Masthermannia multiciliata, Nakamura & Nakamura & Fujikawa, 2013

Nakamura, K., Nakamura, Y. - N. & Fujikawa, T., 2013, Oribatid Mites (Acari, Oribatida) From Tohoku (Northeast Japan), Collected After A Tidal Wave In 2011, Acarologia 53 (1), pp. 41-76 : 44-52

Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp.

[Japanese name: Tamou-obaketsukinowadani] ( Figures 3 – 9 )

Diagnosis — Body length, 407 – 500 µm; width, 200 – 286 µm. Integument of notogaster punctuated and irregularly alveolate with seven pairs of round elevations bearing dorsal seta(e); epimerata granulate; other surface punctulate. Rostral tip rounded. Notogaster with 13 pairs of T-shaped setae, 2 pairs of simple setae (p 1 and p 2) and 1 pair of virtual setae f 1. Sensilli consisting of penicillate swollen head and smooth thin stem. Lateral margin of pedotectum 1 bearing more than 20 ciliary’s processes. Semicircular suture (na) of ventral region short, not reaching the level of insertion of aggenital seta ag 1 or lyrifissure ih. Genito-anal setal formula: 9-2-2-3; all setae biramous. Subcapitulum diarthric, subcapitular setae: 1-2-1; setae h biramous. Epimeral setal formula: 4-2-3-4; all setae simple. Monodactylous.

Material examined — Holotype (Adult female) (NSMT-Ac 13611) from sand, and soil at point A; 9 paratypes (Adult female) (NSMT-Ac 13635 to 13640) from humus and soil of the garden under no-tillage manner of Nagasato at Asagiri-cho , Kumamoto Prefecture, Fujikawa T. leg, on March 3, 2008, September 20, 2009, April 11, 2011, October 15, 2011, November 6, 2011, December 16, 2011; 1 paratype (Nymph) (NSMT-Ac 13641): same data as paratypes of adults but on December 16, 2011; 7 paratypes (Adult female) for the scanning electron microscopy: same data as paratypes of adults but on November 5, 2009 and March 3, 2012.

Etymology — After the numerous ciliary’s processes of pedotectum.

Measurements and body appearance — Body length (14 exs.): 407 (mean 450) 500 µm; width (11 exs.): 200 (229) 286 µm. Body colour light brown, Integument of prodorsum, ventral plate, subcapitural plate, genital plates, anal plates and legs punctulate; epimerata granulate; notogaster punctulate and irregularly alveolate with seven pairs of round elevations bearing one or three dorsal setae.

Prodorsum — Rostral tip widely rounded bearing smooth spiniform setae ro (ca. 33 µm) inserting far anterior on prodorsum and close to each other ( Fig. 4A ). Setae le (155 µm) and in (281 µm) T-shaped with dilated basal portion and long flagelliform distal portion ( Figs. 3B, C ). Setae le bearing a few acute projections, inserting on round elevations. Bothridia barrel-shaped, opening dorso-laterally. Sensilli (ss) (62 µm) consisting of penicillate swollen head and smooth thin stem. Setae ex 1 (6 µm) and ex 2 (3 µm) short, smooth, inserting at the basal portion of bothridium. Lateral margin of pedotectum 1 bearing more than 20 ciliary’s processes (7 – 12 µm). Posterobothridial condyles small acute ( Fig. 3A ). Relative lengths and distances: in> le> ss> ro> ex; (in -in: 66 µm)> (le -le: 21 µm)> (ro -ro: 14 µm).

Notogaster — Anterior margin straight, shorter than the width of the middle part of notogaster.. Notogaster with 13 pairs of T-shaped setae (241 µm), 2 pairs of simple setae (p 1 and p 2) (73 µm), 1 pair of virtual setae f 1 and seven pairs of round elevations; six elevations bearing each seta of cp, d 1-2, e 1-2 and f 2; the last pair of posterior elevations bearing three setae h 1-3. Virtual seta f 1 present posterior to elevation bearing seta e 1. Posterior projection of notogaster with truncate margin, bearing two pairs of setae p 1 and p 2 at corners. Lyrifissures long, remarkable; ia (20 µm) and ip (9 µm) aligned along lateral margin of notogaster, posterior to c 3 and h 3, respectively; im (9 µm) longitudinally anterior to e 2; ih and ips situated ventrally ( Fig. 4E ); ih (12 µm) aligned transversely posterior to ag 1; ips (16 µm) obliquely posterior to ag 2.

