Iphidozercon altaicus, Gwiazdowicz & Marchenko, 2012

Gwiazdowicz, D. J. & Marchenko, I. I., 2012, Two New Species Of Iphidozercon (Acari: Ascidae) With A Key To Females, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (1), pp. 41-52 : 42-44

Iphidozercon altaicus sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 )

Description. Female (N = 3). Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal shield oval, length 375–380 µm, width 230–250 µm distinct foveate sculpture throughout. 18 pairs of setae on podonotal part of shield and 14 pairs of setae on opisthonotal part of shield. All setae fine, smooth and pointed, length of 25–30 µm, except j1 (10 µm, inserted ventrally), and two antero-lateral setae s1, s2 (15 µm).

Venter ( Fig. 2 ) Tritosternum with trapezoidal base (25 µm) and finely pilose laciniae (35 µm). Sternal shield rectangular, 70 × 55 µm, setae st1–st3 smooth and pointed, length 10 µm. Metasternal setae st4 (10 µm) on soft membrane. Genital shield small and narrow (55 µm), spatulate posteriorly. Genital setae st5 (15 µm) outside the shield. Anal shield relatively large 60 µm long, 70 µm wide with para-anal setae (15 µm) and post-anal seta (20 µm). Narrow cribrum below post-anal seta. Sternal, genital and anal shields are unornamented. Peritremes ending anteriorly to coxae I, stigmata at level of coxae IV. Peritremal shields wide, with weak posterior lineate ornamentation. Opisthogastric integument behind coxae IV with one pair of oval metapodal plates, a pair of smaller plates near posterior ends of peritrematal shields. Opisthogastric setae JV1–JV5, ZV1–ZV2 15 µm long, others (R2–R4) approximately 20 µm.

Gnathosoma. Hypostome with robust horn-like corniculi and four pairs of setae. Anterior seta h1 longest (30 µm), internal seta h3 (20 µm), palp coxal seta h4 (25 µm) shorter, external seta h2 (10 µm) shortest. Seven transverse rows of hypostomal denticles present, numbers of denticles per row (anterior to posterior) 12, 15, 17, 15, 17, 16, 13 ( Fig. 3a ). Chelicera typical of genus, fixed digit with three teeth, movable digit with two teeth ( Fig. 3b ), other details of chelicerae not visible in available specimens. Epistome with central prong longest, lateral prongs shorter, with denticulate outer margins ( Fig. 3c ).

Legs and palps. Lengths of legs: I – 230 µm, II – 200 µm, III – 180 µm, IV – 210 µm. Setation of genua I–II–III–IV: 12–10–7–7 ( Fig. 4a ); tibiae 12–9–7–7 ( Fig. 4b ). Tarsus II to IV each with the dorsoproximal setae ad2 and pd2 short and straight ( Fig 4c ). Palp apotele 2-tined.

Material examined: Holotype: Female. Russia, North-East of Altai Mountains, Teletskoe lake region, environs of Obogo village , in litter of Betula pubescens – Populus tremula forest, (51°30’48’’ N, 87°18’7’’ E, 900 m a.s.l.), 6 August 2007, leg. I.I. MARCHENKO . Paratypes: 2 females, North-East of Altai Mountains, Teletskoe lake region, environs of Obogo village, in litter of Abies sibirica – Pinus sibirica forest, (51°30’48’’N, 87°18’7’’E, 900 m a.s.l.), 6 August 2007, leg. I. I. MARCHENKO.

Etymology. The name of this species reflects the fact that it was collected in the Altai Mountains.

Differential diagnosis. Iphidozercon altaicus sp. n. is similar to Iphidozercon foveatus GWIAZDOWICZ et HALLIDAY, 2008 . Both species have foveate sculpture on the dorsal shield and similar lengths of dorsal setae. The length of peritreme and the shape of genital shield is similar in both species. Nevertheless, many differences have been detected, such as shapes of the peritremal and anal shields. In I. foveatus the anal shield is narrow, while in I. altaicus it is wider than long. In I. foveatus the peritremal shield is wide, with tiny denticles on the internal side and in I. altaicus the shield is narrower and without denticles. In I. foveatus five pairs of smaller platelets bearing pores are located on the ventral side, in I. altaicus there are no such platelets. In I. foveatus the epistome has a central elongated prong ending in three denticles, but in I. altaicus the prong ends in spikes. In I. foveatus the movable digit has three teeth, but in I. altaicus it has two teeth.

Figures

Fig. 1. Iphidozercon altaicus sp. n. – dorsal view

Fig. 2. Iphidozercon altaicus sp. n. – ventral view

Fig. 3. Iphidozercon altaicus sp. n. – hypostome (a), chelicera (b), epistome (c)

Fig. 4. Iphidozercon altaicus sp. n. – genu II (a), tibia II (b), tarsus II (c)