Mesotritia andina Niedbała, 2024

Niedbała, Wojciech & Magowski, Wojciech Ł., 2024, New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Peruvian Andes, Zootaxa 5448 (3), pp. 401-416 : 404

Mesotritia andina Niedbała sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C120A65A-4314-4BE8-924A-93B30E9EFC41

( Fig. 2 )

Description. Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 525, width 353, height 162; setae: tr 99 in 121, le 137, ro 164, ex 61; notogaster: length 1030, width 626, height 646; setae: c 1, c 2 132, c 3 71, cp 66, h 1 114, ps 1 104, ps 2 96, ps 3 78; genital and aggenital plates 227×121, ag 1 192, ag 2 15; anal and adanal plates 520×81, ad 1 172, ad 2 23, ad 3 18. Paratype: prodorsum: length 544, height 170; notogaster: length 1045, height 661.

Large species. Colour brown to dark brown. Surface of body punctated.

Prodorsum with two, long, unequal lateral carinae, dorsal carina longer and not reaching the bothridia. Trichobothria (tr) relatively short, rigid, rodlike with some short spines in distal half. Rostral (ro) setae situated slightly anteriorly of lamellar (le) setae. Distance between interlamellar (in) setae is similar to distance between lamellar setae. Exobothridial (ex) setae relatively long. Comparative length: ro> le> in> tr> ex.

Notogaster with very fine and short (c 1 <c 1 -d 1) setae. All setae attenuate. Dorsal setae longer than lateral. Setae c 3 and cp the shortest. Setae c 1-3 remote from anterior margin, setae c 1 and c 2 more than setae c 3.

Venter. Seta h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Seven pairs of genital setae, no one in progenital position. Genital setae long, more than 2 times than distances between setae. Two pairs of aggenital setae present, setae ag 1 almost four times longer than minute setae ag 2. One pair of minute anal setae and three pairs of adanal setae present; setae ad 1 very long, setae ad 2 and ad 3 minute; distances between adanal setae almost equal. Lyrifissures iad situated anteriorly of anal setae.

Legs (and palps). Chaetome of legs (without tarsi): I: 1-3-4(2)-4(1), II: 1-3-3(1)-4(1), III: 2-3-2(1)-3(1), IV: 2- 3-1(0)-2(1). Chaetome of palps: 2-2-8(1).

Type material. Holotype and one paratype: South America , Andes , Central Peru, Huánuco Department, Huánuco Province, Chinchao District , NW Tunel de Carpish , 09°42’58’’S, 75°05’33’’W, 2770 m a.s.l., upper soil and leaf litter in primary mountain forest, Winkler extraction (sample 1.1), 14. IV. 2016, leg. S. Friedrich, F. Wachtel and D. Hauth.

Etymology. The specific epithet andina refers to locality of new species in Andes.

Diagnosis. The new species differs from congeners by the following combination of characteres: two pairs of lateral carinae of prodorsum; trichobothria rodlike; rostral setae situated slightly anteriorly of lamellar setae; seven pairs of long genital setae; long ag 1 setae and minute setae ag 2, presence of one pair of anal and three pairs of adanal setae, setae ad 1 very long, setae ad 2 and ad 3 minute, and almost equal distance between adanal setae.

Remarks.The majority of Mesotritia species has lanceolate or spindle-shaped trichobothria.Only two neotropical species have similar, rodlike trichobothria: M. procerus Niedbała, 2004 and M. semota Niedbała, 2003 . However, both species have one pair of lateral carinae of prodorsum (versus two pairs in new species), rostral setae situated between interlamellar and lamellar setae (versus slightly anteriorly of lamellar setae), two pairs of anal setae (versus one pair), genital setae short and their length shorter or similar to distances between them (versus setae long, at least twice longer than distance between them).

Despite the differences in the shape of trichobothria the new species is similar to the neotropical M. curviseta by the double lateral carinae of prodorsum, number of anal and adanal setae and very long ad 1 setae. However, M. curviseta has five pairs of genital setae (versus seven pairs in new species), both aggenital setae short and equal in length (versus ag 1 very long and ag 2 minute), distance between ad 1 and ad 2 setae shorter than that between ad 2 and ad 3 setae (versus these distances similar), presence of 4 setae on femora of leg I (versus 3 setae).

So far, 34 species of Mesotritia are known: one semicosmopolitan— M. nuda ( Berlese, 1887) , one Holarctic— M. flagelliformis (Ewing, 1909) ( Ewing 1909b) , three with both Palaearctic and Oriental distribution— M. maerkeli Sheals, 1965 , M. okuamai Aoki, 1980 , M. similis Niedbała, 2000 ( Niedbała 2000, 2011). The remaining 29 species are distributed in a specific zoogeographical region: six are Palaearctic, four Oriental, two Afrotropical, four Nearctic and remaining 13 are Neotropical.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Mesotritia andina sp. nov. A—prodorsum, lateral view; B—prodorsum, dorsal view; C —opisthosoma, lateral view; D—mentum of subcapitulum; E—anogenital region, ventral view; F—trochanter and femur of leg I. Scale bars 100 µm (A, B, C, E), 50 µm (D, F).