Atropacarus (Hoplophorella) mahunkai, Niedbała & Starý, 2013

Niedbała, W. & Starý, J., 2013, Contribution To The Knowledge Of Ptyctimous Mites (Acari: Oribatida) From Madagascar, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 59 (4), pp. 337-345 : 342-344

Atropacarus (Hoplophorella) mahunkai sp. n.

(Figs 3A–F)

Diagnosis. Cuticleofbodycoveredbydeepconcavities. Sigillarfieldsof prodorsumjoined. Sensillaofwhip-likeshape. Notogastralsetaeshort, thick, denselyciliate. Setae d offemoraIbifurcate.

Figs 3A–F. Atropacarus (Hoplophorella) mahunkai sp. n.: A = prodorsum, dorsalview, B = prodorsum, lateralview, C = mentumofinfracapitulum, D = leftgenitoaggenitalandano-

adanalplates, E = opisthosoma, lateralview, F = trochanterandfemuroflegI.

Measurementsofholotype. Specimensofthisspeciesarerelativelysmall. Prodorsum length 147, width 104, height 68, sensillum 99, setae: interlamellar 38, rostral 45, lamellar 28; notogaster: length 255, width 172, height 159, setae: c 1 and p 1 33, h 1 35; genitoaggenital plate 66 × 63, anoadanal plate 86 × 61.

Description – Colourbrown. Surfaceofbodycoveredwithdeep, roundconcavities.

Prodorsum (Figs 3A,B) withlonglateralcarinae, medianandlateralsigillarfields joined, medianwithdeepincision, longerthanlateralfields. Sensillalong, filiformwhipshaped, rough. Interlamellarsetaethickcoveredwithdenseciliaindistalhalf; lamellarand rostralsetaestrong, rough, rostralsdirectedinward; exobothridialsetaesimple, smooth.

Notogaster (Fig. 3E) with 15 pairsofsetaethick, short (c 1 / c 1 - d 1 =0.5) denselycovered withsmallspinesindistalhalf, ventralsetaeslightlydilated; setae c 2 and c 3 remotefrom anteriorborder, setae c 1 neartheborder. Vestigialsetae f 1 slightlyanteriortosetae h 1. Two pairsoflyrifissures ia and im visible.

Ventralregion (Figs 3C,D). Setae h ofmentumslightlylongerthandistancebetween them. Arrangementofgenitalsetae: 4+2: 3. Anoadanalplateswithspiniformanaland ad 1 setaesimilarinlength, setae ad 2 thelongestandthickestbutsimilarinshapetoanalsetae, setae ad

3

theshortestbutsimilartonotogastralsetae, coveredwithsmallciliaindistalhalf.

Legs (Fig. 3F). Chaetomeoflegsof “incompletetype”, setaeofgenuaIVabsent, setae d offemoraIbifurcateandslightlyremotefromdistalendofarticle.

Materialexamined. Holotype: MAG-081, Madagascar, RNF/15/2011/ Ranomafana NationalPark , 16.IV.2011,21°15’06.6”S, 47°24’31.0”E, altitude 1197 m, siftedsampleoffor- estlitter, leg. R. Raveloson, andL. S. Rahanitriniaina, twoparatypes: MAG-080, Madagascar, RNF/14/2011/ RanomafanaNationalPark, 16.IV.2011,21°15’08.4”S, 47°24’33.1”E, alti- tude 1182 m, siftedsampleofforestlitter, leg. R. Raveloson, andL. S. Rahanitriniaina, two paratypes: MAG-022, Madagascar, RNF/12/2011/ RanomafanaNationalPark, 15.IV.2011, 21°15’51,3”S, 47°24’09,1”E, altitude 1118 m, siftedsampleofforestlitter, leg. P. Baňařand R. Raveloson. Holotypeand 2 paratypesaredepositedatDATE, oneparatypeisdeposited at NHMG, and one paratype at ISB.

Comparison – Thenewspeciesiseasilydistinguishablebythedeepconcavitiesonthesurfaceofbody,thethick, shortanddenselycilitatenotogastral setae, andespeciallybythejoinedsigillarfieldsofprodorsum, thewhip-like shapedsensillaandthebifurcatedsetae d offemoraI.

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Acknowledgements – WewouldliketothankDr. P. Baňař (Brno, CzechRepublic) renownedentomologist, specialistonsoilHeteroptera, forcollectingsoilsamplesfrom Madagascarandtheanonymousrefereesforconstructivecriticismofthemanuscript. The studywaspartlysupportedbytheAcademyofSciencesoftheCzechRepublic, Research Plan No. AV0Z60660521.