Nilotonia (Telotaolana) longipalpis, Goldschmidt, 2008

Goldschmidt, Tom, 2008, Taxonomical, ecological and zoogeographical studies on anisitsiellid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Anisitsiellidae Koenike, 1910) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 1954 (1), pp. 1-120 : 40-43

Nilotonia (Telotaolana) longipalpis sp. nov.

( Figs 77–86 , Table 4)

Type series: Holotype male, MD 100 a, Ankaratra (Antananarivo), Reserve Manjakatompo, Mont Arirana , spring area exposition south-east (drainage Rivière Ambodimangavo), 2200 m asl, 13.5 °C, 1–9 µS/cm, 05.10.2001, mounted; paratype, same locality and date, 0/1/0 mounted.

Habitat: Spring at 2200 m asl.

Distribution: Madagascar (Central Highlands, Ankaratra mountains).

Derivatio nominis: Longipalpis; referring to the very long and slender palps of the species.

Diagnosis: Within subgenus a relatively weakly sclerotized, large species; dorsum bearing large rounded posterior plate and two smaller rhombic anterior plates; integument undulated with irregular lines; venter with extended secondary sclerotization, in both sexes not fused into complete ventral shield; coxal field compact; genital field very slender, elongated-oval, acetabula relatively large, oval, touching each other; legs long and slender; claws on leg-I to -III with one strong ventral clawlet, leg-IV bearing many strong and slender setae; palp very large and slender, especially P2 and P4 elongated, ventral seta at P2 directed obliquely towards distal.

Description, male (n = 1): Idiosoma rounded ( Fig. 77 ); dorsum mainly covered by three relatively large, slightly purple-greyish plates, posterior plate nearly rounded (L/W 657/638, Fig. 78 ), including (far laterally) Dgl-5, -6 and Lgl-4, anterior plates oblique rhombic, medially approximate (L/W 363/216), bearing post-ocular setae ( Fig. 78 ); Dgl-2, -3 anterior and antero-lateral of anterior plates, Dgl-4 laterally between anterior and posterior plates; one pair of small platelets anterior Dgl-3; setae of Dgl-3 to -5 mid-sized, setae of other glandularia small ( Fig. 78 ); Dgl-1, lateral eyes (oval, separated on both sides, free under integument, partly lost in preparation) and three platelets (central, elongated one shown in Fig. 77 ) frontally between dorsum and venter ( Fig. 77 ); soft integument around and between dorsal plates irregularly lined, undulated ( Fig. 78 ); Lgl-1 to -3 as well as lyrifissures in soft integument between dorsum and venter; coxal field large ( Table 4), medial margin of Cx-III relatively straight, medial margin of Cx-III and Cx-IV slightly extended by secondary sclerotization; medial margin of Cx-IV straight, caudal margin curved, oblique (medially nearly hook-shaped, Vgl-3 lying in indentation lateral of hook, included in secondary sclerotization); Cx-IV caudally and laterally extended by secondary sclerotization ( Fig. 77 ); Cxgl-2 fused with anterior margin of Cx-III, Cxgl-4 at the anterior margin of Cx-III, setae of Cxgl-4 minute ( Fig. 77 ); genital field slender, elongated-oval, anteriorly slightly tapering, lateral margins convex, anteriorly and posteriorly smoothly rounded; acetabula mid-sized, thick-walled, rectangular-oval, touching each other, Ac1 distant from anterior margin of genital flaps, Ac3 slightly distant from posterior margin; pre-genital sclerite broad bow-shaped with triangular central protrusion, as wide as genital flaps, post-genital sclerite large, laterally and caudally greatly extended by secondary sclerotization, setae of Vgl-1 free in lateral indentations of post-genital sclerite ( Fig. 77 ); Vgl-2 on large, irregular platelets; Vgl-4 and Lgl-3 on mid-sized platelets; one pair of mid-sized platelets anterior to Vgl-4, one pair of small platelets antero-lateral of Lgl-3; excretory pore without sclerotization ( Fig. 77 ); legs slender, bearing several large setae, leg segments long; claws on leg-I to -III with one larger ventral clawlet, leg-II-6 distally with several very tiny hair-like setae ( Fig. 79 ), leg-IV-4, -5 bearing many strong (some very long) setae, leg-IV-6 distally tapering, with two small, peg-like terminal setae and one mid-sized sub-terminal seta ( Figs 80, 81 ); capitulum compact ( Fig. 82 ), palps very long and slender ( Figs 82, 83 , Table 4), P1 with one dorsal seta, P2 elongated, with sharp pointed ventral seta on small, cone-shaped protrusion, directed oblique to latero-distally, and seven pinnate dorsal setae, P3 with two lateral and two medio-dorsal setae, P4 long, proximally straight, distally down-curved, ventral setae in distal half on several small protrusions, P5 compact cone-shaped ( Figs 82, 83 ).

Female (n = 1): Secondary sclerotization generally weaker than in male ( Fig. 84 ); posterior dorsal plate smaller (L/W 540/510), no glandularia included; two pairs of small platelets lateral to large plate, between Dgl-4 and -5, anterior to Lgl-4; Dgl-6 on antero-laterally extended platelet ( Fig. 85 ); medial margin of Cx-I slightly longer; Cx-III medially less approached, more rounded, medial margin of Cx-IV concave, genital bay consequently anteriorly wider, Cx-IV slenderer; genital field further anterior, larger, caudally broader; postgenital sclerite smaller; Vgl-2 and -4 as well as Lgl-3 less extended by secondary sclerotization, only one pair of postero-ventral platelets, anterior Vgl-4 ( Fig. 84 ); leg-IV without very long setae ( Fig. 86 ); gnathosoma as in male.

Remarks: The shape and degree of secondary sclerotization of the venter of Nilotonia (Telotaolana) longipalpis is similar to the character state of N. violacea from East Africa; also in that species, a weaker sclerotization has been described in the female than in the male ( Lundblad 1952). However the new species from Madagascar is differentiated from N. violacea by: Vgl-3 included in the secondary sclerotization of Cx-IV; additional postero-ventral platelets are present; dorsal platelets are by far larger; claws of leg-I to -III lack dorsal clawlets; palps are slenderer. Nevertheless, Nilotonia violacea could be regarded as the “closest continental relative” of the species of the new subgenus N. ( Telotaolana ) from Madagascar.

Nilotonia (Telotaolana) longipalpis is most similar to N. (Telotaolana) kiraro . The main differences to the latter are: Palps slenderer; idiosoma larger; dorsal plates and post-genital plate smaller (at least in the female sex); antero-dorsal plates different in shape (elongated sandal-shaped in N. kiraro ); and legs slenderer, especially leg-IV which also bears smaller, slenderer setae.

Figures

FIGURES 77–83. Nilotonia (Telotaolana) longipalpis subgen. et sp. nov., male holotype (MD 100a): 77, idiosoma, ventral view; 78, idiosoma, dorsal view; 79, leg-II; 80, leg-IV; 81, tip of leg-IV-6, posterior view; 82, capitulum with left palp and chelicera, lateral view; 83, right palp, medial view. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURES 84–86. Nilotonia (Telotaolana) longipalpis subgen. et sp. nov., female paratype (MD 100a): 84, idiosoma, ventral view; 85, idiosoma, dorsal view; 86, leg-IV. Scale bars = 100 µm.