Joshuella Wallwork, 1972

Walter, David Evans, 2009, Genera of Gymnodamaeidae (Acari: Oribatida: Plateremaeoidea) of Canada, with notes on some nomenclatorial problems, Zootaxa 2206, pp. 23-44 : 35

Joshuella Wallwork, 1972

Type species: Joshuella striata Wallwork, 1972

Diagnosis: Gymnodamaeidae with ventral plate having anogenital bridge ( Fig. 23 arrow), but not lateral pits ( Fig. 23 ); genital plates with smooth median margin and bearing 6 pairs of setae, seta g 2 inserted posteriad g 1; 2–3 pairs of adanal setae. Distal segments of legs without retrotecta, femur IV with 2 setae. Prodorsal cerotegument with spherical pustules, without raised ridges ( Fig. 22 arrow); sensillus (bo) with long stalk and broad, barbed head; bothridial rim simple, bothridial ridge absent; spine-like interlamellar setae (in) on short apophysis between bothridia, directed dorsally; median prodorsal tubercle absent; exobothridial seta (ex) inserted anteriad in; prelamellar ridge poorly developed, without steep anterior margin; rostral seta (ro) inserted posteriad lamellar seta (le) which curves ventrad. Notogaster flattened, without posterior nipple, cerotegument forming a series of parallel longitudinal ridges ( Fig. 22 arrow), and with large (mostly 3–5 in diameter) spherical ( Fig. 25 ) or bullet-shaped pustules, 4 pairs of relatively short notogastral setae (h 1, p 1-3) ( Fig. 24 ); sejugal tubercle absent.

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 31. J oshuella agrosticula Paschoal, 1983, Alberta, Canada. 22, Dorsal view (arrow points to longitudinal notogastral ridge), scale bar = 0.05 mm; 23, Ventral view (arrow points to anogenital bridge), scale bar = 0.05 mm; 24, Posterior notogaster showing 4 pairs of setae, scale bar = 10 μm; 25, Notogastral pustules, scale bar = 1 μm; 26, Tritonymph with stacked scalps, scale bar = 0.05 mm. Pleodamaeus plokosus (Woolley & Higgins, 1973), South Dakota, USA. 27, Dorsal habitus, scale bar = 0.1 mm; 28, Notogastral pustule, scale bar = 1 μm; 29, Tubercular patch (arrow) on median anterior rim of notogaster, scale bar = 10 μm; 30, Light micrograph showing tubercular patch and median prodorsal tubercle. Pleodamaeus sp., Alberta, Canada. 31, Anterior notogaster and prodorsum showing acuminate pedotectum II (arrow), scale bar = 0.05 mm.