Notophthiracarus dispersus, Niedbała & Starý, 2015

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2015, New species of the superfamily Phthiracaroidea (Acari, Oribatida) from the Afrotropical Region, African Invertebrates 56 (1), pp. 39-39 : 44-46

Notophthiracarus dispersus sp. n.

Figs 25–31

Etymology: From the Latin dispersus (rare, sparsely) and alludes to the sparse distribution of cilia on the interlamellar and notogastral setae.

Description:

Measurements (holotype). Prodorsum: length 525, width 353, height 227, setae: ss 114, in 353, le 43, ro 51, ex 38; notogaster: length 1010, width and height 687, notogastral setae: c 1 252, c 1 / c -d 1 =1.3, c 2 227, c 3 45, h 1 227, h 2 151, h 3 62, ps 1 247, and ps 2 202; genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates 313×151.

Integument. Colour reddish brown. Surface of body covered with dispersed small, rounded and deep concavities.

Prodorsum ( Figs 25, 26 ). Feeble, short median crista. Lateral carinae well developed, long. Sigillar fields verY narrow, median trapezoid distallY and longer than laterals. Sensilli of medium length, bacilliform, covered with small spines in distal half. Interlamellar setae rigid, similar to notogastral setae, covered sparsely with small spines. Rostral setae and lamellar setae spiniform. Exobothridial setae the shortest.

Notogaster ( Fig. 30 ). Notogastral setae rigid and of different lengths, dorsal setae longer than laterals, (c 1> c 1 - d 1), setae c 1 and ps 1 the longest, setae c 3 and h 3 the shortest. All notogastral setae sparsely covered with small spines in distal half. Setae c 1-3 remote from anterior margin, setae c 2 considerably more remote than setae c 1 and c 3. Vestigial setae f 1 not visible because of strong sculpture. Two pairs of lYrifissures ia and im present.

Ventral region ( Figs 27–29 ). Setae h of mentum ( Fig. 29 ) considerably longer than distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 5:4. Anoadanal plates with five pairs of rigid, rough setae, adanal setae ad 1 and ad 2 longer than anal setae, situated near to paraxial border, adanal setae ad 3 the shortest.

Legs ( Fig. 31 ). Chaetome of legs complete. Setae d on femora I slightly remote from anterior end of article and bifurcated distally.

Holotype: MADAGASCAR: Beforona commune, Vohidrazana forest, 6.vi.2012, semi-deciduous forest, 18°58'30.6"S 48°30'53.4"E, 1130 m, sifting of leaf litter sample, Winkler apparatus extraction, leg. L.S. Rahanitriniaina and E.M. Rabotoson, MAG-153 ( DATE).

Remarks: The new species can be distinguished from congeners by the combination of the following characters: small median crista of prodorsum, rigid interlamellar and notogastral setae sparsely covered with spines,bacilliform and ciliate sensilla,formula of genital setae5:4, adanal setae ad 1 and ad 2 situated near paraxial border and bifurcate setae d on femora of legs I.

Figures

Figs25–31.Notophthiracarus dispersus sp.n.holotYpe:(25)prodorsum, dorsal view;(26) prodorsum,lateral view; (27) left genitoaggenital plate; (28) right anoadanal plate; (29) mentum of subcapitulum; (30) lateral view of opisthosoma; (31) trochanter and femur of leg I.