Whartonia parauapebensis Bassini-Silva and Jacinavicius, 2022

Bassini-Silva, R., Zampaulo, R. A., Welbourn, C., Ochoa, R., Brescovit, A. D., Barros-Battesti, D. M. & Jacinavicius, F. C., 2022, A new genus and two new species of chigger mites (Trombidiformes: Leeuwenhoekiidae) from Brazilian caves with notes about the genus Whartonia Ewing, 1944, Journal of Natural History 56 (29 - 32), pp. 1297-1313 : 1305-1309

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2022.2118087
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7156384
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/60513042-E164-7D3F-6B88-0C02A1729C53
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Whartonia parauapebensis Bassini-Silva and Jacinavicius
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Whartonia parauapebensis Bassini-Silva and Jacinavicius sp. nov.

( Figures 6–10 View Figure 6 View Figure 7 View Figure 8 View Figure 9 View Figure 10 ; Tables 1–4 View Table 1 )

Diagnosis. Palpfemur and palpgenu each with single branched seta ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 (a)); dorsal and ventral setae branched and lateral setae nude on the palptibia ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 (a,b)); adoral (cs) setae branched ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 (a)); odontus multifurcate with the apex dividing into five or six prongs, plus two other larger supplementary prongs in the middle of the odontus ( Figures 6 View Figure 6 (a,b), 10(f)); nude flagelliform trichobothria (si) ( Figures 7 View Figure 7 , 10 View Figure 10 (d)); C and D rows with 12 irregularly placed setae each ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a)); E row with eight setae ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a)); F row with six setae ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a)); H row with four setae ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a)); total opisthosomal setae 42 including 48 to 50 ventral setae ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a,b)); base of famulus (ε) on Ta I and II proximal to solenidion (ω) ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 (a,b)).

Description. Larva (holotype and one paratype). Gnathosoma – fPp = B/B/BNB/7Bωζ; odontus multifurcate with the apex dividing into five or six prongs, plus two other larger supplementary prongs in the middle of the odontus ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 (f)); cheliceral blade with ventral row of large blunt teeth and dorso-lateral row of small pointed teeth bordering the apical cap (more than 15 teeth each side); gnathobase punctate, subcapitular (bs) and adoral (cs) setae branched ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 (a,b)). Idiosoma – eyes present, 2/2, set in ocular plate, anterior lens larger; rectangular prodorsal sclerite sparsely punctate, punctuation mostly concentrated in the lateral regions ( Figures 7 View Figure 7 , 10 View Figure 10 (d)), anterior margin slightly sinuous with anterolateral shoulders, lateral margins slightly concave and posterior margin biconvex; with pair of nude flagelliform trichobothria (si), and six normal, branched setae [pair of ve (= AL) setae, pair of se (= PL) setae, and pair of vi (= AM) setae]; si> vi> se> ve; tracheae and stigma absent. Opisthosoma ( Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a,b)) with a total of 90 to 92 setae entire covered with setules, dorsal opisthosoma ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 (e)) with 42 setae, C and D rows with 12 irregularly placed setae, E row with eight setae, F row with six setae and H row with four setae, and 48 to 50 ventral opisthosomal setae (17 setae anterior to the anus and 31 to 33 posterior setae). One pair of sternal setae (3a) between coxal fields III. Legs – femur of legs I–III entire (not divided into basifemur and telofemur), each leg terminates in a pair of claws and claw-like empodium without onychotriches, coxal fields punctate; Leg I – coxal field setae 1a and 1b branched (2B); trochanter 1B; femur 6B; genu 4B, 2 σ and a long Κ; tibia 8B, 2 φ and a long Κ; tarsus 37B to 38B with ω, ε, dorsal eupathidium (ζ’) and subterminal eupathidium (ζ), base of famulus (ε) proximal to solenidion (ω) ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 (a)). Leg II – coxal field seta 2b (1B); trochanter 1B; femur 5B; genu 4B, σ and a long Κ; tibia 6B, 2 φ; tarsus 28B with ω, ε and a subterminal eupathidium (ζ), base of ε proximal to ω ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 (b)). Leg III – coxal field setae 3b and 3c (2B); trochanter 1B; femur 4B; genu 4B, σ, tibia 6B, φ; tarsus 26B to 28B with ω ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 (c)).

Type material

Holotype. Larva, Cave N 3-047, Parauapebas, Pará State, Brazil, (6.040°S, 50.227°W); 3–17 April 2013; on the cave soil; F. V. Freitas et al. coll.; deposited as IBSP14143 View Materials . GoogleMaps

Paratype. One larva, same locality and date; deposited as IBSP14151 View Materials .

Etymology.

The specific name ‘parauapebensis’ is in honour of the type locality – Parauapebas Municipality.

Differential diagnosis.

Whartonia parauapebensis sp. nov. is similar to Whartonia nudosetosa ( Wharton, 1938) and Whartonia pachywhartoni Vercammen-Grandjean, 1966 , as they share the following characteristics – absence of companion seta (z) on Ta I; Cx III bisetose; and presence of ω on Ta III. However, the new species differs from the other two species by having the following characters: lateral palptibial seta nude ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 (a)); and the odontus with two larger supplementary prongs in the middle ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 (a)). Furthermore, the new species has two pair of eyes set in ocular plates, while W. nudosetosa does not have an ocular plate. Also, Whartonia parauapebensis sp. nov. has fewer opisthosomal setae than W. pachywhartoni (90 to 92 setae vs 148 setae).

The comparisons were made based on the original descriptions ( Wharton 1938; Vercammen-Grandjean 1966) and redescriptions based on the types ( Brennan and Dalmat 1960; Reed and Brennan 1975).