Gittella kontschani, Ermilov & Subias & Shtanchaeva & Friedrich, 2021

Ermilov, Sergey G., Subias, Luis S., Shtanchaeva, Umukusum Ya. & Friedrich, Stefan, 2021, Contribution to the knowledge of the oribatid mite genus Gittella (Acari, Oribatida, Oppiidae), with description of a new species from Peru, Acarologia 61 (4), pp. 1015-1022 : 1016-1020

Gittella kontschani n. sp.

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( Figures 1 , 2 )

Diagnosis — Body size: 481–531 × 223–249. Body surface microgranulate; notogaster and anogenital region foveolate. Costula absent or vestigial. Rostral, lamellar, interlamellar, and exobothridial setae setiform, slightly barbed; relative length: ro ˃ le = in = ex. Bothridial seta with five to seven branches. Interbothridial region with two (rarely, with three) pairs of muscle sigillae. Interbothridial and postbothridial tubercles absent. Notogastral setae (except alveolar c) long, setiform, barbed. Epimeral and anogenital setae setiform, slightly barbed. Leg claws slightly barbed on dorsal side.

Description — Measurements – Body length: 531 (holotype, male), 481–531 (16 paratypes,

11 males and five females); body width: 223 (holotype), 223–249 (16 paratypes). No distinct difference between male and female in body size.

Integument – Body color light brown to brown. Body surface densely microgranulate (diameter of granule less than 1). Notogaster and anogenital region sparsely foveolate (diameter of foveola up to 8). Lateral part of body between bothridium and acetabula I-III densely tuberculate (diameter of tubercle up to 4).

Prodorsum — Rostrum broadly rounded. Costula absent, rarely vestigial, indistinct. Rostral (36–41), lamellar (28–32), interlamellar (28–32), and exobothridial (28–32) setae setiform,

slightly barbed. Bothridial seta (82–86) with five to seven branches; of them, two or three distal branches shorter than others. Interbothridial region with two pairs of muscle sigillae, but sometimes anterior pair divided into two pairs (in these cases, three pairs of muscle sigillae present). Interbothridial tubercle absent, but sometimes indistinct thickening observed instead. Postbothridial tubercle absent. Longitudinal row, comprising several muscle sigillae, present in front of the bothridium.

Notogaster – Anterior border convex medially. Twelve pairs of notogastral setae (73–90) setiform, barbed; thirteenth pair (setae c) represented by alveoli. All notogastral lyrifissures and opisthonotal gland opening distinct.

Gnathosoma – Subcapitulum size: 118–127 × 90–94. Subcapitular setae (a: 18–20; m:

26–28; h: 22–24) setiform, slightly barbed. Adoral seta (4) spiniform, smooth. Palp length: 69–73. Postpalpal seta (4) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera length: 110–118. Cheliceral setae

(cha: 34–36; chb: 20) setiform, barbed.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions – All epimeral setae 1 (a, 2a, 3a, 4b: 16; 1b, 1c, 3b,

4a: 20–22; 3c: 28–32; 4c: 32–36) setiform, slightly barbed. Discidium strong, triangular.

Anogenital region – Genital g (1: 16–18; others: 12–14), aggenital (16–18), adanal (36–41), and anal (16–18) setae setiform, slightly barbed. Adanal lyrifissure diagonal, close and lateral to anal aperture. Ovipositor elongated (159 × 28), blade (45) shorter than length of distal section (beyond middle fold; 114). Each of the three blades with four smooth setae 1 ≈, ψτ 1 (41) setiform, ψ 2 ≈ τ a ≈ τ b ≈ τ c (16) elongate thorn-like. Coronal setae not observed.

Legs – All leg claws with tubercle ventrobasally, slightly barbed on dorsal side. Porose area on femora I-IV and tibiae I, II slightly visible. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1-5-2-4-20) [1-2-2], II (1-5-2-4-16) [1-1-2], III (2-3-1-3-15) [1-1-0], IV (1-2-2-3-12) [0-1-0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Famulus of tarsus I erect, slightly swollen and blunted distally, inserted before solenidion 1.ω

Type material — Holotype (male) and 16 paratypes (11 males and five females). The holotype is deposited in the collection of the MUSM ; two paratypes are deposited in the collection of the ZSM ; 14 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the TSUMZ. All specimens are preserved in 70% solution of ethanol with a drop of glycerol.

Etymology — The species name kontschani is given in honour of our friend and colleague, the well-known acarologist Dr. Jenő Kontschán (Budapest, Hungary), for his invaluable contributions to the knowledge of the mite fauna of ACP Panguana.

Remarks — Gittella kontschani n. sp. is morphologically most similar to Gittella variabilis Ermilov, Sandmann, Marian and Maraun, 2013 in having foveolate notogaster and anogenital region, but differs from the latter by the smaller body length (481–531 versus 647–680), the relative length of prodorsal setae ro (˃ le = in = ex versus in ˃ le = ro ˃ ex), and the absence (versus presence) of interlamellar and postbothridial tubercles.

Distinctive characters of the new species compared with other members of Gittella can be found in the identification key below.

Figures

Figure 1 Gittella kontschani n. sp., adult: A – dorsal view (legs omitted); B – ventral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted); C – lateral view (legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.

Figure 2 Gittella kontschani n. sp., adult: A – subcapitulum, ventral view; B – palp, right, antiaxial view; C – chelicera (Trägårdh’s organ omitted), left, paraxial view; D – leg I, right, antiaxial view; E – leg II left, paraxial view; F – leg III (trochanter turned), left, paraxial view; G – leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bar 20 μm (A, C), 10 μm (B), 50 μm (D–G).