Kongsbergia persica Pesic, 2005

Pesic, Vladimir, Saboori, Alireza, Asadi, Mahdieh & Vafaei, Reza, 2005, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from interstitial waters of Iran, with the description of one new species, Zootaxa 1030 (1), pp. 49-60 : 54-55

Kongsbergia persica Pesic sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–13 )

Type series: Holotype: male dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; IR48: Tehran Province, Elburs Mt., Shahrestanak River , approximately 2000 m asl., 18.08.2003, leg. Pesic & Saboori.

Diagnosis. Male (female unknown): ventral margin of IV­L­4 with two long setae; setae at the ventral margin of IV­L­5 distant, a thickened, wavy­proximal seta orginating on a ventroproximal projection of IV­L­5, the distal sword­shaped seta exceeding distal margin of IV­L­5; ventral side of I­L­5 with one seta.

Description:

Male: Dorsal and ventral shields present; dorsal shield bearing nine pairs of glandularia ( Fig. 7 ); dorsal shield L 335, W 195; ventral shield ( Fig. 8 ) L 373, W 241; extensions at insertions of the fourth legs pointed, extending laterally to the body proper; two rows of acetabula extending along sides of body from gonopore; excretory pore located near posterior end of dorsal shield slightly anterior to the gonopore; gnathosoma L 86; palp ( Fig. 9­ 10 ): total L 225, dL and relative L (in parentheses given as % of total length): P­1 19 (8.4), P­2 62 (27.6), P­3 32 (14.2), P­4 75 (33.3), P­5 37 (16.4); ventral side of P­2 with one large tubercle, and three or four smaller tubercles which are more anteriorly placed; dorsal lengths (segments 1­6 IV­L): 94, 96, 69, 107, 84, 93; ventral margin of IV­L­4 with two long setae; IV­L­5 with particular modifications in shape and setation as depicted in the figures 11­12 and described in the diagnosis, the proximal seta, L/W 58/21, the distal seta, L/W 52/10; ventral side of I­L­5 with one sword like seta ( Fig. 13 ).

Female: unknown.

Discussion: Kongsbergia persica sp. nov. seems very closely related to K. ruttneri Walter, 1930 , and K. d­motasi Motas, Tanasachi & Orghidan, 1958. Kongsbergia persica sp. nov. can easily be distingushed from both of these species by the presence of a more elongated wavy­proximal seta at the ventral margin of IV­L­5 (more roundish in K. ruttneri (see: Walter 1930; Motas et al. 1947; Schwoerbel 1962); club­shaped and shorter in K. d­motasi (see: Motas et al. 1958). Further differences are found in a shorter sword­shaped seta at the ventral margin of IV­L­5 (not exceeding distal margins of IV­L­5) and presence of two setae at the ventral margin of I­L­ 5 in K. ruttneri (see: Schwoerbel 1962); ventral margin of IV­L­5 with proximal and distal setae close to each other and a much larger palp (palp total L 328) in K. d­motasi (measurement in parentheses, from Motas et al. 1958).

Etymology: The species is named for its occurrence in Iran ( Persia).

Biology: As suggested by the single known record, K. persica sp. nov. is probably a hyporheobiontic species.

Distribution: Iran, only known from the locus typicus.

Figures

FIGURES 7–13. Kongsbergia persica sp. nov., male: 7 = idiosoma, dorsal view; 8 = idiosoma, ventral view; 9 = palp, lateral view; 10 = palp, medial view; 11 = IV­L­4/6; 12 = IV­L; 13 = I­L­2/6. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.