Kunstidamaeus tecticola ( Michael, 1888 )

Seniczak, Stanisław & Seniczak, Anna, 2011, Differentiation of external morphology of Damaeidae (Acari: Oribatida) in light of the ontogeny of three species, Zootaxa 2775, pp. 1-36 : 24-29

Kunstidamaeus tecticola ( Michael, 1888)

( Figs. 8 C, 10B, 11B, 15B, 16–19)

Damaeus tecticola Michael, 1888 .

Oribata tecticola: Kulczyński 1902 .

Damaeus (Spatiodamaeus) tecticola: Bulanova-Zachvatkina 1957a . Spatiodamaeus tecticola: Bulanova-Zachvatkina 1967, 1975 ; Schatz 1983; Olszanowski et al. 1996. Epidamaeus tecticola: Luxton 1989 ; Subías 2004.

Kunstidamaeus tecticola: Miko 2006 .

Diagnosis. Mite of medium size (630–810 μm), brown, with arched, almost spherical notogaster ( Fig. 16 ), cerotegument filamentous, mainly in dorsosejugal area. Setae in and ex nearly as long as seta c 1 ( Table 1), sensillus approximately twice as long as seta c 1. Apophysis Sa larger than P, apophysis Ba larger than La, apophysis Sp and discidium well-developed; all rounded. Spinae adnatae directed anteroventrally ( Fig. 10 B), sometimes curved laterally. Notogastral setae relatively short, anterior pair directed anteriorly, other pairs strongly curved outside. Coxisternal apophysis E2a well-developed, rounded, other apophyses weakly developed. Anal setae located on anterior part of anal plates ( Fig. 11 B). Formulae of leg setae and solenidia given in Table 2, dorsal coupled seta d lost on tibiae I–IV. Legs monodactylous.

Juveniles elongated, unpigmented, with darker legs, approximately as long as body ( Table 1). Seta in slightly shorter than c 3, sensillus long, but shorter than seta c 1. Most dorsal gastronotal setae long, curved, finely barbed, inserted on large apophyses, and flagellate in distal parts; seta h 3 present. Posterior excrescence with two pairs of setae; long pair h 1, directed posteriorly, and shorter pair p 1, directed posterolaterally. Prodorsum and gastronotum with granular cerotegument, cornicle long, between setae lp, exuviae usually without adherent debris.

Description of juvenile stages. Larva elongated ( Fig. 17 ), unpigmented. Prodorsum triangular, with four rather long pairs of setae: ro and le curved, finely barbed; le strongly curved, longer and inserted more than twice as far apart as pair ro. Bothridium rather large, rounded, protruding from surface, with funnel-like rim; sensillus setiform, long, usually with cerotegument in distal half. Prodorsum covered with granular cerotegument.

Gastronotum of larva with 12 pairs of setae, including h 2 and h 3, inserted lateral to posterior part of anal opening ( Fig. 18 A). All gastronotal setae long ( Table 1), curved, erected, finely barbed, inserted on large apophyses and distally flagellate, except for shorter setae c 3, h 2 and h 3; h 3 shorter than h 2; all setae finely barbed. Paraproctal valves (segment PS) bare. Cupule ia, im, ip and ih, and gland opening (gla) located similar as in D. onustus . Gastronotum with granular cerotegument.

Nymphs slightly slimmer than larva, with relatively longer legs, and unpigmented. Gastronotum of protonymph with 12 pairs of setae, as three pairs of pseudanal setae appear (p 1– p 3), and remain in successive instars, but setae of d -series lost, leaving central part of gastronotum bare. Other numerical changes of setae in successive nymphs, including tritonymph ( Fig. 18 B) as in D. onustus . Anogenital region with granular cerotegument.

Prodorsum of nymphs relatively shorter than in larva; triangular, lateral part with depression above leg I. Prodorsal setae of tritonymph long ( Fig. 19 ), setae ro and le curved, finely barbed; le longer and more widely spaced than ro; in nearly as long as ro, and barbed, ex shorter. Bothridium large, rounded, protruding from surface, with funnel-like rim; sensillus setiform, long, finely barbed, and covered with cerotegument in distal half. Prodorsum with granular cerotegument.

Exuviae of previous instars usually without adherent debris, and only weakly connected to gastronotum ( Fig. 15 B). With exuviae removed, centrodorsal part bare, with rather long cornicle situated midway between setal pair lp. Gastronotal setae rather long, inserted on large apophyses on lateral and posterior parts of gastronotum, leaving dorsocentral part bare except for cornicle; all setae strongly curved posteromedially, erected, distally pliable. Gastronotum of nymphs with well formed posterior excrescence bearing two pairs of setae: long pair h 1, directed posteriorly, and shorter pair p 1, directed posterolaterally. Cupules ia, im, ip, iad, ips and ih, and gland opening (gla) located as in D. clavipes . Gastronotum with granular cerotegument.

Tarsus I of tritonymph long and thin, with two solenidia, ω1 longer and thicker than ω2 ( Fig. 8 C). Tibia I with two solenidia, φ1 long, with rather long coupled seta d, φ2 rather short.

Summary of ontogenetic transformations. Prodorsal setae rather long in all instars, but setae ro are inserted closer to the rostrum in the juveniles than in the adult. The bothridium is rather large, rounded in all instars, with funnel-like rim; the sensillus is setiform, and long in all instars (in the adult nearly twice longer than seta c 1).

The larva has 12 pairs of gastronotal setae, but in the protonymph setae of p -series appear and setae of d -series are lost, such that 12 pairs remain in all nymphs. The adult loses seta c 3, such that 11 pairs of notogastral setae remain. The formula of gastronotal setae in K. tecticola is 12-12-12-12 -11 (larva to adult), while those of coxisternal, genital, aggenital, segments PS −AN, and paraproctal setae are as in D. onustus ( Table 3 ).

Distribution and ecology. Kunstidamaeus tecticola is considered a European species ( Subías 2004; Miko 2006). In Poland it was recorded only from southern parts of country ( Olszanowski et al. 1996).

This species occurs usually in mosses, and sometimes in dry habitat ( Miko 2006), while Mahunka and Mahunka-Papp (2006) found it in beech litter. In Botanical Garden on the campus of the University of Life Sciences in Ås ( Norway) it was rather abundant in spruce litter. Schatz (1983) considered this species myrmecophilous and xerophilous.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Tarsus I and part of tibia of tritonymph, paraxial aspect, scale bars 10 μm. (A) Damaeus onustus; (B) D. clavipes; (C) Kunstidamaeus tecticola.

FIGURE 10. Adult, lateral aspect, legs partially drawn, scale bars 100 μm. (A) Damaeus clavipes; (B) Kunstidamaeus tecticola.

FIGURE 11. Adult, anogenital region, scale bars 100 μm. (A) Damaeus clavipes; (B) Kunstidamaeus tecticola.

FIGURE 15. Tritonymph, lateral aspect, legs partially drawn, scale bar 100 μm. (A) Damaeus clavipes; (B) Kunstidamaeus tecticola.

FIGURE 16. Kunstidamaeus tecticola, adult, dorsal aspect, scale bar 100 μm. Legs partially drawn.

FIGURE 17. Kunstidamaeus tecticola, larva, dorsal aspect, scale bar 50 μm. Legs partially drawn.

FIGURE 18. Kunstidamaeus clavipes, scale bars 100 μm. (A) Anal region of larva; (B) anogenital region of tritonymph.

FIGURE 19. Kunstidamaeus clavipes, tritonymph, dorsal aspect, scale bar 100 μm. Legs partially drawn.