Arphthicarus phoxos, Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2016

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2016, New and little known species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 4103 (6), pp. 587-599 : 590-592

Arphthicarus phoxos sp. nov.

( Fig. 1A–G )

Measurements of holotype. Prodorsum: length 227, width 157, height 106; prodorsal setae: sensillus (ss) 94, interlamellar (in) 28, lamellar (le) 20, rostral (ro) 40, exobothridial (ex) 25; notogaster: length 429, width 308, height 263; notogastral setae: c 1 91, c 1/ c 1– d 1=0.9, h 1 83, ps 1 86; genito-aggenital plate 96×78; ano-adanal plate 159×121.

Measurements one of paratypes. Prodorsum: length 283, height 126; prodorsal setae: sensillus 101, rostral 45, exobothridial 28; notogaster: length 555, height 328; notogastral setae: c 1 109, c 1/ c 1– d 1=0.8.

Description. Medium-sized species. Colour brown. Integument rough.

Prodorsum with strong median crista and feeble sigillar fields, median longer than laterals. Lateral carinae absent. Posterior furrows present. Sensilli long, narrow, falcate, covered with 10–11 cilia in distal end. Other prodorsal setae spiniform, rough (except smooth exobothridial ones); mutual length of setae: ss> ro> in> ex> le.

Notogaster with almost procumbent, tapering, rough setae of medium length, length of c 1 setae almost equal to distance between setae c 1 and d 1. Setae c 1 situated close to anterior margin, setae c 3 slightly remote and c 2 considerably remote from margin. Vestigial setae and lyrifissures not visible.

Ventral region. Setae h of subcapitular mentum absent. Genito-aggenital plates with 9 pairs of setae with formula: 6(4+2): 3. Ano-adanal plates each with 5 pairs of long, rough and tapering setae, especially setae ad 1 and ad 2 longest and similar to notogastral setae.

Legs. Formulae of setae and solenidia of “complete type ” ( Niedbała 2000). Setae d on femora I slightly remote from distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and 2 paratypes are deposited at DATE from locus typicus MAG-277 North Madagascar, Montagne de Francais, 12°19'26" S, 49°20'41" E, 350 m a.s.l., seasonal deciduous forest, sifting of leaf litter and rotten wood sample, Winkler apparatus extraction, 18. 0 1. 2015, leg. P. Baňař and E. M. Rabotoson, one paratype is deposited at ISB and one parartype at NHMG, all from the same locality.

Etymology. The name of new species phoxos is latinized Greek for “tapering” and refers to the shape of notogastral setae.

Comparison and diagnosis. The new species is slightly similar to A. (H.) distinctus Niedbała & Starý, 2014 ( Niedbała & Starý, 2014a) by the shape of sensilli and procumbent notogastral setae but is distinguishable by the absence of a pair of longitudinal, dorsal cristae and tubercules on notogaster, absence of setae h of subcapitular mentum (versus vestigial setae in A. (H.) distinctus ), arrangement of genital setae, length and arrangement of anal and adanal setae ( Niedbała & Starý 2014a).

Distribution. Madagascar, probably endemic species.

Figures

FIGURE 1 A – G. Arphthicarus phoxos sp. nov. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, mentum of subcapitulum; E, right genito-aggenital plate; F, left ano-adanal plate; G, trochanter and femur of leg I. Scale bars 100 µm (A, B, C, E, F), scale bars 50 µm (D, G).