Torrenticola (Torrenticola) saboorii, Pesic, Vladimir M. & Asadi, Mahdieh, 2002

Pesic, Vladimir M. & Asadi, Mahdieh, 2002, Two new water mite species from Iran of the water mite families Torrenticolidae and Hygrobatidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 127, pp. 1-7 : 2-4

Torrenticola (Torrenticola) saboorii sp. nov.

( Figs. 1­6 )

Material examined: Holotype male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; Iran, Kerman area, the Bidkhan stream, Bidkhan (area of Bardsir city

near Kerman), 0 6.08.2002, leg. Asadi.

Diagnosis: Idiosoma longish (L/W dorsal shield 1.57); ventral plate extended almost to the posterior margin of the ventral shield, medial suture lines of Cx­2+3 considerably elongated (L>190, ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 median L 1.56).

Description

Male: Idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ) L 785.0, W 561.5, dorsal shield ( Fig. 1 ) L 677.0, W 430.7, L/ W ratio 1.57; dorsal plate L 646.0; shoulder plate L 227.0, W 65.4, L/W ratio 3.47, frontal plate L 123.0, W 57.7, L/W ratio 2.13, shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.84; gnathosomal bay L 131.5, W 75.0; ventral plate extending almost to the posterior margin of the ventral shield; Cx­1 total L 300.0, median L 169.2, Cx­2+3 median L 192.3; ratio Cx­1 total L/ Cx­2+3 median L 1.56, Cx­1 median L/Cx­2+3 median L 0.88; genital field ( Fig. 3 ) L 142.3, W 111.5, L/W ratio 1.27, rectangular in shape; ejaculatory complex ( Fig. 6 ) L 221.1, W 92.3; distance genital field–excretory pore 120.4, distance genital field–caudal body margin 161.5; gnathosoma ventral L 305.8; chelicera L 334.6; palp ( Figs. 4­5 ) total L 324.1, dorsal length and relative length (in parentheses % of total length) of palp segments: P­1 34.6 (10.6), P­2 102 (31.5), P­3 61.5 (19.0), P­4 102 (31.5), P­5 24 (7.4); P­2/ P­4 ratio 1.0.

Female: unknown.

Discussion: T. saboorii sp. nov. is differing from all other Palaearctic species of the subgenus Torrenticola , in the considerably extended ventral plate (almost to the posterior margin of the ventral shield, like in T.rhamphopsis Wiles, 1997 , from Malaysia). Due to the relatively long medial suture line of Cx/2+3 and medium sized genital field in males, T. saboorii sp. nov. is similar to T. lativalvata sensu Angelier , T. microphallus Lundblad, 1965 and T. crenobia Di Sabatino & Cicolani, 1992 . From all these species, T. saboorii sp. nov., is differing in the remarkably longer medial suture line of Cx­2+3 (L>190, ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 median L 1.56) and in the relatively longer shoulder plates (L ratio shoulder/ frontal plate 1.84).

Etymology: The species is named after Dr. Alireza Saboori. Habitat: Rhithral.

Distribution: Iran, only known from the locus typicus in the Kerman area.

Figures

FIGURES 1 ­ 6. Torrenticola saboorii sp. nov., male: 1 = dorsal shield; 2 = idiosoma, ventral view; 3 = genital field; 4 = right palp, lateral view; 5 = left palp, medial view; 6 = ejaculatory complex. Scale bars = 100 m.