Austrocarabodes (Austrocarabodes) parapustulatus Mahunka, 2009

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Starý, Josef, 2020, Contribution to the knowledge of oribatid mites of the genus Austrocarabodes (Acari, Oribatida, Carabodidae) of Madagascar, Acarologia 60 (2), pp. 353-370 : 360-364

Austrocarabodes (Austrocarabodes) parapustulatus Mahunka, 2009

( Figures 5–7 )

Supplementary description — Measurements – Species of medium size. Body length: 464–531 (10 specimens, all females); notogaster width: 215–249 (10 specimens). Species distinctly elongated, body ratio (length/width): 2.0–2.3.

Integument ( Figs 5 a-c, 6a-d, 7a-e) – Body color light brown to brown. Body covered by thick layer of gel-like cerotegument and cerotegumental microgranules. Body surface partially punctate. In addition, prodorsum (between lamellae) and notogaster tuberculate, tubercles (their diameter up to 8) partially forming polygonal ornamentation on the notogaster; anogenital region (except median part), subcapitular mentum, dorsolateral (bothridia, lateral parts of lamellae) and lateral (between lamellae and tutoria and on tutoria) sides of prodorsum, anterolateral parts of ventral plate (pedotecta I and regions close to subcapitular mentum), and antiaxial sides of all leg femora and of trochanters III, IV foveolate (diameter of foveolae up to

8). Epimeral region with some muscle sigillae.

Prodorsum ( Figs 5 a-c, 6a-d, 7a, 7c, 7e) – Rostrum broadly rounded. Lamellae long (slightly shorter than prodorsum), rounded distally. Translamella developed. Tutoria long, ridge-like. With elongate depression (separated by transverse ridge) between lamellae and tutoria, and one depression ventrally to tutoria. Rostral (41–45) and interlamellar (41–45) setae narrowly phylliform, barbed; ro inserted on tubercles located anterior to translamella, directed forward, in directed lateral. Lamellar setae (41–45) narrowly phylliform, with strong spines and small barbs, directed anteromedial. Bothridial setae (45–53) with elongate, unilaterally dilated and heavily spinose heads (sometimes setae appear clavate in dorsal view). Bothridia slightly interrupted ventrally, with inner tooth. Exobothridial setae represented by alveoli.

Notogaster ( Figs 5a, 5c , 6a, 6c , 7 a-e) – Anterior notogastral margin straight. Humeral processes poorly developed. Fourteen pairs of notogastral setae (p 1 – p 3, h 3, 16–20; others 20–28) phylliform, dilated mediodistally, barbed. Lyrifissures and opisthonotal gland openings distinct.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 5b, 5c , 6b, 6c ) – Generally, similar to Austrocarabodes madagascarensis n. sp. Subcapitulum longer than wide (94–102 × 82–86). Subcapitular setae (12) setiform, roughened. Postpalpal setae (8) bacilliform, slightly barbed mediodistally. Palps (53–57) with setation 0–2–1–3–9(+ω). Solenidion of palptarsi long, bacilliform. Chelicerae (106–114) with two setiform, barbed setae cha (, 36–41; chb, 12–16). Trägårdh’s organ of chelicerae elongate triangular.

Lateral podosomal and epimeral regions ( Figs 5b, 5 с, 6b, 6c) – Pedotecta II trapezoid in ventral view. Discidia triangular, rounded distally. With typical epimeral setation 3–1–3–3. Epimeral setae 1a, 1c, 2a and 3a short (4–6), setiform, smooth, 1b, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b and 4b

(28–36) setiform, slightly barbed.

Anogenital region ( Figs 5b, 5c , 6b, 6c , 7b ) – With one pair of short, longitudinal ridges lateral to genital aperture and posterior to epimere IV. Four pairs of genital (20), one pair of aggenital (20) and three pairs of adanal (14–16) setae setiform, slightly barbed. Two pairs of anal setae (8–12) setiform, erect, roughened. Adanal lyrifissures visible, removed from anal aperture and located anterolateral to adanal setae ad 3. Circumventral ridge developed.

Legs ( Figs 6b, 6c ) – Generally, similar to Austrocarabodes madagascarensis n. sp. (Table 1), but seta l” on femora I, II and genua I, II, and seta l’ on femora III and genua III, IV phylliform.

Material examined — Ten specimens (10 females): North Madagascar, Montagne d’Ambre National Park, circuit Ampijoroana, evergreen rain forest, 12°31’28’‘S, 49°09’52”E, 950 m a.s.l., sifting of leaf litter sample under big unidentified tree, Winkler apparatus extraction, 13.I.2014 ( R. Ravebolun and L. Rabotenoson).

Material deposition — All specimens (preserved in ethanol with a drop of glycerol) are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.

Remarks — Our specimens of A. parapustulatus from Madagascar are similar in general appearance to those according to the original description ( Mahunka 2009). However, we observed the following:

1. Region between lamellae completely tuberculate in our specimens (versus tubercles presented only mediobasally in the original description). We believe this difference represent intraspecific variability.

2. Mahunka (2009) noted, that “…ventral plate smooth…” (p. 105), but his Figure 31 (p. 106) shows the presence of rounded structures in the anogenital region. We confirm that the anogenital region of the species is indeed foveolate (not smooth).

Thus, based on the supplementary description and original description ( Mahunka 2009), the diagnosis for A. parapustulatus is as follows:

Body size: 439–531 × 208–249, species distinctly elongated. Prodorsum and notogaster (partially forming polygonal ornamentation) tuberculate, anogenital region foveolate. Translamella present. Rostral and interlamellar setae narrowly phylliform, barbed, lamellar setae narrowly phylliform, with spines and barbs; all setae comparatively long, similar in length, barbed, ro inserted anterior to translamella. Bothridial setae unilaterally dilated and spinose. Notogastral setae comparatively short (posterior setae shortest), phylliform, dilated mediodistally, barbed. Epimeral setae 1a, 1c, 2a and 3a minute, others longer, setiform, slightly barbed. Genital, aggenital and adanal setae setiform, slightly barbed. Anal setae short, setiform, erect, roughened. Lateral phylliform seta l” presented on femora I, II and genua I, II, l’ on femora III and genua III, IV.

Figures

Figure 5 Austrocarabodes parapustulatus Mahunka, 2009, adult: a – dorsal view; b – ventral view (legs omitted); c – lateral view (legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.

Figure 6 Austrocarabodes parapustulatus Mahunka, 2009, adult, SEM micrographs: a – dorsal view; b – ventral view; c – lateral view; d – rostral and lamellar setae and distal part of lamella, dorsoanterior view. Scale bar 100 μm (a–c), scale bar 20 μm (d).

Figure 7 Austrocarabodes parapustulatus Mahunka, 2009, adult, SEM micrographs: a – dorsoanterior view; b – dorsoposterior view; c – bothridial seta and humeral process, dorsal view; d – some notogastral setae, dorsal view; e – bothridial seta, bothridium, humeral process, some notogastral setae and sejugal region, lateral view. Scale bar 100 μm (a, b), scale bar 20 μm (c–e).