Plonaphacarus leonilae Niedbała, 2017

Niedbała, Wojciech & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2017, New species and records of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Philippines, Zootaxa 4231 (1), pp. 119-128 : 121-122

Plonaphacarus leonilae Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 , A–F)

Description. Measurements of holotype. Species of medium size. Prodorsum: length 215, width 147, height 81; setae: ss 33, in 121, le 38, ro 58, ex 13; notogaster: length 374, width 268, height 247; setae: c 1 126, c 1/ c 1– d 1=1.3, c 2 96, c 3 and cp 109, d 2 81, h 1 and ps 1 132, h 2 76, h 3 81, ps 2 119, ps 3 and ps 4 63; genito-aggenital plate 89 × 68; anoadanal plate 129 × 66.

Integument. Colour light brown. Integumental surface of prodorsum and ventral plates punctate. Surface of notogaster covered with deep, separated foveoles.

Prodorsum with distinct sigillar fields, laterals longer than median; weak traces of lateral carinae visible, exceeding the sinus; margin of rostrum covered with ornamentation of shallow alveoles. Sensilli rather long, with narrow pedicel and dilated head covered with small spines. Interlamellar setae long erect, rigid, attenuate, covered with small spines in distal half, lamellar and rostral setae spiniform, rough but rostral setae considerably longer. Relation of lengths: in>ro> le>ss> ex.

Notogaster with 15 pairs of rigid, rough, attenuate setae, different in length, the longest are h 1 and ps 1, the shortest are ps 3 and ps 4, setae c 1 longer than distance between c 1– d 1. Setae c 1 and c 2 situated near anterior margin, setae c 3 far from margin. Vestigial setae f 1 situated slightly anteriorly of h 1 setae. Two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present.

Ventral region. Seta h of subcapitular mentum vestigial. Formula of genital setae: 6(4+2): 3. Ano-adanal plates with rough setae ad 1 and ad 2 the longest, anal setae fine and the shortest.

Legs setation complete; setae d of femora I remote from distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype: Philippines , Samar Island , Western Samar Province: 5584— Sitio Napatuo , Barangay Osmeña, Dolores Municipality, 21.X.2003 (W.Sm. Gruèzo), from sample of secondary forest litter.

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to our friend and colleague, acarologist Dr. Leonila Corpuz-Raros (Crop Protection Cluster, College of Agriculture and Museum of Natural History, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, Philippines).

Comparison. The new species is easy distinguishable from congeners by the presence of foveolate margin of rostrum, the deep foveoles distributed on the surface of notogaster, long rostral setae and heterotrichy of notogastral setae. The most similar oriental species are Plonaphacarus insignitus Niedbała, 1989 from Vietnam and P. loebli ( Mahunka, 1985) from India. However, P. insignitus has a median prodorsal crista, posterior furrows and laterals sigillar fields that are longer than the median ones, a different shape of sensilli, shorter lamellar and rostral setae on the prodorsum, setae h of subcapitular mentum well developed and setae d of femora I located at distal end of article; P. loebli has also laterals sigillar fields that are longer than the median ones, shorter rostral, lamellar and notogastral setae, longer anal setae, foveoles on the surface of prodorsum, long setae h of subcapitulum and setae ad 2 situated near paraxial border of plate.

Figures

FIGURE 2 A – F. Plonaphacarus leonilae Niedba ³ a sp. nov. (holotype): A—prodorsum, dorsal view; B—lateral view of body (gnathosoma and legs removed); C—mentum of subcapitulum; D—right genito-aggenital and ano-adanal plates, E—trochanter and femur of leg I: F—tibia of leg IV. Scale bars 100 µm (A, B), 50 µm (D), 25 µm (C, E, F).