Testudacarus americanus Marshall, 1943

O'Neill, Joseph C., Fisher, J. Ray, Nelson, Whitney A., Skvarla, Micheal J., Fisher, Danielle M. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2016, Systematics of testudacarine torrent mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae) with descriptions of 13 new species from North America, ZooKeys 582, pp. 13-110 : 60-64

Taxon classification Animalia Trombidiformes Torrenticolidae

Testudacarus americanus Marshall, 1943

Testudacarus americanus : Marshall 1943: 320; Bergstrom 1953: 160; Mitchell 1954: 40; Imamura 1955: 182, 188; Viets 1956: 255; Habeeb 1959a: 21; Habeeb 1959b: 6; Crowell 1961: 329; Mitchell 1962: 42; Lundblad 1967: 418; Habeeb 1967: 1, 4; Habeeb 1969: 2; Young 1969: 373, 376-377, 380-381, 383-384, 386; Cook 1974: 578-579; Habeeb 1974a: 1; Imamura 1976: 283, 284; Smith 1982: 901, 922-923, 981-985; Viets 1987: 724-725; Smith and Cook 1991: 582; Cramer 1992: 14; Smith et al. 2001: 625; Guo and Jin 2005: 72; Walter et al. 2009: 353; Smith et al. 2010: 566; Smith et al. 2011: 262.

Testudacarus american galloi : Habeeb 1969: 2

Type series.

Holotype (1♀): California, USA: 1♀ from Santa Cruz County, Waddell Creek, 29-30 June 1933, by PR Needham, RM330008

Other material examined.

Other (9♀, 8♂): Oregon, USA: 1♀ and 1♂ from Lincoln County, Siuslaw National Forest, Lord Creek, (44°14'24.00"N, 123°46'11.00"W), 8 August 2013, by JC O’Neill and WA Nelson, JNOW13-0808-002; 3♀ and 4♂ from Lane County, Cape Perpetua, Cape Perpetua Campground (44°16'51.00"N, 124°5'38.00"W), 15 September 2004, by IM Smith, IMS040077; 1♀ and 1♂ from Lane County, Rock Creek, Rock Creek Campground off Route 101 between Heceta Head and Yachats (44°11'6.00"N, 124°6'34.00"W), 14 September 2004, by IM Smith, IMS040076; 1♀ from Lane County, Cape Creek, Cape Perpetua, Cape Perpetua Campground (44°16'51.00"N, 124°5'38.00"W), 24 June 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100083; 1♀ and 1♂ from Curry County, Port Orford, beside road from Humbug Mountain State Park to McGribble Campground (Forest Road 5002) 5.3 km from Route 101 (42°42'11.00"N, 124°23'54.00"W), 25 June 1976, by IM Smith, IMS760161; 1♀ from Curry County, Port Orford, beside road from Humbug Mountain State Pk to McGribble Campground (Forest Road 5002) 4.6 km from Route 101 (42°42'3.00"N, 124°24'21.00"W), 17 June 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100070; 1♀ from Curry County, Siskiyou National Forest, North Fork of Foster Creek, beside Road #33 between Powers and Agness (42°39'N, 124°4'W), 2 July 1983, IMS 830019; Washington, USA: 1♂ from Kittitas County, Wenatchee National Forest, Squawk Creek, (47°16'51.00"N, 120°41'53.00"W), 31 July 2013, by JC O’Neill, WA Nelson, JNOW13-0731-002.

Type deposition.

Holotype (1♀) deposited at CNC.

Diagnosis.

Resembling most Testudacarus smithi , these mites differ by shape, color, and several other characters. Most notably, Testudacarus americanus are elliptical and colorless to peach and have a small cheliceral fang (<33 µm) while Testudacarus smithi are rounded and are grey to colorless with large cheliceral fangs (>40 µm).

Redescription.

Female (n=10) with characteristics of the genus with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [180-199 ventral length; 108-121 dorsal length; 110-124 tall] ovoid with short rostrum and colorless. Chelicerae [148-173 long] unmodified with lightly curved fangs [30-33 long]. Pedipalp [209-236 long] unmodified. Trochanter [29-37 long; 31-33 wide]. Femur [54-59 long; 38-45 wide]. Genu [47-60 long; 32-36 wide]. Tibia [53-59 long; 21-24 wide]. Tarsus [19-23 long; 9-13 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 33) - [826-890 long; 570-688 wide] ovoid to oblong and colorless with a peach tint. Dorsal plate [696-765 long; 497-561 wide]. Primary sclerotization [626-710 long]. Dorso-glandularia-4 [221-260 apart] anterior to [0-35] and lateral to [50-67] muscle scars. Anterio-medial platelet [198-241 long; 85-105 wide] broad, thin, very slightly rounded trapezoid similar in size to anterio-lateral platelets. Anterio-lateral platelets [219-253 long; 103-130 wide]. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [562-78 long; 48-59 wide]; lateral-2 [175-191 long; 41-59 wide]; lateral-3 [50-81 long; 22-45 wide]; lateral-4 [137-180 long; 40-56 wide]; lateral-5 [62-78 long; 40-55 wide]; lateral-6 [140-153 long; 39-56 wide]; lateral-7 [76-102 long; 36-52 wide].

