Gamasellodes andinus, Rueda-Ramírez, Diana, Varela, Amanda & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2016

Rueda-Ramírez, Diana, Varela, Amanda & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2016, Soil mites of the families Ascidae, Blattisociidae and Melicharidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from mountainous areas of Colombia, Zootaxa 4127 (3), pp. 493-514 : 495-498

Gamasellodes andinus sp. nov.

( Figs 1‒6 )

Specimens examined. Holotype female and two paratype females from soil of a fragment of Andean forest ( pH 4.4–4.7; organic matter 44–54%; humidity 52–77%; soil temperature 9.5–10°C; collected by D. Rueda-Ramirez in June and August, 2010. Holotype and one paratype deposited at ESALQ-USP; one paratype female deposited at MJHN-PUJ.

Diagnosis. Anterior region of epistome with three subequal, pointed, smooth projections; podonotal shield with 16 pairs of setae (s 1 and s 2 on unsclerotised cuticle); opithonotal shield with 14 pairs of setae (J 4 absent); two pairs of metapodal plates; ventrianal shield with four pairs of setae (Jv 1, Zv 1 and Zv 2 on unsclerotised cuticle); exopodal plate only distinguishable as an elongate structure next to coxa III; peritreme extending anteriorly to level of median region of coxa I (region between z 1 and s 1); peritrematic plate barely fused with dorsal shield.

Description (female, three specimens measured).

Gnathosoma. Fixed cheliceral digit 29 (29–30) long, with four teeth; pilus dentilis indistinguishable; movable digit 30 long, with two teeth; dorsal and antiaxial lyrifissures and dorsal cheliceral seta distinct ( Fig. 1 ). Numbers of setae on palp trochanter–tarsus: 2, 5, 6, 14, 15; palp tarsal apotele bifurcate. Anterior region of epistome with three subequal, pointed, smooth projections ( Fig. 2 ). Deutosternal groove ( Fig. 3 ) delimited by subparallel lateral lines, with eight transverse lines, the most distal smooth, others with 4–6 denticles each. Internal malae distinctly separated from each other; lateral margins fimbriate. Corniculi horn-shaped, about twice as long as basal width. Seta h 3 about in longitudinal line with h 1 and posteromesad of h 2. Setal measurements: h 1 15 (14–15), h 2 11 (10– 12), h 3 22 (20–24), pc 17 (15–18), palp trochanter av 20 (19‒21), palp trochanter pv 13 (12‒14); setae aciculate and smooth.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 4 ). Idiosoma 308 (296–320) long and 132 (122–140) wide at widest level. Podonotal shield with a delineated slender strip along lateral margins, finely punctate; with a curved line crossing the shield anteriad of j 3 and z 2; 151 (147–155) long and 123 (122–125) wide at widest level; with 16 pairs of setae (j 1 –j 6, z 1 – z 6, s 3 –s 6), four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and one pair of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of podonotal shield with six pairs of setae (s 1, s 2, r 2 –r 5). Opisthonotal shield with a delineated slender strip anteriad of S 4; finely puntate; with a wavy line anteriad of J 5 and Z 5; 153 (149–156) long and 135 (133–136) wide at widest level; with 14 pairs of setae, nine pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures and two pairs of pores. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of opisthonotal shield with five pairs of setae (R 1 –R 5) and a pair of lyrifissures ( Rp). Measurements of setae: j 1 13 (11–15), j 2 18 (17–19), j 3 20 (19–21), j 4 19 (18–20), j 5 17 (16–18), j 6 21, J 1 16, J 2 16, J 3 16, J 5 13 (12–15), z 1 10 (9–10), z 2 21 (21–22), z 3 17 (16–18), z 4 20, z 5 19 (18–20), z 6 18, Z 1 21 (20–22), Z 2 21 (21–22), Z 3 29 (29–30), Z 4 32 (30–34), Z 5 49 (47–50), s 1 15 (14–15), s 2 15 (14–16), s 3 20 (19–21), s 4 22 (21–24), s 5 21 (20– 21), s 6 22 (21–23), S 1 21 (20–21), S 2 22 (21–23), S 3 21 (20–22), S 4 25 (25–26), S 5 29 (29–30), r 2 15 (14–15), r 3 17 (15–18), r 4 14 (13–15), r 5 14 (13–15), R 1 13 (12–14), R 2 11 (11–12), R 3 14 (12–15), R 4 11 (10–12), R 5 11 (10– 11); setae aciculate and smooth.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 5 ). Base of tritosternum 17 (15–19) long and 10 (8–10) wide proximally; laciniae 52, separated for about 90% of their total length, pilose. Pre-sternal area weakly sclerotised, represented by two lobes fused with sternal shield, punctate and striate. Sternal shield mostly smooth, with scant faint striae along lateral margins and with a variably shaped punctate indentation in anteromedian region ( Figs 5, 5 a); posterior margin lightly sclerotised; approximately 84 (83–85) long from anterior margin next to st 1 to posterior margin and 61 (60– 62) wide at widest level; with three pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures; distances st 1 –st 3 68 (66–69), st 2 – st 2 41 (40–42). Fourth pair of sternal setae (st 4) on unsclerotised cuticle, but very close to posterior margin of sternal shield. Genital shield smooth, bearing st 5; extending posteriorly well behind coxa IV; 76 (75–77) long and 38 (37–39) wide at the widest level; distance st 5 –st 5 36 (35–37); lyrifissure iv 5 on unsclerotised cuticle, posterolaterad of st 5. Two pairs of oval to subtriangular metapodal plates, the anterior transversely elongate and mesad of the longitudinally elongate posterior plate. Poststigmatic poroid gv 2 inserted on unsclerotised cuticle behind coxa IV. Ventrianal shield smooth in the anterior third, punctate elsewhere; 100 (92–109) long and 133 (120–149) wide at widest level; with four pairs of setae (Jv 2 –Jv 5) in addition to circumanal setae, and with one pair of distinguishable lyrifissures (posteromesad of Jv 2); para-anal setae inserted slightly behind anterior margin of anal opening; the latter small, about 1/7 of shield length; 15 (14–15) long. Unsclerotised cuticle between genital and ventrianal shields with a slender sclerotised line followed by three pairs of setae (Jv 1, Zv 1 and Zv 2), a pair of tiny transversely elong ate platelets and one pair of lyrifissures. Unsclerotised cuticle laterad of and posteriorad to ventrianal shield with two pairs and a pair of lyrifissures, respectively. Anterior section of endopodal plate fused with sternal shield; section behind sternal shield reduced to a v-shaped platelet between coxae III–IV. Exopodal plate only distinguishable as an elongate plate next to coxa III. Peritreme extending anteriorly to level of median region of coxa I (region between z 1 and s 1). Peritrematic plate narrow, barely fused anteriorly with dorsal shield at level of z 1, with a lyrifissure next to r 4 and with two lyrifissures and a pore behind each stigma. Setal measurements: st 1 17 (15–18), st 2 17 (15–19), st 3 14 (13–15), st 4 12 (11–12), st 5 14 (13–15), Jv 1 15 (15–16), Jv 2 26 (25–26), Jv 3 16 (15–17), Jv 4 20 (17–22), Jv 5 34 (31–37), Zv 1 15 (13–16), Zv 2 14, para-anal 18 (18–19), postanal 29 (27–30); setae aciculate and smooth.

