Aleurodamaeus prominens, Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2013

Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2013, New species of Aleurodamaeus Grandjean, 1954 (Oribatida: Aleurodamaeidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 3670 (4), pp. 531-556 : 552-554

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3670.4.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7674238A-F6E5-448E-A926-A6607B03B837
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5667398
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/871CC72A-6F14-6266-FF25-791724621A87
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Aleurodamaeus prominens
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Aleurodamaeus prominens View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 13 View FIGURE 13 B, 14)

Specific diagnosis. Aleurodamaeus prominens sp. nov. has a very strong, prominent discidium and long setae h1 and p1.

Measurements. Length: females (n = 5) mean 591 (range 569–620), males (n = 5) mean 549 (range 543–555). Width: females mean 341 (range 318–365), males mean 311 (range 302–322). Holotype (female): length 584, width 342.

Integument ( Figs 14 View FIGURE 14 A, 13B). Prodorsum and notogaster covered by cerotegument and cerotegumental granules; cerotegument on notogaster arranged in four thin bands and in a mass anteriorly, on discidium and on posterior end, on prodorsum cerotegument laterally in lamellar region; all body setae (except in, genital and anal) and sensillus covered with granules, sensillus with spine-like cerotegument, legs and leg setae covered by granules, granules in bands especially seen on Ti I; body surface smooth; exuvial scalps not found.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 A, D). Rostrum rounded in dorsal view, slightly projecting forward in lateral view; ro (79) and le (82) slender, smooth, curving inward, ro inserted ventrally to le, almost in the same line, a thin line between le and le; in (13) spiniform, thickened, ex long (43), very thin, inserted anterior-laterally to bothridium; le, in, ex inserted on tubercles, tubercle of ex very distinct; ss long (167), slender, smooth; two distinct internal apophysis in the form of square brackets “[]” dorsolaterally between interlamellar and lamellar regions.

Notogaster ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 A, C, D). Convex in lateral view; the ‘rim’ not completely around the entire notogaster in dorsal view; a distinct discidium present between insertion of leg III and IV; lyrrifissures ia, im, ip, ih and ips present (10); four pairs of notogastral setae on posterior edge, setae h1, p1 long (h1 = 125, p1 = 173), other setae shorter (p2 = 65, p3 = 43), seta p 1 in a question mark shape (“?”) in dorsal view, seta p2 bending medially, setae h1, p1 and p2 on tubercles, tubercle of p2 small.

Gnathosoma . Subcapitulum longer than wide, hypostomal setae a, m, h densely barbed; chelicera and palp similar to A. vicinus sp. nov. ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 E, F).

Epimeral region ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 B). Sejugal apodeme well developed, other apodemes shorter, number of setae on epimeres (from I to IV) 3-1-3-3, all epimeral setae very thin, smooth, setae 1b, 1c, 3c, 4c longer (52-62) than 1a, 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b (20-39); Sp distinct.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 14 View FIGURE 14 B). Genital plates often with a vertical fold; genital setae spiniform, almost in a straight line, g2 posterior-laterally to g1, g1 longer (14) than other setae (9); an spiniform, an1 (32) longer than an2 (14); ad, ag similar to epimeral setae, ag (32), ad2 (39) longer than ad3 (31).

Legs ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 B). Leg I, IV as long as body, leg IV (584) ~ leg I (584)> leg III (481)> leg II (375); claws of legs becoming progressively larger from leg I to IV; legs similar to A. salvadordalii sp. nov. ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 , Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 A–D); setae on tarsi, tibiae and genua with barbs, on femora only seta d with barbs.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word ‘prominens’ meaning ‘prominent’ or ‘projecting’ and refers to the prominent discidium.

Type material and collection data. The holotype and 10 paratypes were sampled in the Fynbos biome GoogleMaps in the Western Cape GoogleMaps , between Sedgefield and Karatara GoogleMaps (33º58’S, 22º49’E) in dense wooded vegetation on the edge of the forest by L. Coetzee on 28.xii.2012 (indicated with a filled diamond, Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ). The holotype ( NMB 4580.1.1) and GoogleMaps six paratypes ( NMB 4580.1) are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Four paratypes are deposited in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany (SMNK-ORIB 0503).

Although a number of specimens with a prominent discidium (sampled across South Africa) were found in the collection, most of the notogastral setae were broken off, and a definitive identification of these specimens could not be made.