Multidentorhodacarus colombianus, Rueda-Ramirez, Diana, Castilho, Raphael C. & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2013

Rueda-Ramirez, Diana, Castilho, Raphael C. & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2013, Mites of the superfamily Rhodacaroidea (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Colombia, with a key for the world species of Desectophis Karg (Ologamasidae), Zootaxa 3734 (5), pp. 521-535 : 528-529

Multidentorhodacarus colombianus n. sp.

Diagnosis (adult female). Epistome with an anteromedian extension wider at the base and distally denticulate, flanked by a pair of shorter, usually smooth and aciculate anterolateral extensions (occasionally apically or subapically divided); some specimens with a pair of small, round and denticulate more lateral lobes; podonotal shield with a lateral punctate band between s 1 and s3, with 22 pairs of setae (including r 2, r 3, r 5 and r 6; r 1 absent; r 4 on unsclerotised cuticle); opisthonotal shield with 18 pairs of setae (including R 1, R 3 and R 4; R 2 and R 5 on unsclerotised cuticle); with a pair of accessory shields anterolaterad of podonotal shield; anterior margin of opisthonotal shield without punctate band; Z 3 as long as Z 4; S 1 much shorter than distance between its base and base of S 2; Zv 1 on unsclerotised cuticle next to anterior margin of ventri-anal shield.

Adult female ( Figs 12–16 )—Five specimens measured.

Gnathosoma. Fixed digit of chelicera 52 (50–55) long, with 11–12 teeth in addition to apical tooth and setiform pilus dentilis ( Fig. 12 ); movable digit of chelicera 48 (45–50) long, with 3–4 teeth in addition to apical tooth; antiaxial and dorsal lyrifissures as well as dorsal seta distinct, the latter capitate. Numbers of setae on palp trochanter – tarsus: 2-5-6-14 -15; all setiform. Epistome with an anteromedian extension wider at the base and distally denticulate, flanked by a pair of shorter, usually smooth and aciculate anterolateral extensions (occasionally apically or subapically divided); some specimens with a pair of small, round and denticulate more lateral lobes ( Fig. 13 a, b). Deutosternum with nine roughly transverse lines, the most basal and the second most distal smooth, others with 8–10 denticles each ( Fig. 14 ). Internal malae totally separated from each other, each bifurcate; outer branch of each internal mala fimbriate and inner branch smooth. Corniculus horn-like, about 3.3– 3.7 times as long as its basal width. Setae h 1 - sc about in longitudinal line. Measurements of setae: h 1 14, h 2 10, h 3 13, sc 11 (10–12); all aciculate and smooth.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 15 ). Idiosoma 273 (265–284) long and 121 (110–129) wide at widest level. Podonotal and opisthonotal shields separated. Podonotal shield smooth, except for a lateral punctate band between s 1 and s3, and a punctate band along posterior margin; with V-shaped line posterior to setae j 4 and s 2; 137 (130–144) long and 121 (110–129) wide at widest level; with 22 pairs of setae (including r 2, r 3, r 5 and r 6; r 1 absent) and with three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures (laterad of and about in transverse line with j 2, anteriad of and about in longitudinal line with z 4, posteriad of and in longitudinal line with j 6); with three small scleronoduli between j 5 and j 6. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of podonotal shield with a pair of anterolateral accessory shields and a pair of setae (r 4). Opisthonotal shield smooth; 136 (130–141) long and 85 (75–91) wide at widest level; with 18 pairs of setae (including R 1, R 3 and R 4) and nine pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures (anteriad of and about in longitudinal line with J 1, three pairs close together and anteromesad of S 1, mesad to and in transverse line with J 1, posteromesad of J 2, posterolaterad of J 3, posterolaterad of J 4, anteromesad of Z 5). Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of opisthonotal shield with two pairs of setae (R 2 and R 5). Measurements of setae: j 1 11 (10–12), j 2 14 (13–14), j 3 14 (12–15), j 4 15 (14–17), j 5 14 (13–15), j 6 14 (14–15), z 1 7 (6–8), z 2 12 (11–12), z 3 13 (12–13), z 4 15 (14–16), z 5 15 (14–15), z 6 17 (15–18), s 1 6, s 2 15 (15–16), s 3 10 (9–11), s 4 16 (16–17), s 5 18 (17–19), s 6 17 (15–18), r 2 14 (12– 16), r 3 24 (22–25), r 4 11 (10–11), r 5 11 (10–11), r 6 16 (15–17), J 1 15 (15–16), J 2 14 (13–15), J 3 14 (13–15), J 4 16 (14–17), J 5 15 (14–15), Z 1 16 (15–17), Z 2 16 (14–17), Z 3 17 (17–18), Z 4 18 (17–19), Z 5 33 (32–34), S 1 15, S 2 15 (14–16), S 3 16 (15–16), S 4 15 (14–15), S 5 17 (16–17), R 1 10, R 2 10, R 3 10, R 4 11 (10–12), R 5 22 (20–24). All dorsal idiosomal setae aciculate and smooth.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 16 ). Base of tritosternum 17 (15–19) long and 9 (9–10) wide proximally; laciniae 49 (47–50), separated for about 85% of their total length, pilose. Sternal shield smooth, anterior margin indistinct; region anterior to the first pair of sternal setae (st 1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; posterior margin with short medial rounded projection; approximately 94 (89–98) long from anterior margin of lightly sclerotised and punctate region to tip of medial projection of posterior margin and 60 (58–61) wide at widest level; with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures. Genital shield smooth, with a punctate band along convex posterior margin; extending posteriorly well behind coxae IV; distance between st 5- st 5 29 (29–30). Lyrifissure iv 5 on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of st 5. Ventri-anal shield smooth, with a punctate band along anterior margin; 93 (90–96) long and 68 (66–70) wide at widest level, not fused with dorsal shield; with four pairs of setae (Jv 1– Jv 3 and Zv 2) in addition to circumanal setae, and with three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures (posteromesad of Zv 1, posterolaterad of Jv 1, anterolaterad of Jv 3). Unsclerotised cuticle around margins of ventri-anal shield with three pairs of setae (Jv 5, Zv 1 and Zv 3). Peritreme extending anteriorly almost to anterior margin of coxa III (region between r 3 and r 4). Peritrematic shield narrow, fused anteriorly to dorsal shield at level of r 3 and extending posteriorly as a narrow diagonal strip to level of posterior margin of coxa IV; with a pair of lyrifissures posterior and next to stigma. A pair of elongate metapodal platelets present, well behind coxa IV, at level of anterolateral corners of ventri-anal shield. Measurements of setae: st 1 15 (14–15), st 2 14 (13–15), st 3 14 (13–15), st 4 16 (15– 16), st 5 12 (11–13), Jv 1 14 (13–15), Jv 2 14 (14–15), Jv 3 15 (13–16), Jv 5 11 (10–12), Zv 1 11 (10–13), Zv 2 12 (11– 13), Zv 3 8 (7–9), para-anal 19 (19–20), post-anal 35 (34–37). All ventral idiosomal setae aciculate and smooth.

