Notophthiracarus liratus, Niedbała & Starý, 2015

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2015, The next new species of Notophthiracarus Ramsay, 1966 (Acari, Oribatida, Phthiracaroidea) from Madagascar, African Invertebrates 56 (1), pp. 63-63 : 66

Notophthiracarus liratus sp. n.

Fig. 2

Etymology: From the Latin liratus (bearing ridges) and alludes to the ornamentation of the notogastral surface, which resembles a fingerprint.

Description:

Measurements (holotype). Prodorsum: length 313, width and height 222; setae: ss 134, in 51, le 61, ro 35; notogaster: length 525, width 439, height 404; genitoaggenital plate 162×114, anoadanal plate 121×83.

Integument. Colour light brown. Surface of notogaster ornamented with longitudinal parallel ribs, resembling a finger dermatoglyph.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 2A, B ). Prominent median crista present. Posterior part covered with dense foveolae, anterior part with some triangular tubercles. Only some traces of lateral carinae visible. Median sigillar fields long and narrow, longer than lateral ones. Sensilli long, bulbous in proximal part and very thin and tapering in distal part. Prodorsal setae (except vestigial exobothridial setae) needle-liKe, smooth.

Notogaster ( Fig. 2C, D ). All notogastral setae vestigial. Setae c 1 and c 2 remote from anterior margin of notogaster, setae c 3 situated near notogastral margin. Of the lyrifissures only im visible. Vestigial setae f 1 anterior of setae h 1.

Ventral region ( Fig. 2E–G ). Seta h of mentum very long, considerably longer than distance between them. Arrangement of genital setae: 5:4. Anoadanal plates each with five similar in length, rather short setae.

Legs ( Fig. 2H ). Chaetome of legs incomplete. Setae v” of femora I absent. Setae d of femora I needle-like, situated at distal end of article.

Holotype: MADAGASCAR: Ranomafana National Park , Vatoharanana, 5.x.2012, evergreen rain forest, 21°16'59.7"S 47°25'30.3"E, 1126 m, sifting of forest leaf litter sample, Winkler apparatus extraction, leg. L.S. Rahanitriniaina, MAG-210 ( DATE).

Paratypes: 4 specimens, same data as holotype, MAG-210 (DATE); 1 specimen: MADAGASCAR: Ranomafana National Park, Vatoharanana, 4.x.2012, evergreen rain forest, 21°17'33.6"S 47°25'57.6"E, 1163 m, sifting of forest leaf litter sample,WinKler apparatus extraction, leg. L.S. Rahanitriniaina, MAG-209 (ISB). Remarks: The new species is easy distinguishable from congeners by the unusual presence of triangular tubercles on the anterior part of the prodorsum and dense foveoles at the posterior part of the prodorsum, prominent median crista of the prodorsum, long sensilli (bulbous proximally and tapering distally), dermatoglyphical ornamentation of the notogastral surface and all notogastral setae vestigial. The new species resembles N. dactyloscopicus ( MahunKa, 1978) from Mauritius, characterized by dermatoglyphical ornamentation of the notogaster, while all other characters are different. Proximal part of sensilli are similar to N. armatus (MahunKa, 1986) described from the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, but other characters are different ( MahunKa 1978, 1986).

Figures

Fig.2. Notophthiracarus liratus sp.n.(holotype):(A) prodorsum, lateral view; (B) prodorsum, dorsal view; (C) opisthosoma, lateral view; (D) fragment of surface of notogaster; (E) mentum of infracapitulum; (F) genitoaggenital plate; (G) anoadanal plate; (H) trochanter and femur of leg I.