Ventral region — Genital aperture (64 µm) anterior roughly triangle, posterior parabola in shape; anal aperture (84 µm) elliptical. Semicircular suture (na) on ventral plate between genital and anal apertures, short, not reaching the level of insertion of aggenital seta ag 1 or lyrifissure ih. Genito-anal setal formula: 9-2-2-3; all setae smooth, biramous ( Fig. 3D ). Genital (36 – 48 µm) and anal (17 µm) setae inserting at the inner margin of each plate ( Figs. 4 D- E). Setae ag 1 inserting at level of insertion of g7; ag 2 (91 µm) aligned in latero-posteriorly to genital aperture. All adanal setae (64 µm) aligned in adanal. Lyrifissures ian (19 µm) longitudinally anterior to an 2; iad (14 µm) inverse apoanal, located near anterior margin of anal aperture. Subcapitulum diarthric, subcapitular setae: 1-2-1; setae h (41 µm) smooth, biramous; a (16 µm), m 1-2 (11 µm) smooth, simple ( Fig. 4C ). Epimeral setal formula: 4-2-3-4; all setae (11 - 65 µm) smooth, simple spiniform ( Fig. 5A ); 3 b the longest, 1 c the shortest. Sternal ridge, apodemata 1-4 and sj. distinct. Setae cha (8 µm) thick basally; chb (26 µm) long bacilliform ( Fig. 5D ). Trägårdh’s organ (31 µm) taeniform.

Legs — Monodactylous; claw (22 to 27 µm) smooth ( Fig. 4B ). Setal formula of legs: I (1-6-5-6- 26), II (1-8-5-6-23), III (5-3-3-4-21), IV (1-3-3-4-19). Solenidiotaxy: I (1-2-2), II (1-1-3), III (1-1-0), IV (1- 1-0).

Measurements (µm) of segments:

Holotype:

I ([41-46]-[84-80]-[54-52]-[39-41]-[93-86]),

II ([54-48]-[70-71]-[39-45]-[36-36]-[75-80]),

III ([71-?]-[61-59]-[32-27]-[36-36]-[61-57]),

IV ([71-?]-[71-63]-[38-30]-[41-41]-[71-80]).

Average value according to paratypes:

I ([45-45]-[79-83]-[49-54]-[46-45]-[85-92]),

II ([39-41]-[64-67]-[44-46]-[40-37]-[77-87]),

III ([60-62]-[56-64]-[33-31]-[31-36]-[66-62]),

IV ([62-60]-[72-67]-[37-37]-[38-45]-[75-75]).

Legs I, II and III bearing solenidia of all tibiae and genua contiguous to dorsal seta ( Figs. 3E , 5B ). On tarsus I ( Fig. 3E ), famulus ε (5 µm) spiniform situated lateral to seta tc’ (19 µm), posterior to solenidion ω 2; ω 2 (20 µm) thin bacilliform, lateral to seta it’ (25 µm); ω 1 (25 µm) thick bacilliform, narrow basally, posterior to seta ft’ (26 µm); laminate dorsal seta (29 µm) large, smooth, with longitudinally running nerve-like line. Tarsus II bearing short clavate ω 1 (10 µm) and ω 2 (8 µm) posterior, and long thin bacilliform ω 3 (13 µm) at the basal portion of claw ( Fig. 5B ). On tibia I, solenidia ’ 1 (12 µm) and ’ 2 (12 µm) contiguously anterior to smooth entire seta d (14 µm); lateral setae (31 µm) broad, large bearing minute barbs. On genu I, σ (21 µm) thin bacilliform, contiguous to smooth entire seta d (28 µm) situated on a small apophysis; lateral setae (41 µm) minutely barbed, long, broad taeniform with truncate, serrate anterior margin.

