Soil mites of the families Ascidae, Blattisociidae and Melicharidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from mountainous areas of Colombia Rueda-Ramírez, Diana Varela, Amanda De Moraes, Gilberto J. Zootaxa 2016 4127 3 493 514 9FSLJ [151,424,1581,1607] Arachnida Ascidae Gamasellodes GBIF Animalia Mesostigmata 2 495 Arthropoda species andinus sp. nov.   Diagnosis.Anterior region of epistome with three subequal, pointed, smooth projections; podonotal shield with 16 pairs of setae ( s1 and s2 on unsclerotised cuticle); opithonotal shield with 14 pairs of setae ( J4 absent); two pairs of metapodal plates; ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae ( Jv1, Zv1 and Zv2 on unsclerotised cuticle); exopodal plate only distinguishable as an elongate structure next to coxa III; peritreme extending anteriorly to level of median region of coxa I (region between z1 and s1); peritrematic plate barely fused with dorsal shield.   Description(female, three specimens measured).   FIGURES 1–6.  Gamasellodes andinus  sp. nov.Female. 1. Chelicera; 2. Epistome; 3. Hypostome and proximal palp segments; 4. Dorsal view; 5. Ventral view; 5a. Variation of sternal shield 6. Tarsus II.  Gnathosoma.Fixed cheliceral digit 29 (29–30) long, with four teeth; pilus dentilisindistinguishable; movable digit 30 long, with two teeth; dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissures and dorsal cheliceral seta distinct ( Fig. 1). Numbers of setae on palp trochanter–tarsus: 2, 5, 6, 14, 15; palp tarsal apotele bifurcate. Anterior region of epistome with three subequal, pointed, smooth projections ( Fig. 2). Deutosternal groove ( Fig. 3) delimited by subparallel lateral lines, with eight transverse lines, the most distal smooth, others with 4–6 denticles each. Internal malae distinctly separated from each other; lateral margins fimbriate. Corniculi horn-shaped, about twice as long as basal width. Seta h3 about in longitudinal line with h1 and posteromesad of h2. Setal measurements: h1 15 (14–15), h2 11 (10– 12), h3 22 (20–24), pc17 (15–18), palp trochanter av20 (19‒21), palp trochanter pv13 (12‒14); setae aciculate and smooth.  Dorsal idiosoma( Fig. 4). Idiosoma 308 (296–320) long and 132 (122–140) wide at widest level. Podonotal shield with a delineated slender strip along lateral margins, finely punctate; with a curved line crossing the shield anteriad of j3 and z2; 151 (147–155) long and 123 (122–125) wide at widest level; with 16 pairs of setae ( j1 –j6, z1 – z6, s3 –s6), four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and one pair of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of podonotal shield with six pairs of setae ( s1, s2, r2 –r5). Opisthonotal shield with a delineated slender strip anteriad of S4; finely puntate; with a wavy line anteriad of J5 and Z5; 153 (149–156) long and 135 (133–136) wide at widest level; with 14 pairs of setae, nine pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and two pairs of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of opisthonotal shield with five pairs of setae ( R1 –R5) and a pair of lyrifissures (  Rp). Measurements of setae: j1 13 (11–15), j2 18 (17–19), j3 20 (19–21), j4 19 (18–20), j5 17 (16–18), j6 21, J1 16, J2 16, J3 16, J5 13 (12–15), z1 10 (9–10), z2 21 (21–22), z3 17 (16–18), z4 20, z5 19 (18–20), z6 18, Z1 21 (20–22), Z2 21 (21–22), Z3 29 (29–30), Z4 32 (30–34), Z5 49 (47–50),  s1 15(14–15),  s2 15(14–16),  s3 20(19–21),  s4 22(21–24),  s5 21(20– 21),  s6 22(21–23),  S1 21(20–21),  S2 22(21–23),  S3 21(20–22),  S4 25(25–26),  S5 29(29–30), r2 15 (14–15), r3 17 (15–18), r4 14 (13–15), r5 14 (13–15), R1 13 (12–14), R2 11 (11–12), R3 14 (12–15), R4 11 (10–12), R5 11 (10– 11); setae aciculate and smooth.  