Scaptognathides delicatulus, Bartsch, Ilse, 2004

Bartsch, Ilse, 2004, Psammophilous halacarid mites from Kuwait: Description of species of the genera Actacarus and Scaptognathides (Acari: Halacaridae), Zootaxa 755, pp. 1-8 : 6-8

Scaptognathides delicatulus spec. nov.

Figs 17–25

Material examined

Holotype female, BMNH, Southern Kuwait, Al­Zoor, at the Texaco Beach Club, 28°44'30.7"N 48°22'40.8"E, upper to mid littoral, coarse sand, June 2002, coll. T. Ferrero. Paratype female (slide), BMNH, collecting data same as above. Paratype female (in ethanol), BMNH, collecting data same as above.

Diagnosis

Length 165–174 µm. Dorsal plates with delicate, irregularly arranged pits. OC triangular, with two gland pores. Pairs of ds­2 and ds­3 on AD, ds­4 on PD. Distance between anterior margin of female GA and that of GO equalling 1.3 times length of GO; genital sclerites with one pair of sgs. Telofemora I and II with four setae each, tarsus III with three setae.

Description

Female

Idiosoma: Length 165–174 µm, length of holotype 174 µm, width 107 µm. Dorsal plates with delicate, irregularly arranged pits ( Fig. 19 ). Length of AD 57 µm, width 67 µm; anterior and posterior margin almost truncate ( Fig. 17 ). First pair of gland pores in anterior margin. Length of OC 28 µm, width 15 µm, widest in anterior portion. Plate with two pairs of gland pores ( Fig. 17 ). Length of PD 96 µm, width 71 µm; anterior margin almost truncate; with one pair of gland pores level with insertion of leg III, the other pair near anal cone. Dorsal setae delicate. AD with pairs of ds­1, ds­2 and ds­3. Setae ds­4 and ds­5 on PD, ds­5 level with insertion of leg IV. Adanal setae on anal valves.

Ventral plates very minutely reticulate rather than punctate. Length of AE 63 µm, width 90 µm; with three pairs of setae. Length of PE 85 µm; extending backward beyond insertion of leg IV. PE with one dorsal and three ventral setae. Length of GA 85 µm, width 56 µm; width of anterior margin about 0.45 of maximum width; plate with two pairs of pgs. Length of GO 30 µm, width 16 µm; distance from anterior margin of GA to that of GO equalling 1.3 times length of GO. Genital sclerites with pair of sgs ( Fig. 18 ).

Gnathosoma: Length 77 µm, width 42 µm. Basal pair of maxillary setae very short, not longer than pair of setae near apex of rostrum ( Fig. 21 ). Tectum slightly concave ( Fig. 20 ). Rostrum slender, parallel­sided, length 43 µm, width about 7 µm. Palps slender, twosegmented; with one seta in basal third, at least two setae and four spines apically.

Legs: Telofemur I longer and wider than telofemora of following legs. Surface of dorsal and lateral flank delicately sculptured with minute elongate foveae ( Fig. 22 ). Tibia I shorter than tibiae of following legs. Leg IV somewhat longer else similar to leg III, their telofemora slightly longer than tibiae and tarsi. Leg chaetotaxy (solenidia excluded, pas included): legs I and II, 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 5; legs III and IV, 1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5. Tarsi I to IV each with three dorsal setae and pair of apical pas. Solenidion on both tarsus I and II ( Fig. 25 ) small and in dorsolateral position.

Paired claws of tarsus I with umbrella­like arranged tines. Claws of legs II to IV slen­ der, with minute accessory process and a very slender, delicate single tooth ( Figs 23 and 24 ). All tarsi with small median sclerite, without a dent­like process.

Remarks

The number of gland pores on the OC is a character easily recognized. The OC of Scaptognathides delicatulus bears two such pores. A similar number is present in S. bicornis Bartsch , S. minor Bartsch , S. ornatus Bartsch , S. planus Monniot , S. reticulatus Bartsch , and S. undulatus Otto.

S. bicornis , S. planus , S. reticulatus , and S. undulatus bear four setae on tarsus III, S. delicatulus , S. minor and S. ornatus three setae. The dorsal plates of S. ornatus are coarsely reticulated, each polygon provided with numerous pits, whereas the plates of S. delicatulus and S. minor are pitted, but show no reticulation. The two species are distinguished on the basis of the number of sgs on the female GO ( S. delicatulus with one pair, S. minor with none), and the number of setae of telofemora I and II ( S. delicatulus with four setae, S. minor with five setae).

Figures

FIGURES 17 ­ 25. Scaptognathides delicatulus spec. nov., female. 17, idiosoma, dorsal; 18, idiosoma, ventral; 19, part of PD with pits; 20, gnathosoma, dorsal; 21, gnathosoma, ventral; 22, basifemur to tarsus I, medial; 23, telofemur to tarsus II, medial; 24, telofemur to tarsus III, medial; 25, tarsus II, lateral. 17, 18, 20 – 25, scale line = 50 µm; 19, scale line = 10 µm. (17 – 25, holotype)