratio Cx-I L/ Cx-II+III mL 1.83; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.29. Genital field L/W 92/84, ratio 1.1; ejaculatory complex L 123; distance genital field-excretory pore 120, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 156. Gnathosoma vL 235; chelicera total L 246; palp total L 246, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 29/21–22, 1.35; P-2, 67/36, 1.85; P-3, 51/34, 1.5; P-4, 85/14, 6.1; P-5, 14/9, 1.5; P-2/P-4 ratio 0.79; dL of I-L-2–6: 52, 63, 72, 83, 84; I-L-6 H 25, dL/H I-L-6 ratio 3.3.

Female (from tributary of Oguntwe, n = 1)—Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 6B , 14H ) L 570, W 377; dorsal shield ( Fig. 12G ) L 436, W 344, L/W ratio 1.27; dorsal plate L 397; shoulder platelets L 128–131, W 41–44, L/W ratio 2.9–3.2; frontal platelets L 119–122, W 47–50, L/W ratio 2.4–2.6; shoulder/frontal platelets L ratio 1.05–1.1. Gnathosomal bay L 63, Cx-I total L 195, Cx-I mL 132, Cx-II+III mL 88; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 2.2; Cx-I mL/ Cx-II+III mL 1.5. Genital field L/W 117/109, ratio 1.07; distance genital field-excretory pore 125, genital fieldcaudal idiosoma margin 169. Gnathosoma vL 246; chelicera total L 257; palp total L 242, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 21/15, 1.38; P-2, 63/37, 1.7; P-3, 51/35, 1.45; P-4, 92/14, 6.6; P-5, 15/9, 1.8; P-2/P-4 ratio 0.68; dL of I-L-4–6: 79, 92, 82; I-L-6 H 22, dL/H I-L-6 ratio 3.8.

Remarks. Torrenticola motasi belongs to the serratipalpis group, characterized by the longish, serrate ventrodistal projection on P-2 ( Di Sabatino et al. 2010). Torrenticola rhodesiensis K.O. Viets, 1971 known only in the female sex from Zimbabwe (South Rhodesia) ( K.O. Viets 1971) and South Africa ( Goldschmidt & Smit 2009) closely resembles T. motasi and its separation from the latter species is unclear ( Goldschmidt & Smit 2009). Torrenticola rhodesiensis differs in having one colour rather than a banded colour pattern on the dorsal plate in T. motasi (see Fig. 12G ). The colour pattern of the specimen of this study is reddish—according to the original description the colour pattern is purple.

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

Figures

FIGURE 6 A – D. Torrenticola motasi Cook, 1966, Tagbo River (A, C – D = male, stream downstream of Wanjakli River; B = female, tributary of Oguntwe): A – B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = palp, medial view; D = gnathosoma and chelicera. Scale bars = 100 Μm.

FIGURE 12 A – I. Photographs of dorsal shield: A – B Torrenticola anomallela Cook, 1966: A = male from Akaa Falls, B = female from Apkonu stream. C – D Torrenticola bomiensis Cook, 1966: C = male from Supon stream, D = female from Tagbo river. E – F Torrenticola fasciata (K. Viets, 1916), unnamed creek crossing road to Ankasa NP: E—male, F—female. G – H Torrenticola motasi Cook, 1966: G = female from tributary of Oguntwe, H = male from stream downstream of Wanjakli Falls. I Neoatractides erato n. sp., holotype male, upstream Sagyimase.

FIGURE 14 A – I. Photographs of ventral shield: A – B Torrenticola anomallela Cook, 1966: A = male from Akaa Falls, B = female from Apkonu stream. C – D Torrenticola bomiensis Cook, 1966: C = male from Supon stream, D = female from Tagbo river. E – F Torrenticola fasciata (K. Viets, 1916), unnamed creek crossing road to Ankasa NP: E = male, F = female. G – H Torrenticola motasi Cook, 1966: G = male from stream downstream of Wanjakli River, H = female from tributary of Oguntwe. I Neoatractides erato n. sp., holotype male, upstream Sagyimase.