Arrenurus (Micruracarus) cyprioticus, Smit, Harry & Pesic, Vladimir, 2006

Smit, Harry & Pesic, Vladimir, 2006, New records of the water mite genus Arrenurus from Iran, with the description of two new species from Iran and Cyprus (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Arrenuridae), Zootaxa 1152, pp. 59-68 : 65

Arrenurus (Micruracarus) cyprioticus spec. nov.

( Figs. 8 – 12 )

Material examined

Holotype: male, pool south of Asprokremnos Dam, Cyprus, 25 April 2002, leg. H. Smit ( ZMAN). Paratypes: 1 male, 18 females, same data as holotype ( ZMAN); male, IR16, stream in village Sirch, 50 km E from Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran, 30°12’ N 57°34’ E, 1834 m asl, 24 July 2003 ( MNHP).

Description

Male: Body 725 (753) long and 591 (591) wide, paratype from Iran 846 long and 672 wide. Dorsal shield complete with two pairs of glandularia, 348 long and 393 wide. Cauda indistinctly set off from anterior body part, but more distinct in the two paratypes. Petiole consisting of a hyaline tube, with a ventral part with two knobs which are upturned and are visible in lateral view. Dorsal part of petiole medially without a knob. Cauda with a closed median cleft. Genital field narrow and extending onto dorsum. Lengths of PI­PV: 32, 63, 36, 72, 44; PII medially with six setae. Lengths of I­leg­4­6: 106, 116, 118. Lengths of IVleg­4­6: 128, 134, 116; IV­leg­4 without spur. Sixth segment of each leg setose. Third and fourth legs with numerous swimming setae.

Female: Idiosoma 737 (713–956) long and 630 (595–786) wide. Idiosoma eggshaped, posteriorly somewhat truncated. Dorsal shield 551 long and 421 wide. First coxal plates extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Medial margin of fourth coxal plates longer than medial margin of third coxal plates. Medial distance of fourth coxal plates as long as width of one genital valve. Genital plates somewhat less than twice as long as broad, directed perpendicularly to lateral idiosoma margin or slightly oblique. Each genital valve with two rounded sclerotized patches. Lengths of PI­PV: 30, 62, 40, 82, 43; palp as in male. Lengths of I­leg­4­6: 113, 116, 98. Lengths of IV­leg­4­6: 142, 140, 122. Third and fourth legs with numerous swimming setae.

Etymology: Named for its occurrence on Cyprus.

Remarks: The new species belongs to a group with a hyaline petiole, which can be tube­shaped or directly inserted on the cauda. The new species belongs to the first group, its closest relatives are A. terebrator K.O.Viets, A. novus George and A. walkanoffi K. Viets. Arrenurus cyprioticus has a laterally widened petiole, while the petiole of A. walkanoffi is slender without lateral extensions. The petiole of Arrenurus terebratus is a simple tube without lateral extensions or knobs. Arrenurus novus has a small knob in the central part of the petiole, which is absent in the new species. The male from Iran is larger than the males from Cyprus but is otherwise similar. The female of the new species shows much variation in size and shape of genital and coxal plates. The genital plates are broader in some specimens than illustrated, although the length/width ratio is the same. Specimens can also be found with a shorter medial margin of the fourth coxal plates, equalling or shorter than the medial margin of the third coxal plates. Variation in the shape of the genital and coxal plates is not an uncommon phenomenon within the genus ( Smit 1995).

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 12. Arrenurus (Micruracarus) cyprioticus spec. nov. (8, 9, 11 = holotype male, 10 = paratype male, Iran, 12 = paratype female): 8 = idiosoma, dorsal view, 9 = idiosoma, ventral view, 10 = idiosoma, lateral view, 11 = palp, 12 = idiosoma, ventral view. Scale Bars: 8, 9, 11 = 50 µm, 10 = 100 µm, 12 = 200 µm.