Desectophis Karg

Rueda-Ramirez, Diana, Castilho, Raphael C. & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2013, Mites of the superfamily Rhodacaroidea (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Colombia, with a key for the world species of Desectophis Karg (Ologamasidae), Zootaxa 3734 (5), pp. 521-535 : 522

Genus Desectophis Karg

Desectophis Karg, 2003a: 238 .

Desectophis .—Karg & Schorlemmer (2011b): 217.

Type species: Desectophis magnosimilis Karg, 2003 a, by original designation.

Diagnosis (adult female). Epistome with a single acuminate anteromedian extension. Podonotal and opisthonotal shields separated. Dorsal idiosomal setae aciculate or distally expanded and smooth or slightly pilose. Opisthonotal and ventri-anal shields fused. Two pairs of presternal plates present. Endopodal shields totally fused with sternal shield. Ventri-anal shield extending over most of the opisthogaster, with eight pairs of setae in addition to the circum-anal setae. Peritreme straight and extending anterior to level of seta z 1. Peritrematic shield progressively widening posteriorly, fused with posterior portion of exopodal shield beside coxa IV; posterior margin truncate. Exopodal shield fragmented into a triangular platelet between coxae I–II, an elongate platelet extending from mid region of coxa II to mid region of coxa IV, and an arched platelet fused with peritrematic shield around posterior half of coxa IV. All legs with pretarsi.

Notes on the genus. In the diagnosis of Desectophis, Karg & Schorlemmer (2011b) mentioned the following characteristics for species in this genus: (a) ventri-anal shield fused with opisthonotal shield; (b) peritrematic shield fused with exopodal shield beside coxa IV; (c) peritrematic shield separated from ventri-anal shield in female and fused with ventri-anal shield in male.

The four previously known species of Desectophis , including D. eulateris (Karg) , which was originally described in Acuphis Karg , were described from the Andean region of Ecuador (Karg, 1998, 2003a; Karg & Schorlemmer, 2011b). The new species described here were collected from areas with similar climatic characteristics, in the Andean region of Colombia.