Nilotonia (Dartiella) bisetosa, Smit & Pesic, 2010

Smit, H. & Pesic, V., 2010, New Species Of Water Mites From Oman, With Some Zoogeographical Notes (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 50 (2), pp. 151-195 : 154

Nilotonia (Dartiella) bisetosa n. sp.

( Figures 2 A-F)

Type series — Holotype female, spring Al Khremh , crossing road to United Arab Emirates border, Oman, 24°47.421 N 55°56.503 E, 15-xi-2008 . Paratypes: 0/1/0, same data as holotype. Other material. 0/0/4, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis — IV-Leg-6 with two long, distal setae.

Description

Female — Idiosoma soft, lineated, dorsally L 786 (1142), W 608 (891), ventrally L 842 (1102). Dorsum with one large, posterior plate, L 138 (113), W 94 (81). Setae associated with pre-antennal glandularia large. Cx-I separated medially, with triangular apodemes. Cx-III with a blunt corner medially, anteriorly of genital field. Genital field ( Fig. 2C ) with three pairs of elongated acetabula, L 208, W 154. Pre-genital sclerite of moderate size, bowed, post-genital sclerite straight and narrow. Chelicera L 413, cheliceral claw L 100. Palp ( Fig. 2D ): total L 527; L: P-1, 32; P-2, 170, P-3, 94, P-4, 180, P-5, 51; P-2 ventrally with a long seta, ventral margin with numerous small denticles; P-4 with two setal tubercles, each with a seta, one of which is much longer than the other; ventral margin of P-4 with three more distal setae; P-5 with three heavy, distal setae. L of I-Leg-4-6 ( Fig. 2E ): 176, 190, 140. I-Leg-5 anteroventrally with three setae, I-Leg-4 anteroventrally with three heavy, serrated setae, more medially two more serrated setae. L of IV-Leg-4-6: 259, 284, 243. IV-Leg-6 ( Fig. 2F ) with two distal setae, the distal one 132 long, the proximal 123 long. Ventral margin of IV-Leg-5 with six setae, ventral margin of IV-Leg-4 with eight setae. IV-Leg-5 distally with five heavy setae of various lengths, IV-Leg-4 distally with seven heavy setae of various lengths, three of these long and serrate. Claws of legs I-III with comb. Excretory pore slit-like, with an indistinct ring.

Male — Unknown.

Deutonymph — The nymphs collected together with the adults are provisionally assigned to the new species, IV-Leg-6 of the nymph has only one long seta. P-2 is ventrally without a seta, but the many denticles are present.

Etymology — Named for the two long setae of IV-Leg-6.

Remarks — The subgenus Dartonia has IV-Leg- 6 with more than one heavy distal setae, but is also characterized by P-2 with more than eight setae and the claw of III-Leg has heavy clawlets, leading to a bidentate or tridentate appearance ( Panesar, 2004). The latter two characters are absent in the new species, and therefore it is placed in the subgenus Dartiella . No other species of this subgenus has a IV-Leg-6 with two distal long setae.

Figures

FIGURE 2: Nilotonia bisetosa n. sp., female: (A) – idiosoma, dorsal view; (B) – idiosoma, ventral view; (C) – genital field; (D) – palp; (E) – I-Leg-4-6; (F) - IV-Leg-6. Scale bars = 200 µm (A-B), 50 µm (C-F).