Torrenticola bondi Fisher & Dowling

Fisher, J. Ray, Fisher, Danielle M., Skvarla, Michael J., Nelson, Whitney A. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2017, Revision of torrent mites (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae, Torrenticola) of the United States and Canada: 90 descriptions, molecular phylogenetics, and a key to species, ZooKeys 701, pp. 1-496 : 1

Torrenticola bondi Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, North Carolina, Haywood County, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Cataloochee (35°37'31"N, 83°6'46"W), 20 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100148, DNA 1431.

PARATYPES (4 ♀; 5 ♂): North Carolina, USA: 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.2 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (35°37'37"N, 83°6'6"W), 16 June 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060012 • 1 ♀ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.2 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (35°37'37"N, 83°6'6"W), 16 June 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060012 • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.8 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (35°38'38"N, 83°4'4"W), 20 June 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060022 • 1 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.4 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (35°37'37"N, 83°6'6"W), 3 October 2007, by IM Smith, IMS0701002 • ♀ and 2 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Waterville; Big Creek Picnic Area, (35°45'45"N, 83°6'6"W), 26 September 2007, by IM Smith, IMS070089

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and some paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola bondi are similar to species with similar dorsal patterning, such as the Rusetria “4-Plate” group ( T. dunni , T. glomerabilis , T. kittatinniana , T. pollani , T. rufoalba , and T. shubini ), Elongata Group ( T. elongata , T. gorti , and T. reduncarostra ), Neoanomala Group ( T. interiorensis and T. neoanomala ), and T. erectirostra , T. robisoni , T. irapalpa , T. racupalpa , T. skvarlai , and T. arktonyx . They can be differentiated from Rusetria 4-Plates and T. skvarlai by having distinct hind coxal margins. T. bondi can be differentiated from T. erectirostra and T. robisoni by having a straight, anteriorly-directed rostrum (upturned in others). T. bondi can be differentiated from T. arktonyx by having an unmodified dorsal plate ( T. arktonyx has distinctive longitudinal dark markings on the anterior portion of the dorsal plate that fade posteriorly). T. bondi can be differentiated from T. racupalpa and T. irapalpa by having a more ovoid dorsum (dorsum length/width ♀ = 1.35-1.41 in T. bondi , 1.17-1.28 in others; ♂ = 1.32-1.45 in T. bondi , 1.20-1.30 in others) and shorter pedipalpal tibiae (♀ = 90-98 in T. bondi , 100-125 in others, ♂ = 77-83 in T. bondi , 87-110 in others). T. bondi can be differentiated from the Elongata Group by having a less elongate dorsum (length/width ♀ = 1.35-1.41 in T. bondi , 1.45-2.08 in Elongata Group; ♂ = 1.32-1.45 in T. bondi , 1.51-1.70 in Elongata Group) and having a stockier rostrum (length/width = 2.76-3.13 in T. bondi , 3.24-4.00 in Elongata Group). T. bondi can be differentiated from the Neoanomala Group by having a shorter medial suture (♀ = 10-15 in T. bondi , 22-40 in Neoanomala Group; ♂ = 55-70 in T. bondi , 75-108 in Neoanomala Group) and anterior venter/genital field width (♀ = 1.15-1.25 in T. bondi , 1.31-1.45 in Neoanomala Group; ♂ = 1.95-2.05 in T. bondi , 2.09-2.66 in Neoanomala Group).

Description.

