Protophthiracarus 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 : 340-342

Protophthiracarus mahunkai sp. n.

(Figs 2A-G)

Diagnosis – Cuticleofbodydeeplyconcave. Prodorsumwithstrongme- diancrista. Mediansigillarfieldofprodorsumlarge, lateralpartsveryshort. Notogastralsetaeshortsparselybarbedindistalhalf. Fourpairsofnotogastrallyrifissurespresent. Setae h ofmentumminute. Adanalsetae ad 2 situated nearanalsetae.

Figs 2A–G. Protophthiracarusmahunkai sp. n.: A = prodorsum, dorsalview, B = prodorsum, lateralview, C = mentumofinfracapitulum, D = leftgenitoaggenitalplate, E = leftanoad-

analplate, F = opisthosoma, lateralview, G = trochanterandfemuroflegI.

Measurementsofholotype – Prodorsumlength 303, width 202, height 141, sensillum 68, setae: interlamellar 64, lamellar 35, rostral 48, exobothridial 23; notogaster: length 606, width 313, height 364, c 1 68, h 1 101, p 1 111, c 1 / c 1 – d 1 = 0.6; genitoaggenital plate 146 × 106 anoadanalplate 166 × 101.

Description. Colourbrown. Cuticlewellsculpturedwithverydistinct, deeprounded concavities.

Prodorsum (Figs 2A, B) withstrongmediancrista; sigillarfieldsabnormal, median large, lateralspartsveryshort, rounded; posteriorfurrowspresent; lateralcarinaeabsent. Sensillawithshort, narrowpedicel, enlargedtowardsdistalendandfusiform, roughhead. Interlamellarsetaeshort, strong, thickandcoveredsparselybybarbsatdistalhalf, similar tonotogastralsetae; lamellarsetaeshorter, spiniform, rough; exobothridialsetaedistinct, needle- like; rostralsetae, spiniform, rough, curvedanddirectedinward.

Notogaster (Fig. 2F) with 15 pairsofthick, shortsetaesparselybarbedatdistalhalf, mediansetaeeveninshapeofaspergillum, shorterthandorsalsetae, especially h 1 and p 1. Setae c 1 and c 3 remotefromanteriorborder, setae c 2 farfromborder. Vestigialsetae f 1 not visiblebecauseofstrongsculpturing. Fourpairsoflyrifissures ia, im, ip and ips present.

Ventralregion (Figs 2C,D,E). Setae h ofmentumminute. Genitoaggenitalplateswith ninepairsofgenitalsetaewitharrangement: 4+2: 3. Anoadanalplateseachwithfiverough setae, adanalsetae ad 2 situatednearanalsetae, setae ad 3 smallest.

Legs (Fig. 2G). Formulaeofsetaeandsolenidiaof “completetype”. Setae d offemora Iremotefromdistalendofarticle.

Materialexamined. Holotype: MAG–037, ABT/17/2011/, Madagascar, Ambohitantely SpeciesReserve , 20.IV.2011,18°11’43,1”S, 47°17’19,3”E, altitude 1636 m, secondaryforest, siftedsampleofforestlitter, leg. L. S. Rahanitriniaina, andR. Raveloson. Holotypeisde- posited at DATE.

Comparison – Thenewspeciesiscloselyaliketo Protophthiracarusaraios Niedbała, 2001 bytheshapeofsensilla, lengthandshapeofnotogastralsetae, directedinwardrostralsetaeandlengthandpositionofanalandadanalsetae. However, itisdistinguishablebypresenceoflongerinterlamellarsetaecoveredwithspinesindistalhalf (versusroughsetae), arrangementofnotogastralsetae c 1 and c 3 remotefromanteriormargin (versussetae c 1 remotefrom marginandsetae c 3 situatedonmargin), number (4) andpositionoflyryfissures (versus 3 pairsoflyrifissures).