Juvenile instar ( Figs. 6 and 7 )

A single tritonymph: length, 443 µm; width, 179 µm. Body surface wrinkled, light whitish- yellow coloured without any ornamentation. Rostrum widely rounded bearing simple, smooth rostral setae (21 µm) laterally. Setae le (83 µm) and in (152 µm) T-shaped originating from apophysis ( Fig. 6A ). Sensillus lost. Lateral margin of pedotectum 1 bearing 8 ciliary’s processes (5 - 16 µm) ( Fig. 6C ). Posterobothridial condyles absent. Relative distances: (ro-ro) = (le-le) = (in-in). Gastronotum covered by ten pairs of large round elevations bearing T-shaped seta(e) (238 µm); eighteen pairs of notogastral setae recognized ( Fig. 6B ). Semicircular suture between genital and anal apertures absent. Distance (70 µm) between genital (40 µm) and anal (71 µm) apertures almost as long as the length of anal aperture. Genito-anal setal formula: 7-2-2-3; an 2 (10 µm) short, smooth, thin, simple setiform; other setae lost. Seta h (40 µm) and ag (47 µm) smooth, biramous ( Figs. 7 A-B). Epimeral setal formula: 4-2-3-4; all setae (6 - 46 µm) smooth, simple spiniform; the longest 2 A, the shortest 2 b. Setal formula of legs: I (1-6-5-5-21), II (1-8-5-4-20), III (3-3- 3-4-18), IV (1-3-3-4-16). Solenidiotaxy: I (1-2-2), II (1-1-2), III (1-1-0), IV (1-1-0). Measurements (µm) of segments:

I ([30-32]-[57-59]-[45-36]-[36-39]-[68-59]),

II ([36-36]-[54-63]-[39-32]-[32-30]-[52-50]),

III ([36-39]-[45-36]-[18-23]-[21-26]-[41-50]),

IV ([50-41]-[36-54]-[21-23]-[27-26]-[59-59]).

Remarks — The new species differs from all the species of the genus Masthermannia Berlese, 1913 by having (1) short semicircular suture between genital and anal apertures, not reaching the level of lyrifissure ih or insertion of aggenital seta ag 1 and (2) biramous genital, aggenital, anal and posterior subcapitular setae. The new species is distinguished from M. nematophora (Grandjean, 1954) by number of the ciliary’s processes of lateral margin of pedotectum 1, shape of solenidia on tarsus I of leg, and length of solenidion on genu I of leg, from the original description of M. hirsuta ( Hartman, 1949) by the shape of ornaments on notogastral surface and shape of notogastral posterior region, and from M. hirsuta sensu Aoki (1980) by shape of notogastral posterior region, shape of genital setae, and number of setae on the last pair of median round elevations on notogaster.

Genus Masthermannia Berlese, 1913 Masthermannia Berlese, 1913 , Redia, 9, p. 100, pl. 8, fig. 92; Hammen van der, 1959, Zool. Verh., (40), p. 81. Posthermannia Grandjean, 1954 , Rev. franc. Ent., 21, pp. 298-311, figs. 1-3. Members of the genus are very dirty and seem as if they are "mimicking small particles of earth" expressed by Balogh (1961) ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp.: A – Dorsal view; B – Lamellar seta with projection (arrow); C – Fine distal portion of T-shaped setae; D – Genital setae; E – Tarsus to genu of left leg I. (A, D, E: Paratype NSMT-Ac 13639; B: NSMT-Ac 13635; C: NSMT-Ac 13640).

FIGURE 4: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp.. (Holotype NSMT-Ac 13611): A – Rostral and right bothridial region; B – Claw at right tarsus I; C – Gnathosoma; D – Right anal plate region; E – Genital plates region.

FIGURE 5: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp.: A – Right epimeral region (Paratype NSMT-Ac 13640); B – Ventral view of right pedotectum I (Paratype NSMT-Ac 13640); C – Left tarsus II (Paratype NSMT-Ac 13635); D – Chelicera (Paratype NSMT-Ac 13637).

FIGURE 6: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp. (Nymph) (NSMT-Ac 13641): A – Part of prodorsam; B – Part of right notogaster; C – Right pedotectum I.

FIGURE 7: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp. (Nymph) (NSMT-Ac 13641): A – Gnathosoma-right side of epimeral region; B – Right side of genito-anal region.

FIGURE 8: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp. by the scanning electron microscopy (photos by Nakamura Y.-N., Ohgi Y. and Shirosaki T.). Adult female: A – Dorsal view; B – Left legs I and II; C – Ventral view; D – Gnathosoma; E – Genital plates; F – Anal plates.

FIGURE 9: Masthermannia multiciliata n.sp. (photos by Nakamura Y.).