Testudacarus smithi O'Neill & Dowling

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 : 69-73

Taxon classification Animalia Trombidiformes Torrenticolidae

Testudacarus smithi O'Neill & Dowling sp. n.

Type series.

Holotype (1♀): British Columbia, Canada: 1♀ from Vancouver Island, spring run, Lake Cowichan, beside North Shore Road 1.7 km north of town (48°49'29.00"N, 124°4'2.00"W), 1 July 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100091 (Speci men 146769 - DNA#2184); Paratypes (10♀, 12♂): British Columbia, Canada: (allotype) 1♂ from Vancouver Island, spring run, Lake Cowichan, beside North Shore Road 1.7 km north of town (48°49'29.00"N, 124°4'2.00"W), 1 July 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100091 (Specimen 146770 - DNA#2185); 2♂ from Vancouver Island, spring run, Lake Cowichan, beside North Shore Road 1.7 km north of town (48°49'29.00"N, 124°4'2.00"W), 1 July 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100091; 3♀ and 2♂ from Vancouver Island, Lake Cowichan, spring run, beside North Shore Road 1.7 km north of town (48°49'29.00"N, 124°4'13.00"W), 11 June 1979, by IM Smith, IMS790013A; 3♀ and 3♂ from Vancouver Island, Lake Cowichan, spring run, beside South Shore Road 2.3 km north of town (48°48'25.00"N, 124°5'13.00"W), 7 July 1976, by IM Smith, IMS760194; 3♀ and 2♂ from Vancouver Island, Port Alberni, beside road to Mount Arrowsmith Ski Area 11.6 km from Highway 4 (49°12'50.00"N, 124°36'18.00"W), 19 September 2004, by IM Smith, IMS040084A; 1♀ and 1♂ from Vancouver Island, Lake Cowichan, spring run, beside South Shore Road 2.3 km north of town (48°48'25.00"N, 124°5'13.00"W), 31 July 1979, by IM Smith, IMS790056; 1♂ from Vancouver Island, Lake Cowichan, spring run, beside South Shore Road 2.3 km north of town (48°48'25.00"N, 124°5'13.00"W), 26 July 1985, by IM Smith, IMS850122A.

Type deposition.

Holotype (1♀), allotype (1♂), and eight paratypes (4♀, 4♂) deposited at CNC; thirteen paratypes (6♀, 7♂) at ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Resembling most Testudacarus americanus , 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).

Description.

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

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [217-245 ventral length; 137-145 dorsal length; 125-152 tall] elliptical to ovoid with short rostrum. Chelicerae [190-205 long] unmodified with lightly curved fangs [40-45 long]; fangs characteristically large. Pedipalp [250-272 long] unmodified. Trochanter [37-45 long; 39-46 wide]. Femur [72-80 long; 52-61 wide]. Genu [55-61 long; 41-49 wide]. Tibia [57-66 long; 23-26 wide]. Tarsus [21-26 long; 11-13 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 39) - [790-864 long; 619-683 wide] round to ovoid. Dorsal plate [643-705 long; 500-549 wide]. Primary sclerotization [541-596 long] grey-violet. Dorso-glandularia-4 [215-246 apart] lateral to [45-72] and just anterior to [0-21] muscle scars. Platelets colorless. Anterio-medial platelet [200-233 long; 103-128 wide] large slightly rounded trapezoid approaching size of anterio-lateral platelets. Anterio-lateral platelets [230-266 long; 125-149 wide]. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [69-82 long; 47-67 wide]; lateral-2 [127-154 long; 38-54 wide]; lateral-3 [37-65 long; 22-40 wide]; lateral-4 [156-185 long; 31-54 wide]; lateral-5 [80-102 long; 40-60 wide]; lateral-6 [106-158 long; 35-60 wide]; lateral-7 [73-103 long; 36-55 wide].