Ventral idiosoma( Fig. 5). Base of tritosternum 17 (15–19) long and 10 (8–10) wide proximally; laciniae 52, separated for about 90% of their total length, pilose. Pre-sternal area weakly sclerotised, represented by two lobes fused with sternal shield, punctate and striate. Sternal shield mostly smooth, with scant faint striae along lateral margins and with a variably shaped punctate indentation in anteromedian region ( Figs 5, 5a); posterior margin lightly sclerotised; approximately 84 (83–85) long from anterior margin next to st1 to posterior margin and 61 (60– 62) wide at widest level; with three pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures; distances st1 –st3 68 (66–69), st2 – st2 41 (40–42). Fourth pair of sternal setae ( st4) on unsclerotised cuticle, but very close to posterior margin of sternal shield. Genital shield smooth, bearing st5; extending posteriorly well behind coxa IV; 76 (75–77) long and 38 (37–39) wide at the widest level; distance st5 –st5 36 (35–37); lyrifissure  iv5on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of st5. Two pairs of oval to subtriangular metapodal plates, the anterior transversely elongate and mesad of the longitudinally elongate posterior plate. Poststigmatic poroid gv2 inserted on unsclerotised cuticle behind coxa IV. Ventrianal shield smooth in the anterior third, punctate elsewhere; 100 (92–109) long and 133 (120–149) wide at widest level; with four pairs of setae ( Jv2 –Jv5) in addition to circumanal setae, and with one pair of distinguishable lyrifissures (posteromesad of Jv2); para-anal setae inserted slightly behind anterior margin of anal opening; the latter small, about 1/7 of shield length; 15 (14–15) long. Unsclerotised cuticle between genital and ventrianal shields with a slender sclerotised line followed by three pairs of setae ( Jv1, Zv1 and Zv2), a pair of tiny transversely elong ate platelets and one pair of lyrifissures. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of and posteriorad to ventrianal shield with two pairs and a pair of lyrifissures, respectively. Anterior section of endopodal plate fused with sternal shield; section behind sternal shield reduced to a v-shaped platelet between coxae III–IV. Exopodal plate only distinguishable as an elongate plate next to coxa III. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level of median region of coxa I (region between z1 and s1). Peritrematic plate narrow, barely fused anteriorly with dorsal shield at level of z1, with a lyrifissure next to r4 and with two lyrifissures and a pore behind each stigma. Setal measurements: st1 17 (15–18), st2 17 (15–19), st3 14 (13–15), st4 12 (11–12), st5 14 (13–15), Jv1 15 (15–16), Jv2 26 (25–26), Jv3 16 (15–17), Jv4 20 (17–22), Jv5 34 (31–37), Zv1 15 (13–16), Zv2 14, para-anal 18 (18–19), postanal 29 (27–30); setae aciculate and smooth.  Spermathecal apparatus.Not distinguishable.  Legs.Lengths: I: 236 (231–243); II: 194 (193–194); III: 166 (160–172); IV: 223 (219–231). Setation (legs I– IV): coxae: 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanters: 6, 5, 5, 5; femora: 12, 11, 6, 6; genua: 13, 11, 8, 9; tibiae: 13, 10, 8, 10; tarsi: I not counted, 18, 18, 18. All legs with pretarsi containing a pair of strongly sclerotised claws ( Fig. 6); median section of pulvilli of legs I–IV rounded.  Adult male.Not found.   Etymology.The specific name  andinusrefers to “from the Andes”, South American mountain formation where the typelocality is situated.   Remarks.  Gamasellodes andinus  sp. nov.is distinguished from all other  Gamasellodesspecies by lacking J4. This species is most similar to  Gamasellodes magniventris Mineiro, Lindquist & Moraes, 2009, described from Brazil, with a similar curved line crossing the shield anteriad of j3 and z2, a wavy line anteriad of J5 and Z5, and a broad ventrianal shield with a nearly straight anterior margin. However, the latter species differs from the species here described by having one pair of metapodal plates, presence of Zv3, opisthonotal shield with 15 pair of setae, and peritreme extending anteriorly to the region beside bases of setae z1.