Djeboa unimaculata (Cook, 1966)

Pešić, Vladimir, Cook, David, Gerecke, Reinhard & Smit, Harry, 2013, The water mite family Mideopsidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia): a contribution to the diversity in the Afrotropical region and taxonomic changes above species level, Zootaxa 3720 (1), pp. 1-75 : 58

Djeboa unimaculata (Cook, 1966)

( Figs. 34A–F , 40K–L )

Mideopsis (Djeboa) unimaculata Cook, 1966: 236 .

Material examined: Type series: FMC, Liberia; holotype female, one mile north of Suehn, stream, 30.vi.1958, Cook (Coll. 99); paratypes: same site as holotype, 20.ii.1958 (Coll. 96); Coll. 88, 2/0/0 (details see Cook 1966).

New records: Côte d’Ivoire, River N’zi near Fetekro (F), drift day, 13.i.1977 Statzner 0/1/0 (mounted); Ghana: Namini stream, Kakum NP, 5º 23.396 N, 1º 23.294 W, 12.ii.2013 Smit 1/0/0; Ankasa River, Ankasa NP, 5º 13.011 N, 2º 39.126 W, 13.ii.2013 Smit 1/0/0; tributary of Oguntwe, Ankasa NP, 5º 16.563 N, 2º 38.733 W, 78 m asl., 14.ii.2013 Smit 0/1/0; Ankasa Exploration Base stream, Ankasa NP, 5º 16.413 N, 2º 38.810 W, 81 m asl., 14.ii.2013 Smit 1/1/0; Ankasa Exploration Base trail stream, Ankasa NP, 5º 16.415 N, 2º 38.751 W, 80 m asl., 14.ii.2013 Smit 1/1/0; Plunge pool, Tsatsudo Falls, 7º 07.390 N, 0º 23.365 E, 179 m asl., 22.ii.2013 Smit 0/2/0.

General features: Dorsal shield oval (L/W ratio 1.1), with medial depression; muscle scars with little pronounced thickenings, located anterior and posterior to the postocularia; colour pattern consisting of an anterior blue patch ( Figs. 40K–L ); gnathosomal bay Y-shaped, noticeably narrowing in posterior half; tips of Cx-I ending posterior to frontal margin; medial margin of Cx-IV reduced to a median angle; Cx-III and -IV with a series of longitudinal striae (four or five pairs on Cx-IV). Palp ( Fig. 34D ): P-1 with a dorsal seta; P-2 with straight ventral and convexly bowed dorsal margin; P-3 proximally thicker than distally, ventral margin concave; P-4 slender, equally narrowing from the base to tip. Legs: I-L ( Fig. 34E ) with I-L-6 L/H ratio 2.0–2.3, ventral margin strongly protruding; IV-L: Fig. 34F .

Remarks: The dorsal colour pattern of D. unimaculata resembles that of D. multidentata K. Viets, 1911 , but in the latter the patch is violet in colour. Furthermore, the idiosoma of D. multidentata is much smaller and proportionally narrower and the palp segments are proportionally much shorter (Cook 1966).

Distribution: Liberia (Cook 1966), Côte d’Ivoire (first record), Ghana (first record).

Figures

FIGURE 34 A – F. Djeboa unimaculata (Cook, 1966) (B = male, A, C – F = female): A = dorsal shield; B = idiosoma, ventral view; D = palp; E = I-L; F = IV-L.

FIGURE 40 A – L. Photographs of dorsal shield. A – B. Djeboa elephantina sp. nov.: A— male holotype; B— male paratype. C – D Djeboa maromandia sp. nov.: C— male paratype; D— male holotype. E – F. Djeboa coelestinica sp. nov.: E— holotype male; F— paratype female. G – H. Djeboa vanilla sp. nov.: G — holotype male; H — female paratype. I – J. Djeboa bimaculata (Cook, 1966): I — male, Ouokoukro, Côte d’Ivoire; J — female, Ouokoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. K – L. Djeboa unimaculata (Cook, 1966), female, Fetekro, Côte d’Ivoire.