Geayia (Geayidea) purpureomaculata Smit & Pešić, 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 : 1145

Geayia (Geayidea) purpureomaculata Smit & Pešić sp. nov.

Zoobank: 703AAEB9-08E4-4F6A-85D6-E00766892086

( Figures 16 A-D, 17A-E, 20F-J)

Material examined — Holotype male, National Reserve La Trinité / Parc Amazonien de Guyane, Courcibo River, French Guiana, 4.475657°N, 53.219474°W, 14 Nov. 2019, leg. S.

Clavier, sequenced ( BOLD: HYDME 044-22), dissected (gnathosoma, palps and legs mounted on slide, dorsal and ventral shields in Koenike fluid) ( MNHN), Paratype: one juvenile male, same data as the holotype ( RMNH).

Other material — 1/0/0, Comte River, Roche Fende, French Guiana, 4.397775°N, 52.583060°W, 23 Oct. 2017, leg. S. Clavier, dissected (gnathosoma, palps and legs mounted on slide, dorsal and ventral shields in Koenike fluid).

Diagnosis (Female unknown) — Dorsal shield with a distinctive colour pattern consisting of a paired, roundish anteromedial, and a large, unpaired posteromedial patches, and a small pair of lateral patches.

Description — Male (holotype, in parentheses measurements of specimen from Comte river) – Dorsal and ventral shields present; dorsal shield ( Figure 16B) complete, long 663 (563) and 675 (550) wide; dorsal and ventral shields with a distinctive colour pattern as photographed in figures 20F, H; colour pattern of dorsal shield of holotype consisting of a paired, roundish anteromedial, and a large, unpaired posteromedial patches, and a small pair of lateral patches, all patches intensive purple ( Figure 20F). Ventral shield ( Figure 16A, 17A) 928 (844) long and

897 wide; dorsal portion of gnathosomal bay bluntly pointed and projecting well forward; on each side one row of body pores between Cx-II and Cx-II. Genital field 219 (206) long and 250 (223) wide, with three pairs of acetabula ( Figure 16D, 17B), gonopore 159 (159) long and 56 (59) wide.

Palp: dL/H, dL/H ratio: P1, 16/58, 0.28 (17/47, 0.37); P2, 79/59, 1.34 (77/55, 1.4); P3,

47/58, 0.81 (42/51, 0.82); P4, 69/53(basal), 1.3 (61/45, 1.34); P5, 45/21, 2.1 (39/20, 1.9); two long setae of medial surface of P2 inserted near middle of segment, antagonistic bristle of P4 long and whip-like, P5 inserted dorsally at distal end of P5 ( Figure 16C, 17F). Gnathosoma

319 (289) long and 95 (88) wide, L/W ratio 3.4 (3.3), gnathosomal rostrum triangular-conical, ending in a pointed tip in a lateral view, posterior margin shallowly indented ( Figures 16 E-F, 17C). Chelicera ( Figure 17D) 303 (284) long.

Dorsal length of I-leg ( Figure 17E): 69 (62), 83 (66), 116 (100), 142 (131), 159 (147), 197

(172); dorsal length of IV-L: 163, 150, 166 (144), 206 (180), 209 (194), 211 (191); IV-leg-3 and

-4 without a row of enlarged setae on dorsal surface characteristic for Geayela. Swimming setae: II-leg-4, 3 (3-4); II-leg-5, 5 (5); III-leg-3, 4 (3); III-leg-4, 10 (11); III-leg-5, 8 (9); IV-leg-3, 5

(4); IV-leg-4, 10 (11); IV-leg-5, 10 (9-10).

Female – Unknown.

Etymology — Named for the purple spots on the dorsal shield.

Discussion — With regard to the shape of gnathosoma, the new species from French Guinea most resembles G. avinotata K. Viets, 1959 , a species originally described from Igarapé

Curi of the Amazon region of Brazil ( Viets 1959). The latter species can be separated by the characteristic colour pattern of the dorsal shield (colour dark violet with a light-yellow marking in the form of a bird in flight as illustrated in the original description, see Figure 17G).

The specimen from Comtu River differs from the type specimen in smaller dimensions,

and a divided posteromedial patch on the dorsal shield (compare Figures 20G and 20J) and the basal sclerites of the acetabula are more sclerotized (compare Figures 16B and 17B). It is possible that these differences are age-related, but the taxonomic position of these populations should be also checked by the application of molecular techniques.

Distribution — French Guiana.