Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) arabica, Kamran, Muhammad, Mirza, Jawwad Hassan & Alatawi, Fahad Jaber, 2016

Kamran, Muhammad, Mirza, Jawwad Hassan & Alatawi, Fahad Jaber, 2016, The genus Paraplonobia Wainstein and Neopetrobia Wainstein (Acari, Trombidiformes, Tetranychidae) from Saudi Arabia: new species, new records and key to the world species of Paraplonobia, ZooKeys 598, pp. 27-55 : 29-30

Taxon classification Animalia Prostigmata Tetranychidae

Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) arabica sp. n. Figs 1-2, 3-8

Diagnosis.

Dorsal body setae subspatulate, serrate, expanded distally and distinctly shorter to the distances of setae next in line, first pair of dorsocentral setae c1 reaching 2/3 to the distance of setae d1, setae c1 almost 1.5 times widely spaced than setae f1, setae e2, f1, f2 and h1 set on small tubercles, dorsal hysterosomal striations widely spaced, propodosoma medially with longitudinal broken striations, stylophore with a small mediocephalic emargination, peritremes branched tube like compact anastomosing, leg I shorter than body length.

Description of holotype female

(n = 9). Measurement of holotype followed by 8 paratypes (in parenthesis) (Figs 1-8).

Dorsum (Fig. 1). Body oval; length of idiosoma 439 (430-443), maximum width 282 (280-287), length of body (gnathosoma + idiosoma) 476 (472-480). Propodosoma medially with longitudinal broken striations, without anterior projections. Dorsal body setae subspatulate, serrate, expanded distally and distinctly shorter to the distances of setae next in line, first pair of dorsocentral setae c1 reaching 2/3 to the distance of setae d1, setae c1 almost 1.5 times widely spaced than setae f1, setae e2, f1, f2 and h1 set on small tubercles. Dorsal striations transverse on hysterosoma, without lobes and widely spaced. Length of dorsal setae: v2 45 (42-46), sc1 40 (38-41), sc2 41 (40-43), c1 45 (44-48), c2 42 (40-44), c3 40 (39-44), d1 34 (32-38), d2 44 (43-46), e1 45 (44-48), e2 44 (43-45), f1 45 (44-45), f2 44 (42-45), h1 46 (45-48). Distance between dorsal setae: v2-v2 53 (51-55), v2-sc1 97 (95-98), sc1-sc2 56 (54-57), sc1-sc1 166 (162-167), sc2-sc2 263 (260-266), c1-c1 94 (92-96), c1-c2 82 (80-85), c2-c3 41 (39-44), c2-c2 261 (260-264), c3-c3 345 (340-346), d1-d1 82 (80-84), d1-d2 81 (80-82), d2-d2 226 (224-228), c1-d1 75 (74-78), c3-d2 97 (95-99), e1-e1 63 (61-65), e1-e2 78 (74-79), e2-d2 85 (83-86), e2-e2 79 (75-79), f1-f1 63 (60-65), f2-f2 107 (105-108), f1-f2 53 (50-54), f1-d1 69 (66-70), h1-h1 57 (55-59).

Venter (Fig. 2). Idiosoma ventrally with transverse striations from setae 1a to 3a; most of the area between 3a to 4a is transverse with few V-shaped striations laterally; transverse posterior to setae 4a; striations transverse regular anterior to aggenital setae (ag). The intercoxal setae 1a slightly longer than the distance 1 a– 1a. The intercoxal setae 3a just equal to distance 3 a– 3a. The intercoxal setae 4a 4/5 to the distance 4 a– 4a. Length of intercoxal and coxal setae: 1a 39 (35-40), 3a 52 (51-55), 4a 50 (48-52), 1b 54 (52-56), 1c 18 (16-20), 2b 37 (35-38), 2c 21 (20-24), 3b 23 (21-25), 4b 38 (36-39); aggenital setae ag 48 (44-48), ag–ag 27 (25-28); genital setae two pairs, g1 32 (30-24), g2 40 (38-42), g1-g1 40 (39-44), g2-g2 56 (52-57), g1-g2 12 (10-14); anal setae three pairs, ps1 21 (18-24), ps2 37 (35-39), ps3 58 (54-60), ps1-ps1 33 (30-34), ps2-ps2 26 (24-27), ps3-ps3 19 (18-22); para-anal setae two pairs, h2 33 (31-34), h2- h2 17 (16-18), h3 38(35-40), h3-h3 46 (45-48).

Gnathosoma (Figs 3-4). Stylophore elongate, slender and slightly notched anteriorly. Peritremes branched tube like compact anastomosing (Fig. 3). Scapular setae m 36 (34-37), m–m 32 (31-35). Palp femur and genu each with one seta, palp tibia with three setae, tibial claw strongly curved; palp tarsus with three setae, three eupathidia, one solenidion (Fig. 4).

Legs (Figs 5-8). Length of legs I–IV (without coxae) 336, 251, 276, 298 respectively. Leg I shorter than body length. Number of setae and solenidia (in parenthesis) on legs I–IV: coxae 2 –2–1– 1, trochanters 1 –1–1– 1, femora 5 –5–3– 3, genua 4 –4–3– 3, tibiae 9(1) –(8–9)–9– 9; tarsi I with 12-14 tactile setae, two sets of duplex setae at distal end, two eupathidia and one/two solenidion; tarsi II with 8-9 tactile setae, one set of duplex setae, two eupathidia and one solenidion; tarsi III with 8-9 tactile setae and one solenidion; tarsi IV with 9 tactile setae and one solenidion. True claws pad like each with one pair of tenant hair; empodium pad–like with two rows of small tenant hairs.

Male. Not in collection.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the region “Arabia” from where type specimens were collected.

Type material.

Holotype and one paratype female, Prosopis juliflora ( Fabaceae ), Deesa Valley, Dessa, Tabuk, SA, 27°36.048'N, 036°25.592'E, October, 18, 2015, coll. J.H. Mirza.; seven paratype females, Prosopis juliflora ( Fabaceae ), Sharma, Near Red Sea, Tabuk, SA, 28°03.479'N, 035°17.186'E, October, 19, 2015, coll. M. Kamran.

Remarks.

The Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) arabica sp. n. relates to Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) prosopis (Tuttle & Baker, 1964), Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) algarrobicola (Gonzalez, 1977) and Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) boutelouae Tuttle & Baker, 1968 because of sharing following similar characters: dorsal body setae spatulate and distinctly shorter to the distances of setae next behind and widely spaced dorsal hysterosomal striations. Also, the new species closely resembles Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) prosopis by setae c1 at least reaching half distance to the bases of setae d1. However, the new species differs from all related species by having stylophore anteriorly with slight incision (notch). The new species is also distinguished from Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) prosopis by setae c1 reaching to the distance of setae d1 (2/3 vs.1/2), setae c1-c1 almost 1.5 times widely spaced than setae f1-f1 vs. almost sub/equally spaced in Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) prosopis . The new species can be separated from other related species Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) algarrobicola and Paraplonobia (Anaplonobia) boutelouae by the setae c1 reaching 2/3 to the distance of d1 vs. less than half as long as distances to the bases setae next behind in later species