Monatractides angelae, Wiles, 2005

Wiles, P. R., 2005, First collections of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Honduras: descriptions of six new species, Journal of Natural History 39 (3), pp. 253-263 : 257

Monatractides angelae n. sp.

( Figure 3 )

Male. Colour pale ruddy red. Small species; dorsal shield length 481, width 371; ventral shield length 574, width 415. Dorsal plates 1+2 with anterior lateral platelets showing remnants of dividing suture line; D2 and D3 located on and D4 located posterior to, dorsal plate; ventral shield typical; length MS 53, Ib–Gp 109; V1 on ventral plate, V2–4 and excretory pore located posterior to ventral plate; infracapitular bay not tapering, narrow, length 129, width 38. Length genital flap 110, width across both flaps 86. Ejaculatory complex with wide bulbous distal end tapering strongly to genital pore. Infracapitulum and pedipalp typical; length P1–5: 23, 46, 31, 41, 18. I-Leg-6 and 2-Leg-6 short and broad,,2X as long as broad, length I-Leg-6 73, height I-Leg-6 42, II-Leg-6 more strongly tapering proximally than I-Leg-6.

Female. Similar to male but larger with shorter MS and broader genital plates. Length dorsal shield 549, width 422. MS 37, Ib–Gp 97, V1 just on ventral plate; infracapitular bay 143, width 43. Length genital flap 149, width across both genital flaps 133. Length P1–5: 23, 43, 32, 41, 13. Legs similar to male.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Honduras: ( Site 2) R. El Carago, small stream, near Cusuco National Park entrance, Merendon mountains, altitude 640 m, 8 April 2003. Slide: holotype H33 „, paratype 1 H 2♀, paratype 3 H34Nymph.

Etymology. Named after Angela Todd, Glamorgan University, who collected the specimens.

Discussion. The broad tibia of the first two pairs of legs and the pattern of fused anterior platelets are diagnostic of the species. Other species with a broad I-Leg-6 and II-Leg-6 include: M. sakina Cook, 1967 from India and the Malay Peninsula (unpublished record), M. υenusta υenusta (Viets, 1935), known from a single specimen from Sumatra; M. υenusta africana Cook, 1966 , M. stigeophora Cook, 1966 and M. neostigeophora Cook, 1966 from Liberia. The new species is of similar small size and shape to M. υenusta and M. sakina and has a similar cheliceral claw (not enlarged). However, the pattern of anterior platelet fusion differs from that of similar species, which show no plate fusion.

Figures

Figure 3. Monatractides angelae n. sp. (a) Venter „; (b) dorsum „; (c) pedipalp „; (d) infracapitulum „; (e) I-Leg „; (f) ejaculatory complex; (g) venter ♀. Scale bar: 101 Mm (a, b, g); 17 Mm (c); 28 Mm (d); 41 Mm (e, f).