Spermatheca. Not visible.

Legs. Lengths: I: 231 (220–237); II: 163 (160–166); III: 145 (140–150); IV: 199 (188–210). Numbers of setae on legs I–IV: coxae: 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanters: 6, 5, 5, 5; femora: 13, 11, 6, 6; genua: 13, 11, 9, 10; tibiae: 14, 10, 8, 10; tarsi: I not counted, then 18, 18, 17. Chaetotaxy as reported by Evans (1963) for “ Rhodacarus -group” of the Rhodacaridae , except tarsus IV with one less seta, pl 4. Seta ad 1 of tibia IV (18–20) distinctly longer than other dorsal setae of the same segment (10–11); all dorsal setae of femur and genu of leg IV and of femur, genu and tibia of other legs similar to each other in lengths (14–17). Seta pd 2 of tarsus IV (27–28) erect, slightly longer than other dorsal setae of the same segment (20–22). Pretarsus I absent; pretarsi II–IV similar in shape and length, each consisting of an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strongly sclerotised claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes.

Adult male. Not found.

Material examined. Holotype female and four paratype females from soil in a grassland ( pH 5.0–7.0; organic matter 20–30%; humidity 70–80%) and from a fragment of secondary alpine forest ( pH 4.0–6.0; organic matter 40–75%; humidity 65–80%) at “Setor San José” (04°39’ N 73°51’ W) of “Vereda Mundo Nuevo”, municipality of “La Calera”, Departamento de Cundinamarca, Colombia, February and December 2010. All types collected by D. Rueda-Ramirez and deposited at Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Etymology. The term colombianus refers to “from Colombia ”, country where the type specimens were collected.

Remarks. Multidentorhodacarus colombianus is most similar to M. pennacornutus Karg, 1998 but the latter has an epistome with serrated anterolateral extensions, a podonotal shield without an anterolateral punctate band, no accessory shields anterolaterad of podonotal shield, and peritreme extending anteriorly beyond anterior margin of coxa III.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 16. Multidentorhodacarus colombianus n. sp. Female. 12. Chelicera; 13. Variation of epistome; 14. Hypostome, basal palp segments and tritosternum; 15. Dorsal idiosomal shields; 16. Ventral idiosoma. Base of setae are represented by black circles and lyrifissures are represented by circles or ovals enclosing a dot. Lyrifissures enlarged for improved visibility.