Ceratoppia valerieae, Lindo, Zoe, 2011

Lindo, Zoe, 2011, Five new species of Ceratoppia (Acari: Oribatida: Peloppiidae) from western North America, Zootaxa 3036, pp. 1-25 : 14-17

Ceratoppia valerieae n. sp.

Material examined. Holotype: Adult female. Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver Island, Upper Walbran Valley (48°39’N, 124°35’W), 25 July 2005 (Z. Lindo) from suspended soil and bark scraping at 30 m in western redcedar ( Thuja plicata D. Don ); deposited in the CNC, type No. 23978. Paratypes: 15 with same data as holotype. Canada, British Columbia: Vancouver Island, Cowichan Lake Field Station (48°50’N, 124°10’W), 16 June 1979 (I.M. Smith), four from leaf litter beside creek; Spruce Bay Beach, E.C. Manning Provincial Park (49°3’N, 120°50’W), 13 July 1986 (V. Behan-Pelletier), six from decaying moss on trunk under western redcedar. USA, Washington, Spruce Trail, Olympic National Park (47°51’N, 123°56’W), 25 September 2000 (V. Behan-Pelletier), three from twigs of western hemlock. Paratypes deposited in the CNC, RNC, and ZLC.

Other material examined. Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver Island: Upper Carmanah Valley (48°44’N, 124°37’W); Barkley Sound (48°58’N, 124°6’W); Caycuse (48°53’N, 124°21’W); Mesachie Lake (48°48’N, 124°7’W); Honeymoon Bay (48°48’N, 124°10’W); Municipality of the Highlands (48°32’N, 123°30’W); British Columbia: Graham Island, Haida Gwaii (53°28’N, 132°25’W); Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park (53°3’N, 126°21’W); Garibaldi Provincial Park (49°53’N, 122°47’W); Manning Park, E.C. Manning Provincial Park (49°10’N, 119°33’W); Oliver (49°3’N, 120°46’W); Madeline Lake, Penticton (49°30’N, 119°38’W); Lumby (50°15’N, 118°58’W); Sugar Lake (50°24’N, 118°29’W); Silverton (49°55’N, 117°22’W). Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park (49°8’N, 113°58’W). USA, Washington, Nason Creek, Wenatchee National Forest (47°47’N, 120°42’W); Wind River Canopy Crane, Gifford Pinchot National Forest (45°48’N, 121°55’W); Grand Ronde River at Hwy 129 (46°2’N, 117°15’W). Oregon, Proxy Falls, Willamette National Forest (44°9’N, 121°55’W). California, Mendocino National Forest (39°34’N, 122°49’W); Stirling City (39°53’N, 121°31’W); Purisima Creek Redwoods Regional Open Space near Halfmoon Bay (37°24’N, 122°21’W).

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the eminent oribatologist Dr. Valerie Behan–Pelletier, mentor and friend, who has contributed extensively to our knowledge of oribatid mites.

Diagnosis. Adult. Total length 540–670 µm, with character states of Peloppiidae ( Grandjean 1954; as Ceratoppiidae ), and character states of Ceratoppia as described above. This species can be differentiated from other Ceratoppia by the presence of two pairs of hypostomal setae on mentum; two pairs of very short posterior notogastral setae (p1, p3), lamellae not reaching insertion of rostral setae; wide medial rostral tooth.

Description. Adult. ( Figs. 24 –31)

Measurements: Mean total length: females (n = 6) 647 µm (range 590–670); males (n = 4) 585 µm (range 540–650) ( Figs. 24–25 , Fig. 28). Mean notogastral width: females (n = 6) 388 µm (range 370–410); males (n = 4) 348 µm (range 300–390).

Integument: Microtuberculate. Integument laterad of bothridial setae between acetabula III and IV tuberculate. Cerotegument microtuberculate, primarily present at dorsosejugal scissure and laterally on prodorsum. Prodorsum: Rostrum coming to a point with about five lateral teeth. Lateral ridge extending from base of acetabula I to rostrum (Fig. 26). Seta ro 43–58 µm long, barbed, tapering, extending well beyond rostrum (Figs. 26–27). Lamellae about 200 µm long to end of cusps, not reaching insertion of ro. Lamellar cusps about 73 µm long with small lateral denticle. Seta le about 93 µm long, barbed, tapering, extending anteriorly beyond rostrum (Figs. 26– 27). Seta in barbed, 206 µm long, extending anteriorly to reach, or just beyond end of lamellae (Fig. 28). Mutual distance of setal pairs ro–ro, le–le, and in–in, about 51, 64, and 77 µm, respectively. Seta ex not observed; alveoli lateral of bothridia. Bothridial seta 126 µm long, barbed, with barbs increasing in length terminally (Fig. 26). Lateral aspect of prodorsum: Pedotectum I well developed, dentate anteriorly, with dorsal cusp about 15 µm. Notogaster: Slightly longer than wide, (ratio l:w = 1.07:1); hysterosoma often fattened with one to eight eggs (about 255 µm long). Notogastral setae reduced to alveoli, except for two pairs of posterior setae (Fig. 31). Posterior notogastral setae p1, about 22 µm long (range 18–30, n = 13), thin, barbed; setae p3 about 15 µm long (range 13–23, n = 13) thin, barbed (Fig. 31). Lyrifissures im, ip, ih, and ips present, all about 8 µm long. Ventral region: Coxisternal setae barbed, acuminate, relatively long; formula (epimeres I to IV) 3–1–3–3. Setae lengths as follows: 1a, 1b, 1c about 34, 62, 67 µm, respectively (Fig. 27); 2a, 3a, 3b, 3c about 33, 27, 76, 25 µm, respectively, and 4a, 4b, 4c about 38, 31 and 29 µm, respectively ( Fig. 25 ). Six pairs of genital setae ranging in length from 20–38 µm, with longest g5 and g6, setose. Aggenital seta about 20 µm long, setose. Two pairs of anal setae about 16 µm long, setose. Asymmetry observed in single specimen with extra anal setae on left side. Three pairs of adanal setae; ad3 about 24 µm, thin, barbed; ad1 and ad2 thicker, barbed, about 28 and 29 µm long, respectively ( Fig. 25 ). Lyrifissure iad 10 µm long, anterior to ad3. Gnathosoma: Subcapitular mentum without tectum; two pairs of hypostomal setae, h1 (medial) about 46, h2 (lateral) about 48 µm long ( Fig. 25 , Fig. 27). Asymmetry observed in three specimens, two which had reduced number of h setae on left side, and one which possessed an extra h setae (3) on right side. Gnathosomal setae m 44 µm long, and a about 29 µm long.

