Wuria indica, Pešić, Vladimir, Chatterjee, Tapas & Bordoloi, Sabitry, 2010

Pešić, Vladimir, Chatterjee, Tapas & Bordoloi, Sabitry, 2010, A checklist of the water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) of India, with new records and description of one new species, Zootaxa 2617, pp. 1-54 : 43-47

Wuria indica sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–10 )

Type material: Holotype, female, India, Assam State, Kamrup district, SW of Guwahati city, Deeper Beel wetland, between the water hyacinth Eichhornia corniculata, 26.10903N 91.68359E, 37 m asl., 8. xii. 2009, leg. Das & Bordoloi. Paratypes: two females, two males, one male of them dissected and slide mounted, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. Acetabular plates relatively narrow; palpus robust with very stout setae; P-4 with remarkably strong seta inserted at the base of the ventrodistal extension of the segment; P-5 relatively long; IV-L showing sexual dimorphism.

Description. Female: Idiosoma L/W 813/762; surface of coxae and appendages with a fine regular porosity, surface of idiosoma shield covered by group of these pores, each joined to a larger subcutaneous cavern by fine channels; dorsal furrow complete, dorsal shield L/W 750/663; a stripe of idiosoma surface with large pores lying between the medial nargins of Cx-III/IV as well between the margins of Cx-II and -III; capitular bay shallow; distinct, nose-shaped projections associated with the insertions of IV-L; genital field completely lacking surface porosity, but many acetabula in the genital field linked in a similar manner as the idiosomal pores in groups of two to four each to subcutaneous cavern; genital field ( Fig. 9A ) L/W 269/422, gonopore large L/W 138/125, acetabular plates L/W ratio 1.73 – 1.77; palp ( Fig. 9E ): total L 293, L and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 25 (8.5); P-2, 79 (27.0); P-3, 62 (21.2); P-4, 86 (29.4); P-5, 41 (14.0); palp with eight stout setae on the medial surface of P-2, P-4 with remarkably strong seta inserted at the base of the ventrodistal extension of the segment, P-5 relatively long and directed medially; gnathosoma L 168, enlarged rostrally; chelicera total L 150. Legs: with pointed distal extensions at distal margins of segments 2 – 5, III- and IV-L bearing numerous swimming setae; L of I-L-4 – 6 ( Fig. 9B ): 97, 115, 129; L of IV-L ( Fig. 9F ): 146, 118, 118, 145, 169, 167.

Male: Similar to female except in the shape of dorsal shield, genital field ( Fig. 9D ) and IV-L-6. Idiosoma L/W 675/556; dorsal furrow incomplete (dorsal shield posteriorly fused with ventral shield), maximum W 447; genital field L/W 180/331, gonopore short and narrow, L/W 48/22, flanked by a group of fine setae; acetabular plates L/W 1.7 – 1.81; palp ( Fig. 10A – B ): total L 257, L and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 25 (9.7); P-2, 71 (27.7); P-3, 51 (19.9); P-4, 75 – 79 (29.0); P-5, 35 – 37 (13.6); gnathosoma ventral L 134; chelicera total L 120. Legs: L of I-L-4 – 6 ( Fig. 10C ): 82, 100, 105; IV-L-6 curved (dorsal margin convex, ventral margin slightly concave) and anteriorly slightly enlarged; L of IV-L ( Fig. 10D ): 129, 95, 105, 123, 154, 152.

Discussion. Due to the presence of a stripe of sclerit surface with larger pores lying between the medial margins of Cx-III/IV as well between the margins of Cx-II and -III, a relatively narrower acetabular plates (L/ W ratio> 1.5), a robust palp with stout setae and relatively long P-5, the new species resembles Wuria boutit described from Australia (Fogg Dam, Northern Teritorry; Harvey 1989). It can be distinguished from this species by the distinctly thicker seta inserted at the base of the ventrodistal extension of P-4 (slender in W. boutit, see Harvey 1989, Fig. 7.; Harvey pers. communication), less narrower and posteriorly widened acetabular plates in males (more and equally narrower in W. boutit, L/W ratio 2.15) and IV-L-6 distinctly more curved (slightly curved in W. boutit).

Etymology. Named for its presence in India.

Habitat. Ponds.

Distribution. India (Assam).

Figures

FIGURE 9 A – F. Wuria indica sp. nov. (A – C, E – F = female, D = male): A = idiosoma, ventral view; B = I-L- 4 – 6; C = capitulum and chelicera; D = genital field; E = palp, lateral view; F = IV-L. Scale bars = 100 μm.

FIGURE 10 A – D. Wuria indica sp. nov., male: A = capitulum, chelicera and palp in lateral view; B = palp, medial view: C = I-L- 4 - 6; D = IV-L. Scale bars = 100 μm.