Torrenticola neoungeri, Pešić & Asadi & Etemadi & Smit, 2019

Pešić, Vladimir, Asadi, Mahdieh, Etemadi, Isa & Smit, Harry, 2019, New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the Khuzestan Province (South Iran) with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4559 (3), pp. 550-558 : 551-552

Torrenticola neoungeri sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 4 A–B)

Type series. Holotype male ( RMNH), dissected and slide mounted, Iran, Khuzestan Province, Andika-Taluk , 32°17'53''N, 49°19'51''E, 29 September 2016, coll. Isa Etemadi. Paratypes ( SBUK): same data as holotype, two males, one juvenile male dissected and slide mounted .

Compared material. Torrenticola ungeri , CG4 Montenegro, Kolašin municipality, River Mrtvica, 11 July 1999 leg. Pešić 2/0/0 (mounted) .

Diagnosis. Characters of the Torrenticola ungeri species group (shoulder platelets fused or partially fused with dorsal plate, Cxgl–4 posterior to Cxgl–2); dorsal shield with colour pattern as illustrated in Fig. 4 A–B; tip of Cx-I with numerous long setae; excretory pore on a line with Vgl–2; ventral margins of P-4 witht fine serration.

Description. Male. Idiosoma elongated-oval (dorsal shield L/W ratio 1.4); shoulder platelets fused with dorsal plate, but suture line visible ( Fig. 2A ); dorsal shield with colour pattern as illustrated in Figs. 4 A–B; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally rounded; tip of Cx-I with numerous long setae; Cxgl–4 posterior to Cxgl–2; medial suture line of Cx-II+III relatively short; posterior suture lines of Cx-IV medially starting from genital field at a nearly 90° angle to main body axis; genital field lateral margins slightly diverging anteriorly, anterior margin forming a obtuse angle, posterior margin rounded; ejaculatory complex conventional in shape (with well developed anterior keel and proximal arms); excretory pore on the line with Vgl–2; gnathosoma ventral margin curved, rostrum well developed; P-2 ventral margin slightly curved, ventrodistal protrusion slender; ventral margins of P-4 with fine serration and well developed ventral tubercles, bearing one longer, and three shorter setae ( Figs. 2 C–E).

Measurements (holotype, in parentheses measurements of T. ungeri from Mrtvica River, Montenegro, n = 2)— Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 2B ) L 788 (675–719), W 625 (550); dorsal shield ( Figs. 4 A–B) L 661 (572–581), W 481 (454–459), L/W ratio 1.38 (1.26–1.27); dorsal plate L 622 (541–553); frontal plate L 147–150 (134–147), W 58–59 (48–56), L/W ratio 2.47–2.6 (2.4–3.0). Gnathosomal bay L 147 (134–146), Cx-I total L 297 (269–288), Cx-I mL 150 (134–141), Cx-II+III mL 81 (70–72); ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL (2.04–3.84); Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL (1.91–1.96). Genital field L/W 150/128 (147/130–131), ratio 1.17 (1.12–1.13); ejaculatory complex [in paratype] L 219 (161– 164); distance genital field-excretory pore 175 (122–153), genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 253 (184–202). Gnathosoma vL 341 (300–303), chelicera L 397 (350–366); palp total 351 (327–329), dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 42/36, 1.17 (39/31–33, 1.19–1.28); P-2, 118/58, 2.04 (100–102/47–52, 1.97–2.15); P-3, 64/56, 1.15 (63/48–51, 1.23–1.29); P-4, 102/39, 2.6 (102–106/34–36, 2.95); P-5, 25/17, 1.45 (19–23/14–16, 1.36–1.5); P-2/P-4 ratio 1.15 (0.96–0.98).

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Named for its resemblance with Torrenticola ungeri .

Remarks. The new species belongs to the Torrenticola ungeri —species complex characterized by the shoulder platelets fused or partially fused with the dorsal plate and Cxgl–4 located posterior to Cxgl–2 ( Wiles 1997). This complex include two Palaearctic species: Torrenticola ungeri (Szalay, 1927) and T. tyrrhenica Gerecke & Di Sbatino, 2013 known from Sicily and Corsica ( Gerecke & Di Sabatino 2013). The presence of a group of long setae on the tip of Cx-I, and P-4 with a fine ventral serration, makes the new species similar to Torrenticola ungeri (Szalay, 1927) , a species widely distributed in the Palaearctic ( Di Sabatino et al. 2010). The latter species can be separated by the more roundish dorsal shield, the posterior suture line of Cx-IV extending more beyond the posterior margin of the genital field, the excretory pore lying posterior to Vgl–2 and P-3 with a fine ventral serration (compare Figs. 2 C–D with 3B).

Distribution. Iran: known only from the locus typicus in Khuzestan Province.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Torrenticola neoungeri sp. nov., male (A–D holotype, E paratype), Andika-Taluk, Iran: A = dorsal shield; B = idiosoma, ventral view; C, E = palp, lateral view; D = palp, medial view (P-1 lacking). Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 4. Photographs of dorsal shield. A–B Torrenticola neoungeri sp. nov., male. A = paratype, photographed immediately after dissection, B = holotype mounted in Hoyer’s medium. C Torrenticola khuzestanica sp. nov., holotype mounted in Hoyer’s medium. D–F Torrenticola ungeri (Szalay, 1927), male, Mrtvica River: D = photographed immediately after dissection E–F = mounted in Hoyer’s medium.