Spermathecal apparatus. Not distinguishable.

Legs. Lengths: I: 236 (231–243); II: 194 (193–194); III: 166 (160–172); IV: 223 (219–231). Setation (legs I– IV): coxae: 2, 2, 2, 1; trochanters: 6, 5, 5, 5; femora: 12, 11, 6, 6; genua: 13, 11, 8, 9; tibiae: 13, 10, 8, 10; tarsi: I not counted, 18, 18, 18. All legs with pretarsi containing a pair of strongly sclerotised claws ( Fig. 6 ); median section of pulvilli of legs I–IV rounded.

Adult male. Not found.

Etymology. The specific name andinus refers to “from the Andes”, South American mountain formation where the type locality is situated.

Remarks. Gamasellodes andinus sp. nov. is distinguished from all other Gamasellodes species by lacking J 4. This species is most similar to Gamasellodes magniventris Mineiro, Lindquist & Moraes, 2009 , described from Brazil, with a similar curved line crossing the shield anteriad of j 3 and z 2, a wavy line anteriad of J 5 and Z 5, and a broad ventrianal shield with a nearly straight anterior margin. However, the latter species differs from the species here described by having one pair of metapodal plates, presence of Zv 3, opisthonotal shield with 15 pair of setae, and peritreme extending anteriorly to the region beside bases of setae z 1.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Gamasellodes andinus sp. nov. Female. 1. Chelicera; 2. Epistome; 3. Hypostome and proximal palp segments; 4. Dorsal view; 5. Ventral view; 5 a. Variation of sternal shield 6. Tarsus II.