Geayia major, 2022

K, Harry Smit, Pešić, Vladimir, K & K, Simon Clavier, 2022, Water mites from French Guiana, with the description of 14 new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 62 (4), pp. 1119-1153 : 1143

Geayia (?) major Smit & Pešić sp. nov.

Zoobank: DE83D05E-5054-46D6-9CAB-4F7C58E498BE

( Figures 15 A-F, 20D-E, 21C-D)

Material examined — Holotype female, Petit-Saut Lake , date unknown, between 2007

and 2017, 4.939997°N, 53.044167°W, leg. S. Clavier, dissected (gnathosoma, palps and legs mounted on slide, dorsal and ventral shield in Koenike fluid) ( RMNH). Paratype: one female, Crique Aya, National Reserve La Trinité, French Guiana, 4.590557°N, 53.413572°W,

4 Nov. 2018, leg. S. Clavier, dissected (gnathosoma, palps and legs mounted on slide, dorsal and ventral shield in Koenike fluid) ( MNHN).

Diagnosis (Male unknown) — Idiosoma and gnathosoma large in dimensions, ventral shield length ˃ 1500, gnathosoma ˃ 600 µm, dorsum and venter without a colour pattern; gnathosoma elongated, length/width ratio> 4.0, posterior margin with a U-shaped cleft, no flanked by a pair of lateral extensions, rostrum triangular-conical, ending in a pointed tip in a lateral view.

Description — Female (holotype, in parentheses some measurements of a paratype specimen from Crique Aya): Dorsal and ventral shield present; dorsal shield complete, 1075 (1094) long and 1030 (1080) wide, length/width ratio 1.04 (1.01); dorsum without a colour pattern ( Figures 20 D-E). Ventral shield ( Figure 15A) 1506 (1500) long and 1413 (1463) wide; dorsal portion of gnathosomal buy bluntly pointed and projecting well forward; on each side two rows of body pores between Cx-II and Cx-II. Genital field 369 (356) long and 356 (394)

wide, with three pairs of acetabula, gonopore 278 (256) long and 200 (200) wide.

Palp: dorsal length/height, dorsal length/height ratio: P1, 22/94, 0.23; P2, 125/81, 1.54 (127/88, 1.45); P3, 72/78, 0.92 (72/86, 0.84); P4, 94/73(basal), 1.28 (94/81, 1.15); P5, 62/38,

1.6 (69/38, 1.8); two long, thickened setae of medial surface of P2 inserted near middle of the segment, antagonistic bristle of P4 moderately long and thick; P5 relatively long, inserted dorsally at distal end of P5. Gnathosoma elongated and slender, 719 (663) long and 156 (163) wide, length/width ratio 4.6 (4.1), gnathosomal rostrum triangular-conical, ending in a pointed tip in a lateral view, posterior margin with a U-shaped cleft, no flanked by a pair of lateral extensions ( Figures 15 B-C, 21C-D). Chelicera ( Figure 15D) 688 long.

Dorsal length of I-leg-3-6 ( Figure 15F): 147, 203, 211, 220; dorsal length of IV-leg-2-6:

209, 238, 306, 316, 275; swimming setae: II-leg-4, 9; II-leg-5, 7; III-leg-4, 16; III-leg-5, 14; IV-leg-3, 8; IV-leg-4, 13; IV-leg-5, 12.

Male – Unknown.

Etymology — Named for its major dimensions.

Discussion — See discussion under Geayia tanaru sp. nov.

Distribution — French Guiana.