Torrenticola (Megapalpis) asadiae, Pešić & Smit & Saboori, 2012

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, 3330, Zootaxa 3330, pp. 1-67 : 18-20

Torrenticola (Megapalpis) asadiae sp. nov.

( Figs. 11A – C, 12A – B)

Material examined. Holotype female, dissected and slide mounted, Iran, Hormozgan Province, IR19-2011, Banglayan village N of Bandar Abbass, unnamed stream, 27º 45.695 N, 56º 32.402 E, 577 m asl, 18.vii.2011 ( RMNH).

Diagnosis. Female (male unknown). Cxgl-4 anterior to Cxgl-2 and located adjacent to Leg-II socket; Cx-IV extending strongly posteriorly to genital field; P-2 long (L ratio P-2/P-4 1.65) and with small ventral denticles distally to strongly pronounced ventral projection, P-3 with serrulate margin distally from small ventral projection; gnathosoma with long rostrum; cheliceral claw relatively short (basal segment/claw ratio 6.6); I-L-6 relatively stout (L/H ratio 2.5).

Description. Female — Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 11B) L 747, W 525; dorsal shield ( Fig. 11A) L 653, W

412, L/W ratio 1.59; dorsal plate 625; shoulder plate L 175 – 178, W 56 – 58, L/W ratio 3.1; frontal plate L 119 – 122, W 53 – 55, L/W ratio 2.2 – 2.3; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.46 – 1.47. Gnathosomal bay L 131, Cx-I total L 250, Cx-I mL 119, Cx-II+III mL 61; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 4.1; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.95; Cx- IV extending posteriorly to genital field; Cxgl-4 anteriorly to Cxgl-2 and located adjacent to Leg-II socket; genital field L/W 159/ 145, L/W ratio 1.1; distance genital field-excretory pore 236, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 272. Gnathosoma ( Fig. 11C) with long rostrum, vL 373; chelicera L 409, basal segment L 365, claw L 57, basal segment/claw ratio L 6.6; palp ( Fig. 12A) total L 384, dL: P-1, 57; P-2, 155; P-3, 59; P-4, 94; P-5, 19; P-2/P-4 ratio, 1.56; P-2 with small ventral denticles distally to ventral projection bearing long seta, P-3 with serrulate margin distally from small pointed ventral projection bearing seta; dL of I-L-4-6 ( Fig. 12B): 112, 109, 112; I-L-6 L/H ratio 2.5.

Etymology. Named after Dr Mahdieh Asadi (Kerman, Iran) in appreciation of her acarological studies in Iran.

Remarks. In the shape of the palp (P-2 with ventral denticles distally to ventral projection, P-3 with serrulate margin distally from small pointed ventral projection), Cxgl-4 anterior to Cxgl-2 and located adjacent to Leg-II socket, gnathosoma with long rostrum and Cx-IV greatly extended posterior to the genital field, Torrenticola asadiae sp. nov. is most similar to T. omanensis Smit & Pešić, 2010 , a species known only from males from northern Oman ( Smit & Pešić 2010). The latter species (in parentheses data taken from Smit & Pešić 2010) differs from T. asadiae sp. nov. in a longer P-2 (L ratio P-2/P-4 2.5) with much more developed ventral denticles, and in a slightly pronounced ventral projection, more elongated gnathosomal rostrum and a longer chelicera with a relatively shorter cheliceral claw (basal segment/claw ratio 12.0).

Habitat. Sandy/bouldery stream, with strong exposure to sunlight and without vegetation ( Fig. 44C).

Distribution. Iran; only known from the type locality in Hormozgan Province.