Neumania (Soarella) comorosensis Pešić & Smit, 2015

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Mary, Nathalie, 2015, Fourth contribution to the knowledge of water mites from the Comoros, with the description of two new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 4052 (5), pp. 589-594 : 590

Neumania (Soarella) comorosensis Pešić & Smit n. sp.

( Figs. 1A–F )

Type material. Holotype female ( MNHN), Comoros, Mayotte, River Djalimou, upstream, 12°56'58,4"S, 45°07'23,7"E, alt. 165m asl., 30-viii-2014.

Diagnosis (Male unknown): Glandularia and excretory pore on small-sized, projected, conical tubercles; genital field with 13 pairs of acetabula; genital plates distinctly shorter than gonopore ( Fig. 1C )

Description. Female: Integument covered by densely-arranged spines. Dorsum with small-sized tubercles and three pairs of small platelets, the arrangement of which is illustrated in Fig. 1A . Excretory pore sclerite elevated and conical, lying at posterior idiosoma margin. Apodemes of first coxal group large, posterior extending to the centre of Cx-IV ( Fig. 1B ). Posterior margin of Cx-IV centrally with a prominent, finger-shaped projection; insertion of IV-L with a hookshaped projection. P-2 longer than P-4, P-4 with a short peg-like seta located distally to middle of ventral margin ( Figs. 1E–F ). Legs: swimming setae numbers: II-L-5, 2; III-L-4, 5; III-L-5, 3; IV-L-4, 3-4; IV-L-5, 3.

Measurements. Idiosoma L/W 715/630; coxal field: L 435, Cx-III W 450, W between lateral corners of Cx-IV 525; individual genital plates L/W 86/34, gonopore L 147. Palp: Total L 223, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 25/31, 0.8; P-2, 85/39, 2.2; P-3, 31/34, 0.91; P-4, 57/28, 2.1; P-5, 25/15, 1.6; L P-2/P-4 ratio 1.5. Gnathosoma (with apodemes) vL 138. Chelicera total L 143, basal segment L 88, claw L 58, L basal segment/claw ratio 1.5. Legs: dL of I-L-1-6: 52, 97, 99, 148, 152, 140; dL of IV-L-1-6: 85, 100, 89, 155, 188, 148.

Male: unknown.

Etymology. Named after the archipelago ( Comoros) where the new species was found.

Remarks. The new species resembles Neumania (Soarella) tuberculata Cook, 1966 and N. thori K. Viets, 1913, both known from West Africa. The latter species, described by K. Viets (1913) from Cameroon is assigned to Soarella with a question mark (see K.O. Viets 1987) as it apparently lacks an excretory pore tubercle. Neumania tuberculata, known from a single female from Liberia (Cook 1966) can be distinguished from the new species by having a setal tubercle on the ventral margin of P-4, moderately-sized glandularia and excretory pore sclerites, a higher number of Ac (25–27 on each side) and a comparatively shorter gonopore.

Distribution. Comoros ( Mayotte), known only from the locus typicus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 A – F. Neumania (Soarella) comorosensis n. sp., female: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C = genital field; D = gnathosoma; E – F = palp. Scale bars = 100 Μm.