Salfacarus mahafaliensis Vázquez & Klompen, 2010

Ma. Magdalena Vázquez G. & Hans Klompen, 2010, The genus Salfacarus (Acari: Opilioacarida) in Madagascar, Zootaxa 2482, pp. 1-21 : 11-14

Salfacarus mahafaliensis Vázquez & Klompen n. sp.

( Figs. 20–26 )

Salfacarus legendrei Van der Hammen 1979 , in part

Diagnosis. Ovipositor without long terminal setae, distinct basal setae or glands, or spinose basal structures, but with a characteristic pattern of patches ( Fig. 26 ).

Description. Based on observations on 2 tritonymphs, 3 females, 2 males. Other immature instars unknown.

Gnathosoma. Chelicera ( Fig. 20 ). Basal segment with 1 (2 in one female), fixed digit with 3 setae. All setae very lightly barbed. Dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissure well developed. Fixed digit with 1, movable digit with 2 teeth and a well developed terminal hook. Movable digit with 4–5 distinct denticles on ventral surface; 3 in TN. Internal surface of movable digit with a small sensillum.

Subcapitulum ( Fig. 21 ). All 4 pairs of paralabial setae present: pl1 small, conical; With’s organ (pl2) membranous; rutella (pl3) with 1 row of 5 teeth, inserted dorso-laterally; pl4 very small, inserted dorsolaterally. In addition, 4 circumbuccal (cb), and 6–11 median and subcapitular (vm (in part), lvm, ldm, vp, lvp) setae. Males with fewer median and subcapitular setae (6–8) than females (10–11). TN with 4 such setae. Lateral lips with distinct canals.

Palps ( Figs. 22–23 ). Trochanter of adults with 5–7 ribbed, tapering (= r-type) setae; femur with 7 r and 12 papilliform (= p-type) setae; genu with 24 r and 7 p-type setae. Tibia and tarsus partially fused. Tibia with 11 smooth (s-type) and 41 r-type setae. Palp tarsus with lyrifissures i π and i α. Setation including 3 s, 5 d (leaflike), and approximately 19 ch, 10 sm, and 7 v setae. Sexual differentiation in tibiotarsus absent or indistinct. Pretarsus in shape of a pair of well developed sessile claws. Tritonymph: trochanter: 2 r; femur: 6–8 r and 5–6 p; genu: 10–12 r and 3 p. Tarsus with 4 d setae.

Idiosoma. Anterior dorsal shield with 79–95 papilliform setae and two pairs of eyes. Lyrifissures absent. Rostrum rounded. Remaining idiosoma with lyrifissures arranged in more or less transverse rows. More than 200 papilliform setae occurring predominantly mid-dorsal and mid-ventral, arranged in rough rows, but not in series. Anal valves each with 15–19 papilliform setae in adults; 11–13 in TN.

Sternitogenital region ( Figs. 24–25 ). Sternal verrucae in adults with 1 long, tapering, and 3–6 shorter setae each. Remaining sternal area with 2 pairs of long tapering and 8–11 (female) or 5–9 (male) pairs of papilliform setae, plus 3 pairs of lyrifissures (two pairs very large, the third smaller; all different in shape and size from “standard” opisthosomal lyrifissures). TN with 2–3 shorter setae on sternal verrucae, and 5–6 papilliform setae in remaining sternal area. Pregenital capsules of adults with 1 long tapering and 5–8 papilliform setae each (4–5 papilliform setae in TN). Pregenital area and genital sclerite in male with, respectively, 5 papilliform, and 7 ribbed, tapering setae. Pregenital and genital areas in female with, respectively, 2 papilliform and 0 setae. Numbers for the TN 2 and 4 papilliform setae, respectively. Ovipositor ( Fig. 26 ). Without long terminal setae or distinct basal setae or glands, but with a characteristic pattern of patches not observed in other species.

Legs. No leg I recovered. Tarsi II each with dorsal bifurcate seta and two smooth sensilla resembling solenidia. Tarsi II–IV in TN and adults with an acrotarsus. Trochanters of legs III–IV in TN and adults divided. Pretarsi II–IV each with two pairs of setae and a pair of claws.

Collection information. Multiple numbers refer to multiple slides representing a single, dissected. individual. Holotype female ( OSAL007323–7324 ), MADAGASCAR: Toliara, Mahafaly Plateau , 6.2 km 74° ENE Itampolo, 80 m, 24°39’13”S 43°59’48”E, coll. Fisher, B L & Griswold , C E, 21–25 Feb 2002, ex spiny forest / thicket (EH18, BLF5763) . Paratypes, same data as holotype: TN ( OSAL007283–84 ), TN ( OSAL007285–86 ), F ( OSAL007320–22 ), F ( OSAL 092002 –03 ), M ( OSAL007325–27 ), M ( OSAL 092000 – 01 ) .

Additional material (non-paratype): Some of the material included in S. legendrei Van der Hammen was also collected from the Mahafaly plateau and we tentatively include this material in the new species (see discussion S. legendrei ).

Deposition of types. Holotype female at CAS ( CAS 18502) (2 slides OSAL 007323–24). Other specimens at CAS, OSAL, UQRoo.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the collecting locality, the Mahafaly plateau.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 23. Salfacarus mahafaliensis n. sp., gnathosoma. 20, Chelicera, female, axial view (OSAL 007324); 21, Subcapitulum, female (OSAL 007324); 22, Palp tarsus, male, dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view (OSAL 007326); 23, Palp, male, dorsal (left) and ventral (right) view (OSAL 007326).

FIGURE 24 – 25. Salfacarus mahafaliensis n. sp., sternitogenital region. 24, Female (OSAL 007323); 25, Male (OSAL 092000).

FIGURES 26 – 27. Ovipositor. 26, Salfacarus mahafaliensis n. sp. (OSAL 007323). 27, Salfacarus ranobensis n. sp., ovipositor. (OSAL 007268).