Zambedania argentiniana, Camerik, Anne M. & Magowski, Wojciech Ł., 2014

Camerik, Anne M. & Magowski, Wojciech Ł., 2014, The genus Zambedania Mahunka 1972 (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Pygmephoridae) — redescription of the type species Z. africana and descriptions of two new species from Africa and South America, Zootaxa 3793 (1), pp. 71-98 : 89

Zambedania argentiniana sp. n.

Figs 14–20 .

Diagnosis. The female of Z. argentiniana differs uniquely from that of its congeners by having its prodorsal stigmata long, over 1/2 of PdS length and located anteriorly, aggenital plate (Ag) spectacular by its scale-like ornamentation, TiTa I slim and Ta IV lacking empodium. The arrangement of the three prodorsal setae is as follows, the robust and long second scapular sc2, closest to the stigmata, has moved to the anterior-most position of the triplet. It differs specifically from Z. africana by only one claw present on Ta IV; from Z. madagascariana by the stigmata not being subdivided and from both African species by setae h1 subequal in length to h2; and from Z. africana by only one claw present on Ta IV.

Description. Phoretic female (holotype and two paratypes; measurements in Table 2 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 20 A). Cheliceral setae ch1 ~ ch2, barbed, aligned transversely. Palpal setae d Fe and d Ge barbed. A pair of smooth supracoxal setae pp present. Dorsomedian apodeme and ventral structures out of sight. Pharyngeal system not seen.

Idiosomal dorsum ( Figs. 14 B; 20B). PdS with anterior edge weakly rounded and stigmatal slits reaching anterior edge. All dorsal idiosomal setae long and strongly barbed and not on protuberances. Robust, barbed and long second scapular, sc2, inserted slightly antero-mediad of shorter v2. Bothridial sc1 globose-elongate, pointed distally, with tiny barbs. Opisthosomal dorsum with setae c1, d, e and f strongly barbed, not on protuberances. Setae h1 subequal to h2. No cupules seen.

Idiosomal venter ( Figs. 14 A; 20C). Apodemes 1 and 2 very strongly sclerotized. Appr clearly attached to apsej, latter weakly developed. Ap 3 and 4 weakly developed and incomplete; appo incomplete, reaching only to ap 4. Ap 5 non-existent. Ag with scale-like ornamentation ( Fig. 20 G). All ventral setae barbed to slightly barbed. Setae 1a and 1b subequal, longest. On Ps pseudanal setae ps 1, 2, 3 subequal.

Legs. Legs I ( Figs. 15–16 ; 20D). All setae barbed or feathered. TiTa: claw robust, sharp; flanked by leafshaped unguinals u’ - u”. Eupathidia: p" located laterally of “turret”. Dorsally of claw arise tc'- tc" on separate pinnacula. Fastigials ft'- ft" inserted proximally of tectals. Relative sizes of eupathidia: ft' ~ 3/ 4 ft "; tc" long and straight> tc' bent backwards (ft" ~ tc" longest of all); p" shortest of all eupathidia. Solenidia: ω <φ1 and ~ φ2. Relative sizes of setae: pl' <pl" (both weakly barbed); pv' <pv"; s shortest of TiTa, inserted below unguinals. Tibial v' ~ feathered v"; l'> l", d> l'; k ~ l”, k similar in distance to φ1- φ2 as d. Ge: barbed v" <feathered v'; l' ~ 2 1/2 l". Fe: d nearly 5 v "; l’> v". Tr: v' ~ 3/4 Ge v'.

Legs II ( Figs. 17 ; 20E). Lobe-like empodium between two terminal, simple, hooked claws. All setae slightly to strongly barbed or feathered. Ta: tc' one-sidedly feathered<pl" (longest seta on segment) but> tc"; pv' slightly> pv"; smooth u' ~ barbed tc"; cylindrical solenidion ω 1 1/3 Ti φ. Ti: feathered v' slightly> barbed v″ and feathered l', and d; φ ~ ½ length of segment, adjacent to d. Ge: v' feathered ~ barbed l' and> l". Fe: d longest seta on leg, reaching beyond tip of empodium; l'> v", shortest of verticel. Tr: v' plumose, short but> Fe v".

Legs III ( Fig. 18). All setae slightly to strongly barbed or feathered. Terminal claws and empodium as in leg II. Ta: setae pl" and tc' both> smooth tc"; pv" <pv'; u' shortest and distalmost. Ti: d longest seta on segment, close to short φ; v' slightly> v"; l' shortest, hidden behind Ti d. Ge: seta l' slightly> v'. Fe: strongly barbed d longest seta of leg, v' <1/2 d. Tr: v' ~ 1/2 Fe d.

Legs IV ( Figs. 19 ; 20F). Only one claw, shaped similarly to claw of leg I, having one or two condyles and no empodium. Ta: pl”> tectals; tc' ′> tc'; pv' slightly> pv", Ti: solenidion absent, l' <v'; v' slightly <v". Ge: v’ <tibial setae. Fe: d longest seta of whole leg IV. Tr: v'> Fe v'.

Material examined. Holotype: phoretomorph female collected ex Stenoterommata platensis ( Araneae : Nemesiidae ), identified by P. Goloboff. Loc.: Argentina, Prov. Misiones 16, Parque Urugua-i; Ruta Prov. 19, near Rio Urugua-i. Date: 16- 09-1992; leg. P. Goloboff & C. Szumik. Paratypes: 4 females (phoretomorphic) with same data as the holotype

Deposition of types. Holotype and four paratypes deposited at the Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Hamburg, Germany.

Remarks. The SEM images of Z. argentiniana in this paper are not of the type (s).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Zambedania argentiniana sp. n. Idiosoma: left side—venter, right side—dorsum.

FIGURE 15. Zambedania argentiniana sp. n. Leg I (left): dorso-lateral view.

FIGURE 16. Zambedania argentiniana sp. n. Leg I, tibiotarsus (left): A—holotype, ventro-lateral view; B—paratype, ventrolateral view.

FIGURE 17. Zambedania argentiniana sp. n. Leg II (left): dorso-lateral view.

FIGURE 19. Zambedania argentiniana sp. n. Leg IV (left): dorso-lateral view.

FIGURE 20. Zambedania argentiniana sp. n. Morphology (SEM): A—gnathosoma; B—lateral overview; C—ventral overview; D—pretarsus of leg I; E—pretarsus of leg II; F—pretarsus of leg IV; G—surface of the aggenital (Ag) plate. Scale bars (in µm) — A: 10; B, C: 30; D – G: 3.