Venter (Fig. 39) - [955-1047; 671-816 wide] round to ovoid and colorless. Primary sclerotization [742-814 long]. Gnathosomal bay [87-130 dorsal length; 164 -216 ventral length; 78-105 wide]. Coxal field [578-641 long; 421-488 wide]. Coxa-I [302-361 long; 133-157 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [130-165 distance to top of coxa-II; 223-262 distance to top of coxa-III; 416-476 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 284-317 total length]. Coxa-IV [384-435 distance to top; 184-222 total length]. Genital field [390-455 distance to top; 595-657 distance to bottom; 201-217 total length; 173-184 width; 222-251 distance from gnathosomal bay; 84-102 distance from coxa-I; 229-298 distance to excretory pore; 332-429 distance to caudad]. Eggs [185-200 long; 1-3 eggs]. Distance to excretory pore [853-924].

Legs - colorless. Total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [624-660 total; trochanter 74-81; basifemur 110-121; telofemur 84-95; genu 117-125; tibia 123-130; tarsus 108-116]. Leg-II [658-718 total; trochanter 75-87; basifemur 111-123; telofemur 83-95; genu 115-130; tibia 133-149; tarsus 133-145]. Leg-III [755-820 total; trochanter 78-89; basifemur 112-131; telofemur 88-102; genu 139-155; tibia 162-184; tarsus 165-182]. Leg-IV [1017-1058 total; trochanter 117-132; basifemur 139-150; telofemur 140-153; genu 197-210; tibia 212-228; tarsus 194-205].

Male (n=12) similar to female except for sexually dimorphic characters previously discussed and with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [205-232 ventral length; 125-145 dorsal length; 124-133 tall]. Chelicerae [178-202 long]. Fangs [39-42 long]. Pedipalp [250-279 long]. Trochanter [37-42 long; 38-43 wide]. Femur [71-81 long; 52-60 wide]. Genu [55-65 long; width 40-47 wide]. Tibia [59-69 long; 23-25 wide]. Tarsus [21-27 long; 11-15 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 40) - [682-790 long; 523-626 wide]. Dorsal plate [567-670 long; 440-521 wide] with minute amount of secondary sclerotization. Dorso-glandularia-4 [198-261 apart] roughly equal distance anterior to and lateral to muscle scars [39-92 anterior to; 42-72 lateral to]. Anterio-medial platelet [194-221 long; 99-108 wide]. Anterio–lateral [216-249 long; 116-135 wide]. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [62-79 long; 45-57 wide]; lateral-2 [114-150 long; 37-52 wide]; lateral-3 [30-67 long; 21-33 wide]; lateral-4 [123-160 long; 30-48 wide]; lateral-5 [67-90 long; 32-48 wide]; lateral-6 [91-121 long; 33-47 wide]; lateral-7 [50-79 long; 29-44 wide].

Venter (Fig. 40) - [868-974; 575-730 wide]. Primary sclerotization [728-820 long]. Gnathosomal bay [79-126 dorsal length; 183-206 ventral length; 72-101 wide]. Coxal field [582-657 long; 394-468 wide]. Coxa-I [320-346 long; 131-146 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [132-158 distance to top of coxa-II; 233-264 distance to top of coxa-III; 470-515 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 327-370 total length]. Coxa-IV [378-436 length to top; 182-234 total length]. Genital field [490-545 distance to top; 675-742 distance to bottom; 185-210 total length; 150-166 width; 307-340 distance from gnathosomal bay; 170-200 distance from coxa-I; 90-137 distance to excretory pore; 177-244 distance to caudad]. Genital skeleton [245-272 long; 125-152 wide]. Distance to excretory pore [790-874]. Excretory pore characteristically well separated from line of secondary sclerotization.

Legs - total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [617-679 total; trochanter 73-80; basifemur 110-122; telofemur 84-97; genu 116-129; tibia 118-138; tarsus 107-123]. Leg-II [664-743 total; trochanter 74-84; basifemur 110-125; telofemur 85-103; genu 118-137; tibia 134-157; tarsus 131-148]. Leg-III [753-841 total; trochanter 76-83; basifemur 111-133; telofemur 89-106; genu 138-158; tibia 163-186; tarsus 155-186]. Leg-IV [952-1098 total; trochanter 111-131; basifemur 136-154; telofemur 139-161; genu 189-217; tibia 189-238; tarsus 176-210].

Etymology.

Specific epithet smithi after Dr Ian Smith, the Canadian water mite researcher who collected the specimens needed for this description. Dr Smith has advanced water mite research in North America more than anyone else and without him, this work would have been impossible.

Distribution.

British Columbia, Canada.