Atractides davecooki, Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2009

Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2009, Studies on water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the Himalayas, II. New records and descriptions of seven new species from India, Zootaxa 2119, pp. 1-22 : 13-17

Atractides davecooki sp. nov.

( Figures 9A–F , 10A–D , 11 )

Type series. Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; India: Himachal Pradesh State, Lahaul, 11 km north of Keylong, road to Leh, near bridge over side brook, with trickled down mosses from wall of rock, 23.viii.1990, 3300m asl., leg. Schwoerbel & Panesar. Paratype: one female, same collecting site and data as holotype, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid.

New records. Himachal Pradesh State: IND 95/167 Kullu Valley, Kunoi-Nala, 30 min trek upstream from Khaknal, mosses/lotic, 2000m asl., 13.vii.1995, leg. Panesar one male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; IND 95/126 Kullu Valley, Village Karrol, brook, 2–3 hours trek upstream from Naggar, mosses in caskade, 2500m asl., 06.vii.1995, leg. Panesar one male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid.

Diagnosis. Dorsal integument: striated; muscle attachments: sexual dimorphism (dorsal shield in male); in female: D-4 medially fused to a rhombic medial plate; genital field: with 30–45 Ac; excretory pore: smooth; Vgl-1: separate from Vgl-2 (fused in older specimens).

Description. Male (holotype, in parentheses specimen from Kullu Valley): Dorsal and ventral shield present; dorsal shield ( Figure 9A ) L/W 378 (403)/306 (334); dorsal shield bearing four pairs of glandularia and closely flanked by four pairs of glandularia; ventral shield ( Figure 9B ) L/W 406 (412)/356 (388). Coxal field: ventral surface covered by an extended shield including coxae, Vgl-3 and -4 and genital field, Cx-3 W 291, Cx-1+2 W 243. Measurements of mouthparts: chelicera L 188, claw L 65; capitulum with a well developed subterminal rostrum; palp total L 243 (242), dL: P-1 32 (27), P-2 64 (63), P-3 42 (41), P-4 70 (72), P-5 35 (39); %L: P-1 13.2 (11.2), P-2 26.3 (26.0), P-3 17.3 (16.9), P-4 28.8 (29.8), P-5 14.4 (16.1); L P-2/P-4 0.91 (0.88); palp ( Figure 9C–D ): P-2 with a strong and narrow finger-like distoventral protrusion, P-4 ventrally protruding in a blunt tip at the insertion level of the distoventral hair, sword seta very heavy and short, P-5 long and slender. Genital field ( Figure 9B ): fused with the ventral shield, but suture lines still evident, W 224 (244), 30–32 (42–44) genital acetabula on each side; excretory pore, Vgl-1 and -2 lying free in the integument at the extreme posterior end of the venter; excretory pore: smooth; Vgl-1: separate from Vgl-2 (in larger specimen from Kullu Valley fused on the left side).

I-Leg ( Figure 9E ): distal margin I-Leg-5 with a protruding anterior sheath, S-1 ending in a fine, pointed tip; I-Leg-5 dL 96 (103), I-Leg-5 HB 39 (36), dL/HB 2.4 (2.86), S-1 L 50 (47), L/ W 6.6 (8.9), S-2 L 38 (38), L/ W 2.7 (2.8), distance of sword setae at I-Leg-5 0 (0), L S-1/2 1.32 (1.24); I-Leg-6 L 56 (63), HB 13.6 (14.4), L/HB 4.1 (4.4); L I-Leg-5/6 1.7 (1.64).

Female (from Kullu Valley, in parentheses some measurements of the paratype): Idiosoma L/W 541 (590)/ 475 (519). Muscle attachments ( Figure 10A ): sclerotized, prefr, postoc, Dgl-3 and D-1 on paired triangular plates, D-2, -3 and –5 as extended, paired plates, D-4 medially fused to a rhombic medial plate, Dgl-4, -5, and -6 with extended sclerite margins; ventrally V-1 fused with Vgl-3, V-2, V-3 and Vgl-4 separate. Coxal field ( Figure 10B ): mediocaudal margin Cx-1+2 equally rounded, medial margin of Cx-2+3 formed exclusively by Cx-3; L 381 (390), Cx-3 W (381), Cx-1+2 mL 122 (156). Measurements of mouthparts: chelicera L (206), claw L (59), capitulum with a well developed subterminal rostrum, L 125 (133); palp ( Figure 10C ): palp total L 303 (319), dL: P-1 32 (38), P-2 73 (77), P-3 56 (56), P-4 89 (98), P-5 53 (50); %L: P-1 10.6 (11.9), P-2 24.1 (24.1), P-3 18.5 (17.6), P-4 29.4 (30.7), P-5 17.5 (15.7); L P-2/P-4 0.82 (0.79); P-2 with a strong and narrow finger like distoventral protrusion, P-4 sword seta strong, inserting slightly proximally from proximoventral hair. Genital field: pregen very robust, with extended secondary sclerite, L/W 247 (223)/281 (263), genital plate L 183, 42–45 (33–34) genital acetabula on each side; egg maximum diameter 114–118; excretory pore smooth; Vgl-1: fused to Vgl- 2 in the larger specimen from Lahaul, but separated in the smaller specimen from Kullu Valley - see Figure 11 ).

I-Leg ( Figure 10d ): I-Leg-5 dL 124 (123), HB 37, dL/HB 3.35, S-1 L 56, L/ W 7.4, S-2 L 42, L/ W 2.8, L S-1/2 1.3; I-Leg-6 L 62 (61); L I-Leg-5/6 2.0 (2.0).

Discussion. The new species is closely related to Atractides minutus ( Walter, 1928) described by Walter (1928) from a female specimen collected in the Kangra Valley (Himachal Pradesh). Female of A. davecooki sp. nov. differs from A. minutus in having a more extended sclerotized muscle attachment, D-4 medially fused to a rhombic medial plate (separated in A. minutus), Vgl-4 separate (fused with Vgl- 3 in A. minutus) and a lower number of genital acetabulae (> 50 Ac in A. minutus).

Etymology. The species is named after Dr David Cook, in appreciation of his studies of Indian water mites.

Habitat. Discovered in mosses in a mountain stream.

Distribution. Known from Himachal Pradesh State ( India).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Atractides davecooki sp. nov., female, Kullu Valley: posterior part of idiosoma, ventral view. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 9 A – F. Atractides davecooki sp. nov., male (A – E holotype, F specimen from Kullu Valley): A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = palp, lateral view; D = palp, medial view; E = I-Leg- 4 - 6; F = IV-Leg. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 10 A – D. Atractides davecooki sp. nov., female (A – B paratype; C – D specimen from Kullu Valley): A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = palp, medial view; D = I-Leg- 5 and - 6. Scale bars = 100 µm.