FIGURES 26–31. Ceratoppia valerieae n. sp., scanning electron microscope images of adult. 26, habitus, frontal aspect, bothridial setae (bo), interlamellar setae (in), lamellar seta (le); rostral setae (ro), lateral carina (car); 27, gnathostome, ventral aspect, lamellar setae (le), rostral setae (ro), two pairs of hypostomal setae (h1, h2), epimeral setae 1a, 1b, and 1c, genua leg I seta d stub (d); 28, habitus, dorsal aspect, posterior setae (p1), interlamellar setae (in); 29, habitus, ventral aspect, posterior setae (p3); 30, distal portion of tarsus leg IV, setae p’ and p”; 31, posterior notogaster, dorsal aspect, posterior setae (p1, p3). Scale bars = 300 µm (Figs. 28, 29), 200 μm (Fig. 26), 100 μm (Figs. 27, 31), and 30 μm (Fig. 30).

Legs: Ratio of leg IV to body length about 0.7:1. Approximate lengths of leg segments (femur, genu, tibia, tarsus; in µm): I 139, 37, 86, 142; II 109, 27, 80, 133; III 75, 37, 107, 135; IV 73, 35, 94, 117. Pretarsus tridactylous with large smooth empodial and slightly thinner lateral claws. Setation (I–IV, number of solenidia in parentheses): trochanters 1–1–2–1; femora 5–4–3–2; genua 4(1)–3(1)–2(1)–3; tibiae 4(2)–4(1)–3(1)–3(1); tarsi 20(2)–15(2)–15– 12; setation indicated in Table 2. Seta d retained as a small stub on genua leg I (Fig. 27). Leg I tibia solenidion ϕ1 on prominent tubercle, retention of seta d associated with socket of solenidion ϕ 1 in some specimens, as illustrated for Ceratoppia bipilis ( Grandjean 1935) . Setae p’ and p” of leg I tarsus, straight, not barbed; setae p’ and p” of tarsus legs II–IV ending in bulbous tip (Fig. 30). Tibiae solenidion ϕ2 of leg I only ¼ length of ϕ1; leg I tarsal solenidia ω1 and ω2 subequal, straight. Leg I tarsal seta s horn-like. Porose areas dorsolateral and antiaxial on femora of all legs, and trochanters III, IV. Femora with crenulations.

Remarks. The dominant gnathosomal setae character state is a single pair of hypostomal setae (h) on the mentum as reported for most described species. However, C. clavisensillata Choi, 1998 , C. bipilis , and the subspecies C. bipilis spinipes possess two pairs of hypostomal setae. Ceratoppia valerieae n. sp. also possess two pairs of hypostomal setae, but differs from C. bipilis and C. bipilis spinipes in having very short posterior notogastral setae, and from C. clavisensillata in having setiform bothridial setae with barbs, rather than clavate bothridial setae ( Choi 1998). There are two possibly undescribed species of Ceratoppia from eastern Canada which also possess two pairs of h setae, and further investigation into these, and differences between C. bipilis and C. bipilis spinipes are warranted. Hypertrichy / neotrichy in the form of two pairs of hypostomal setae is rare among Oribatida , and when present in Ceratoppia , arises in the tritonymph ( Grandjean 1936). Grandjean (1936) also noted that asymmetry in hypostomal setae was common among species possessing two pairs of as seen here.

Distribution. Ceratoppia valerieae n. sp. occurs frequently throughout southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In forest floor samples, it occurs in low abundance, however it was the dominant microarthropod collected in canopy malaise traps in the Upper Carmanah Valley. Distribution range of C. valerieae follows a north–south coastal temperate rainforest distribution, however, also occurs in interior zones of British Columbia and Washington. Ceratoppia valerieae is the dominant Ceratoppia of interior British Columbia occurring as far east as Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta where it frequently co–occurs with C. bipilis . Interior populations of C. valerieae are a bit larger, with slightly longer prodorsal and posterior notogastral setae, however, relative proportions of setae to body size are the same. Specimens collected from northern populations (Haida Gwaii and Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola, British Columbia) are larger and darker than specimens collected from other locations in British Columbia. Similarly, the specimens observed from the most southerly part of the distribution (Proxy Falls, Oregon, and Stirling City and Half Moon Bay, California) exhibited morphological variation in the form of a larger body size.

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 25. Ceratoppia valerieae n. sp., adult female. 24, dorsal aspect; 25, ventral aspect. Legs removed. Scale bars = 300 µm.