Torrenticola turkestanica ( Sokolow, 1926 )

Pesic, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2009, Water mites of the family Torrenticolidae Piersig, 1902 (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Thailand, Part I. The genera Torrenticola Piersig, 1896, Neoatractides Lundblad, 1941 and Pseudotorrenticola Walter, 1906, Zootaxa 1982, pp. 38-62 : 50-53

Torrenticola turkestanica ( Sokolow, 1926)

(Figs. 56–64)

Material. Thailand: stream near Ban Khoom , alt. 756 m, Doi Ang Kang, 20.xi.2007, 19° 56.905 N 99° 03.938 E, leg. Smit (1/0/0) , dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; stream W of Bankrang Camp, Kaeng Krachan NP, 30.xi.2007, 12° 48.106 N 99° 26.786 E, leg. Smit (6/0/0) , one male dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; Thorntip Waterfall, Kaeng Krachan NP, 29.xi.2007, 12° 50.952 N 99° 18.498 E, leg. Smit (4/ 2/0) , one female dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; fast flowing stream crossing road to Den Ya Kat Station, alt. 410 m, Chiang Dao NP, 23.xi.2007, 19° 19.735 N 98° 56.201 E, leg. Smit (2/2/0) ; River at km. 13, alt. 465 m, Doi Inthanon NP, 25.xi.2007, 18° 31.532 N 98° 39.091 E leg. Smit (2/4/0) ; Pong Creek crossing road to Muang Kong, Doi Chiang Dao, alt. 477 m, 22.xi.2007, 19° 24.774 N 98° 55.127 E, leg. Smit (1/1/0).

Morphology. Male (from Bankrang Camp): Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 57) L 531, W 372; dorsal shield (Fig. 56) L 438, W 322, L/W ratio 1.36; dorsal plate 416; shoulder plate L 134, W 38, L/W ratio 3.5; frontal plate L 100, W 31, L/W ratio 3.2; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.34; gnathosomal bay L 106, Cx-1 total L 209, Cx-1 medial L 103, Cx-2+3 medial 86; ratio Cx-1 L/Cx-2+3 medial L 2.4; Cx-1 medial L/Cx-2+3 medial L 1.2; genital field L/W 109/91, L/W ratio 1.2, ejaculatory complex (Fig. 60) L 136; distance genital field–excretory pore 97, genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 128; capitulum (Fig. 59) ventral L 244; chelicera L 281; palp (Fig. 62) total L 229, L and %L (in parentheses): P-1 21 (9.2), P-2 71 (31.0), P-3 46 (20.1), P- 4 74 (32.3), P-5 17 (7.4); P-2/P-4 ratio 0.96; ventrodistal protuberance of P-2 short, broad, more or less subrectangular with serrulate margin, ventrodistal protuberance of P-3 slender, slightly serrate at the tip, ventral protuberances of P-4 ending in two tips separated by a concavity.

Female (from Thorntip Waterfall): Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 61) L 638, W 425; dorsal shield (Fig. 58) L 519, W 375, L/W ratio 1.4; dorsal plate 494; shoulder plate L 162, W 47, L/W ratio 3.5; frontal plate L 111, W 41, L/W ratio 2.7; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.5; gnathosomal bay L 124, Cx-1 total L 237, Cx-1 medial L 113, Cx-2+3 medial 68; ratio Cx-1 L/Cx-2+3 medial L 3.5; Cx-1 medial L/Cx-2+3 medial L 1.7; genital field L/W 139/125, L/W ratio 1.1; distance genital field–excretory pore 131, genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 188; capitulum ventral L 282; chelicera L 334; palp ( Figs. 63-64) total L 252, L and %L (in parentheses): P-1 24 (9.5), P-2 80 (31,8), P-3 53 (21,0), P-4 79 (31.4), P-5 16 (6.4); P-2/P-4 ratio 1.01; shape and setation as in male.

FIGURES 56–62. Torrenticola turkestanica ( Sokolow, 1926) (56–57, 59–60, 62 = male, 58, 61 = female): 56, 58 = dorsal shield; 57, 61 = idiosoma, ventral view; 59 = capitulum and chelicera; 60 = ejaculatory complex; 62 = palp, medial view. Scale Bars = 100 µm.

Remarks. Due to the characteristic shape of the palp (P-2 and P-3 with subrectangular ventrodistal projection, the ventral margin of P-2 convex, the P-2 with ventral seta exceeding distal end of the ventrodistal projection), the specimens from Thailand show a general conformity with specimens of T. turkestanica (Sokolow) from the Indian part of the Himalayas (see Pesic et al. 2007). However, because some important characters such as the shape of the ejaculatory complex and the ventrodistal projection of P-2 set off from the ventral margin were lacking in the original description ( Sokolow 1926), our attribution of T. turkestanica is provisional, based mainly on the approved non-identity with the alternative species (Pesic et al. 2007).

Distribution. Turkmenistan, Tadjikistan, India. New for Thailand.