Bharatohydracarus africanus, Smit, 2014

Smit, H., 2014, The First Hyporheic Water Mites From The Afrotropical Region (Acari: Hydrachnidia), With New Species Of The Genera Kawamuracarus Uchida And Bharatohydracarus Cook, Acarologia 54 (1), pp. 39-45 : 40-44

Bharatohydracarus africanus n. sp.

( Figures 3 A-D)

Material examined — Holotype male, Kue River, Kyabobo NP, Ghana, 8º 31.087’ N; 0º 36.049’ E, alt. 208 m asl, 25-ii-2013, leg. H. Smit ( RMNH).

Diagnosis — Posterior margin of male fourth coxal plates only slightly oblique, PII slender, widening anteriorly; IV-leg-2-4 with a row of setae, IV-leg-4 with four additional very long setae.

Description — Male: Idiosoma 632 long and 437 wide, colour pale yellowish. Dorsal shield complete, 599 long and 405 wide. Eyes reduced in size, lying below the integument. Anterior coxal plates extending well beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Posterior margin of fourth coxae only slightly oblique. Gonopore 108 long and 48 wide, rounded anteriorly and posteriorly and parallel lateral margins and with approximately 50 pairs of acetabula. A fringe of stalked setae surrounding the genital field. Lengths of PI-PV: 22, 64, 46, 62, 26. PII slender, widening anteriorly with two medial setae and one anterodorsal seta; PIII with one medial and one anterodorsal seta; PIV pointed anteroventrally, with six dorsal setae of different length and shape and one long medial seta. Lengths of I-leg-4- 6: 100, 110, 116; I-leg-2 and -3 with two and three long, stiff setae, respectively. Third leg more or less unmodified, but III-leg-2 with 13 short, heavy setae, III-leg-3 with two long, stiff setae and III-leg-5 with three long stiff setae. Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 102, 130, 153. Fourth leg segments relatively unmodified; IVleg-2-4 with a row of setae of different length, setae longest on third segment; IV-leg-4 with a row of four additonal, very long setae; IV-leg-5 ventrally with a row of setae, increasing in length distally; IVleg-6 with two long and two shorter setae inserted near tip of segment. Claws with narrow claw blade and clawlet.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology — Named for its occurrence on the

African continent.

Remarks — All known Bharatohydracarus species have the posterior margin of the fourth coxal plates more oblique than the new species. The males of B. latus ( Imamura, 1959) and B. imamurai Cook, 1967 are similar in the elliptical gonopore shape. The latter species has IV-leg-1 with an extension, which is absent in the new species. The male of B. latus has the fourth leg with a different setation (long setae at tip of IV-leg-6 lacking, IV-leg-4 with only one very long seta in stead of four), while the posterior margin of the fourth coxal plates is very oblique. From B. debilis Gerecke, 2004 only the female is known, but this species is much smaller ( Gerecke 2004).

Figures

FIGURE 3: Bharatohydracarus africanus n. sp., holotype male: A – Ventral view; B – Palp; C – III-leg-4-6; D – IV-leg-2-6. Scale bars = 50 µm.