Arrenurus (Micruracarus) baleensis, Smit, 2012

Smit, H., 2012, New records of the water mite family Arrenuridae from the Afrotropical region, with the description of 11 new species and two new subspecies (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 3187, pp. 1-31 : 17

publication ID	1175-5326
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5249336
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D553C32E-FFB6-AE52-FF48-26E0FE380901
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Arrenurus (Micruracarus) baleensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Arrenurus (Micruracarus) baleensis n. sp.

( Figs. 40–43)

Material examined. Holotype male, Hofchoo Lake , Dinsho, Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, 7° 07.247 N 39° 43.219 E, alt. 3051 m a.s.l., 26-x-2006 ( RMNH). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Upper margin of petiole without sclerotized structure, petiole widened posteriorly; PII medially with six setae.

Description. Idiosoma brownish, 826 long and 656 wide, anterior idiosoma margin straight. Dorsal shield complete, 381 long and 445 wide. Cauda indistinctly set off from anterior idiosoma part. Idiosoma posterolaterally rounded. Posterior cauda margin with a closed cleft in dorsal view, which widens anteriorly; in ventral view the cleft is open. Posteromedial corners of cleft with a small hyaline margin. Petiole hyaline, tube-like, posteriorly widened, upper margin without sclerotized structure. Anterior coxal plates not extending to anterior idiosoma margin. Medial margin of fourth coxal plates a little bit longer than medial margin of third coxal plates. Medial distance of fourth coxal plates relatively wide. Gonopore 54 long. Genital plates long and narrow, extending far onto dorsum. Lengths of PI-PV: 34, 68, 53, 100, 54; PII medially with six setae. Lengths of I-leg-4-6: 130, 120, 116. Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 180, 142, 106; IV-leg-4 without a spur.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the Bale Mountains.

Remarks. The absence of a sclerotized structure on the upper margin of the petiole will separate the new species from species like A. voeltzkowi and A. forcipetiolatus . The following Afrotropical species also lack this structure (the differentiating characters in brackets) and have a more or less similar idiosoma shape and petiole: A. fistulifer K.O. Viets, 1965 (petiole hardly widened, posterior cleft also closed ventrally, PII with five setae medially), A. curtipalpis K.O. Viets, 1980 (PII stocky), A. forficularis K. Viets, 1914 (dorsal shield smaller and rounded, PII with three setae medially).