Female (Figure 33) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (620-670 (620) long; 440-490 (440) wide) ovoid with bluish-purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions and faint orange medially. Anterio-medial platelets (132.5-147.5 (132.5) long; 55-62.5 (55) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (192.5-200 (192.5) long; 67.5-77.5 (67.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approaching midway between muscle scars and dorsum edge (distance between Dgl-4 270-290 (270)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.35-1.41 (1.41); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.63-1.72 (1.63); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.20-2.52 (2.41); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.58-2.85 (2.85); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.34-1.41 (1.45).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (355-380 (355) long (ventral); 255-295 (255) long (dorsal); 135-150 (135) tall) faint bluish purple coloration. Rostrum (145-155 (145) long; 50-55 (52.5) wide). Chelicerae (354-385 (354) long) with curved fangs 52-75 (52) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.50-2.63 (2.63); rostrum length/width 2.76-3.00 (2.76). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter 47.5-52.5 (47.5) long); femur (120-140 (120) long); genu (67.5-77.5 (67.5) long); tibia (90-97.5 (92.5) long; 22.5-25 (22.5) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (17.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.74-1.83 (1.78); tibia/femur 0.67-0.77 (0.77); tibia length/width 3.90-4.11 (4.11).

Venter - (760-840 (760) long; 509-580 (509) wide) with faint bluish-purple coloration. Gnathosomal bay (170-190 (170) long; 90-102.5 (102.5) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (10-15 (10) long). Genital plates (175-180 (175) long; 150-160 (150) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (306-330 (306) long (total); 108-155 (108) long (medial)); Cx-3 (365-410 (382) wide); anterior venter (177.5-187.5 (187.5) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.66-2.11 (1.66); anterior venter/genital field length 0.99-1.07 (1.07); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.15-1.25 (1.25); anterior venter/medial suture 12-18.75 (18.75).

Male (Figure 34) (n = 5) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (515-550 (550) long; 380-410 (380) wide) ovoid with bluish-purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions and faint orange medially. Anterio-medial platelets (112.5-122.5 (122.5) long; 47.5-57.5 (57.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (162.5-190 (180) long; 55-67.5 (67.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approaching midway between muscle scars and dorsum edge (distance between Dgl-4 235-260 (250)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.32-1.45 (1.45); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.48-1.62 (1.52); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.13-2.47 (2.13); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.65-3.17 (2.67); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.44-1.57 (1.47).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (295-305 (305) long (ventral); 220-230 (225) long (dorsal); 107.5-112.5 (112.5) tall) faint bluish purple coloration. Rostrum (120-125 (125) long; 40-40 (40) wide). Chelicerae (285-295 (290) long) with curved fangs 50-55 (55) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.68-2.79 (2.71); rostrum length/width 3.00-3.13 (3.13). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter 40-42.5 (42.5) long); femur (102.5-107.5 (105) long); genu (60-62.5 (60) long); tibia (77.5-82.5 (77.5) long; 21.25-23.75 (22.5) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (20) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.68-1.75 (1.75); tibia/femur 0.74-0.80 (0.74); tibia length/width 3.44-3.88 (3.44).

Venter - (660-670 (665) long; 420-490 (460) wide) with faint bluish-purple coloration. Gnathosomal bay (140-150 (142.5) long; 75-90 (80) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (55-70 (60) long). Genital plates (132.5-142.5 (140) long; 107.5-112.5 (110) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (270-290 (285) long (total); 125-140 (135) long (medial)); Cx-3 (310-340 (335) wide); anterior venter (215-220 (220) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.61-1.93 (1.78); anterior venter/genital field length 1.54-1.66 (1.57); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.95-2.05 (2.00); anterior venter/medial suture 3.07-3.91 (3.67).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( bondi ) named in honor of arachnologist Jason Bond, for his research on species delimitation and integrative taxonomy, which has been an inspiration to JRF, and for his thoughtful career advice, which was greatly appreciated.

Distribution.

Known only from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County, North Carolina (Figure 32).

Remarks.

Torrenticola bondi groups with other members of the Raptor Complex in all analyses with high support. Only one specimen could be acquired for use in our analyses, so differences in COI sequence across specimens could not be investigated, but this single specimen was greater than 5% different in COI sequence from sister species. In all analyses, T. bondi grouped with members of the Elongata Identification Group ( T. elongata and T. gorti ). However, the position of this clade varied with analysis.

This species hypothesis is supported by high divergence between species (3-15%) and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.