Venter (Fig. 33) - [973-1095 long; 620-731 wide] ovoid to oblong and colorless. Primary sclerotization [828-934 long]. Gnathosomal bay [83-100 dorsal length; 171-196 ventral length; 67-82 wide]. Coxal field [555-615 long; 393-478 wide] noticeably small in relation to the venter when compared to other Testudacarines. Coxa-I [279-326 long; 106-141 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [128-145 distance to top of coxa-II; 211-256 distance to top of coxa-III; 391-444 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 263-304 total length]. Coxa-IV [368-427 distance to top; 170-198 total length]. Genital field [375-438 distance to top; 570-641 distance to bottom; 188-203 total length; 157-170 width; 203-259 distance from gnathosomal bay; 94-118 distance from coxa-I; 282-325 distance to excretory pore; 403-472 distance to caudad]. Eggs [182-200 long; 1-2 eggs]. Distance to excretory pore [880-964].

Legs - colorless. Total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [542-604 total; trochanter 68-75; basifemur 91-108; telofemur 75-83; genu 95-111; tibia 108-122; tarsus 101-112]. Leg-II [548-611 total; trochanter 63-72; basifemur 95-108; telofemur 70-83; genu 93-103; tibia 107-123; tarsus 110-127]. Leg-III [595-683 total; trochanter 66-73; basifemur 99-108; telofemur 76-84; genu 103-124; tibia 127-150; tarsus 124-153]. Leg-IV [854-987 total; trochanter 94-112; basifemur 125-152; telofemur 134-154; genu 170-192; tibia 171-216; tarsus 154-181].

Male (n=8) similar to female except for sexually dimorphic characters previously discussed and with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [164-178 ventral length; 97-109 dorsal length; 96-114 tall]. Chelicerae [132-152 long]. Fangs [28-33 long]. Pedipalp [202-222 long]. Trochanter [28-33 long; 28-33 wide]. Femur [50-58 long; 38-42 wide]. Genu [50-55 long; width 30-35 wide]. Tibia [53-58 long; 20-22 wide]. Tarsus [18-23 long; 11-13 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 34) - [678-755 long; 475-534 wide]. Dorsal plate [573-645 long; 405-463 wide]. Dorso-glandularia-4 [180-208 apart] lateral to [40-58] and well an terior to [53-90] muscle scars. Anterio-medial platelet [194-220 long; 82-103 wide]. Anterio-lateral platelets [198-227 long; 101-120 wide] without noticeable bump. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [52-62 long; 35-48 wide]; lateral-2 [125-164 long; 30-45 wide]; lateral-3 [47-68 long; 21-31 wide]; lateral-4 [92-120 long; 31-41 wide]; lateral-5 [55-68 long; 20-39 wide]; lateral-6 [87-125 long; 25-43 wide]; lateral-7 [47-63 long; 26-38 wide].

Venter (Fig. 34) - [840-893 long; 516-605 wide]. Primary sclerotization [763-841 long]. Gnathosomal bay [76-93 dorsal length; 150-174 ventral length; 64-89 wide]. Coxal field [520-594 long; 361-402 wide]. Coxa-I [276-291 long; 112-126 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [112-130 distance to top of coxa-II; 190-226 distance to top of coxa-III; 413-452 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 298-324 total length]. Coxa-IV [366-395 length to top; 150-203 total length]. Genital field [448-492 distance to top; 593-638 distance to bottom; 130-159 total length; 120-138 width; 292-323 distance from gnathosomal bay; 168-200 distance from coxa-I; 181-201 distance to excretory pore; 236-280 distance to caudad]. Genital skeleton [163-178 long; 80-88 wide]. Distance to excretory pore [780-833].

Legs - total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [501-560 total; trochanter 57-64; basifemur 85-99; telofemur 70-80; genu 90-102; tibia 101-113; tarsus 95-108]. Leg-II [508-567 total; trochanter 58-67; basifemur 88-96; telofe mur 67-74; genu 83-99; tibia 101-117; tarsus 105-119]. Leg-III [554-615 total; trochanter 59-63; basifemur 83-98; telofemur 70-76; genu 97-115; tibia 117-138; tarsus 119-132]. Leg-IV [526-882 total; trochanter 79-103; basifemur 116-130; telofemur 121-135; genu 157-175; tibia 171-197; tarsus 149-166].

Distribution.

Western North America within and west of the Rocky Mountains. California ( Marshall 1943), Wyoming ( Bergstrom 1953), Colorado ( Young 1969), Vancouver Island ( Smith 1982), Mexico State ( Cramer 1992).

Remarks.

Having examined the type material, we suggest that Testudacarus americanus galloi Habeeb, 1969 is simply a teneral Testudacarus americanus that Habeeb confused for an “a-typical” Testudacarus americanus .