Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) hastinapurensis, Smit & Pešić, 2014

Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2014, A newArrenurus species from India (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Arrenuridae), Ecologica Montenegrina 1 (2), pp. 109-112 : 111-112

Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) hastinapurensis n. sp.

Material examined. Holotype male, India, Uttar Pradesh State, Hastinapur , 29.17°N, 78.02°E, pool, August 2007, leg. K. Kumar ( RMNH) . Paratypes: 2 females, same data as holotype ( RMNH) .

Description

Male: Idiosoma colour yellow, 1050 long and 595 wide, cauda 267 wide and approximately 429 long. Cauda distinctly sett of from anterior idiosoma. Dorsal shield incomplete, passing onto cauda. Posterior margin of cauda with a median cleft, posterior margins of cauda oblique. Posterior part of cauda with a pair of large glandularia, near anterior margin of cleft a rudimentary petiole. Near lateral margins of cleft a pair of short, stout setae. In lateral view cauda with two dorsal humps, one broad and shallow, the posterior hump less wide. Gonopore 50 long; genital field widest near gonopore, extending to lateral idiosoma margin. Associated setae of Vgl-4 either lost or absent. Also other long setae absent. Length of PI-PV: 32, 62, 48, 74, 38 (measurements of the non-illustrated palp). PII medially with three setae near anterior margin. Length of I-leg-4-6: 108, 123, 148. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 227, 140, 124; IV-leg-4 without spur. Only fourth leg with swimming setae: IV-leg-2 1, IV-leg-3 two groups of 5 and 4, respectively, IV-leg-4 5.

Female: Idiosoma slightly truncated posteriorly, colour yellow, 919 (867) long and 737 (729) wide. Dorsal shield complete, 664 (603) long and 510 (494) wide. Anterior coxae not extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Medial margin of fourth coxal plates slightly longer than medial margin of third coxal plates. Posteromedial corner of fourth coxal plates rounded. Associated setae of Vgl-4 either lost or absent. Also other long setae absent. Gonopore 132 long and 152 wide, without sclerotized patches. Genital field 510 wide. Genital plates directed oblique to lateral idiosoma margin, about two times long as wide, widened medially. Length of PI-PV: 32, 66, 50, 72, 58. Palp as in male, medial side of PII with three setae. Length of I-leg-4-6: 110, 120, 132. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 156, 150, 160. Relatively few swimming setae: IV-leg-4 5, IV-leg-3 1, all other legs without swimming setae.

Etymology. Named after the town of Hastinapur in northern India.

Remarks. The male of the new species is close to A. dahli Piersig, 1903 from New Britain, the Aru Islands and New Caledonia ( Piersig 1903, Walter 1911, 1915) but differs (in brackets A. dahli ) in the incomplete dorsal shield (complete), the larger size (800-830 µm), while the cauda of A. dahli has a more anteriorly located dorsal hump. The female is in many aspects (posteromedial corners of idiosoma absent, sclerotized patches of gonopore absent, medial distance of fourth coxae much smaller) very different from A. dahli . The second paratype female is smaller, but has more or less similar genital plates. Accompanying Arrenurus species were one female of A. rostratus Daday, 1898 , one female of A. madaraszi Daday, 1898 and one unknown female.