Hygrobates (Hygrobatides) curtipes Smit & Pešić, 2022

K, Harry Smit, Pešić, Vladimir, K & K, Simon Clavier, 2022, Water mites from French Guiana, with the description of 14 new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 62 (4), pp. 1119-1153 : 1131

Hygrobates (Hygrobatides) curtipes Smit & Pešić sp. nov.

Zoobank: 455FC874-BFA2-4FFF-B578-51A015006D57

( Figures 7 A-C)

Material examined — Holotype female, Crique Baboune , National Reserve La Trinité,

French Guiana, 4.590557°N, 53.413572°W, 3 Nov. 2018, leg. S. Clavier ( MNHN).

Diagnosis (Male unknown) — Leg segments of first and second leg very short; P2 with finger-like ventral extensions.

Description — Female – Idiosoma dorsally 672 long and 616 wide, ventrally 494 wide. Dorsum without platelets. Coxae in three groups, fused first coxae tapering posteriorly. Cxgl-4 lying in a bowing of the incomplete suture line of Cx-III/IV. Genital field with three widely separated acetabula ( Figure 7A). Pre-genital sclerite bowed, 126 wide; genital field 176 long. Length of P1-5: 30, 112, 70, 112, 38. P2 with denticles and finger-like ventral extensions,

P3 with only denticles ( Figure 7B). Length of I-leg-4-6: 92, 80, 88 (till tip of segment). Leg segments of first ( Figure 7C) and second leg very stocky. I-leg-4 with three long setae (one seta separated but present in slide), I-leg-5 with three long setae, 3-4 fine setae and near anterior margin one bowed fine seta. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 144, 150, 114. Claws of legs with small clawlet, claw blade small. Legs without swimming setae.

Male – Unknown.

Etymology — Named for the short segments of first and second legs.

Remarks — The odd finger-like ventral extensions of P2 are unique and not found in any Hygrobates species. Moreover, the very stocky first and second legs are not found in other Hygrobatides species.