Atractides (Atractides) khuzestanicus, 2019

Pešić, Vladimir, Asadi, Mahdieh, Etemadi, Isa & Smit, Harry, 2019, New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Khuzestan Province (South Iran) with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4559 (3), pp. 550-558 : 552-555

Atractides (Atractides) khuzestanicus sp. nov.

( Fig. 5 )

Type material. Holotype female ( RMNH), dissected and slide mounted, Iran, Khuzestan Province, White river of Sardasht , 30°18'60"N, 50°12'60"E, 29 July 2017, coll. Isa Etemadi. Paratypes (SBUk): one female, river of Bebahan, 30°35'17"N, 50°14'27"E, 16 April 2016, coll. Isa Etemadi, dissected and slide mounted.

Diagnosis. Dorsum with one pair of small sclerotized muscle attachment platelets, Vgl-1 fused to Vgl-2; I-L-5 with setae S-1/-2 without interspace; I-L-6 stout, with straight ventral margin; gnathosoma with protruding rostrum; chelicera with a long, weakly curved claw, L ratio basal segment/claw 1.9; P-3 with two strong setae, inserting on medial and lateral surface, respectively.

Description. Female. Integument striated; postoc and D-1 fused to a small and longish platelet ( Fig. 5A ). Cx-I with a relatively long median suture line, apodemes of Cx-II directed caudolaterally. Pregen strong and curved, gonopore relatively long, genital plates on the level of postgen, with the acetabula in triangular arrangement. Excretory pore sclerotized; Vgl-1 fused to Vgl-2 ( Fig. 5B ). I-L-5 with setae S-1/-2 inserting side by side, without interspace; I-L-6 stout, not curved, dorsal and ventral margin diverging from base to tip, ventral margin straight. P- 2 ventral margin slightly convex, without projection, P-3 with one seta on medial and lateral surface, respectively, P-4 sword seta between the ventral setae ( Fig. 5E ). Gnathsoma with a protruding rostrum ( Fig. 5D ). I-L-5 with S-1 and S-2 short, inserted side by side; I-L-6 stout, nearly straight, distally thickened, with strong claws bearing a ventral clawlet ( Fig. 5C ).

Measurements. Idiosoma L 684, W 500. Coxal shield L 314; Cx-III W 378; Cx-I+II mL 122, Cx-I+II lL 231. Genital field L/W 138/152, genital plate L 82–83, gonopore L 116, pregenital sclerite W 91, L Ac-1-3: 22–25, 22– 27, 31–34. Palp: palp total L 272; dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 31/27, 1.18; P-2, 63/50, 1.26; P-3, 58/36, 1.61; P-4, 83/28 [basal 23], 3.0 [3.56]; P-5, 37/16, 2.35; length ratio P-2/P-4 0.75. Gnathosoma vL 158; chelicera total L 278, L basal segment 184, claw 97, L ratio basal segment/claw 1.9.

Legs: I-L-5 dL 113, vL 83, dL/vL ratio 1.36, maximum H 36, dL/maximum H 3.2, S-1 L 41, L/W ratio 8.8, S- 2 length 39, L/W ratio 8.3, distance S-1-2, 3.0, dL ratio S-1/2 1.06; I-L-6 dL 114, central H 30, dL/central H ratio 3.8; length ratio I-L-5/6 0.99.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after its occurrence in Khuzestan province of Iran.

Remarks. The new species from South Iran belongs to the ‘ subasper species group’, characterized by a pointed, protruding gnathosomal rostrum and the chelicera with a long, needle-like claw, L ratio basal segment/ claw <2.0 ( Gerecke et al. 2016). The new species can easily be distinguished from all other species of the ‘ subasper species group’, A. octoporus Piersig, 1898 , A. subasper Koenike, 1902 , A. digitatus Lundblad, 1954 , A. heversi K.O.Viets, 1982 and A. martini Pešić, Erman & Esen, 2010 (see Gerecke 2003 and Erman et al. 2010), in having two strong setae, inserting on medial and lateral surface of P-3, respectively, and in setae S-1/-2 on I-L-5 not distanced from each other.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Atractides khuzestanicus sp. nov., female holotype, Sardasht, Iran: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = I-L-5 and -6; D = gnathosoma; E = palp, medial view; Scale bars = 100 µm.