Rotundabaloghia splendida, Kontschán, Jenõ, 2008

Kontschán, Jenõ, 2008, Four new species of Rotundabaloghia Hirschmann, 1975 from East Africa (Acari: Uropodidae), Zootaxa 1853, pp. 18-30 : 22

Rotundabaloghia splendida sp. nov.

( Figs 8–13)

Material examined. Holotype. Female, Tanzania, eastern foothills of Uluguru Mts, Kimboza Forest Reserve. Lowland rain forest on waterlogged karstic plateau, 200–290 m a.s.l., 13 June 1999, T. Pócs & Á. Pócs coll. Paratype. One male, locality and date as for holotype.

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 360 µm, width 340 µm (n= 1). Shape oval, posterior margin rounded.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 8). Marginal and dorsal shields fused anteriorly. All dorsal setae long, wide and setiform and pattern of dorsal shield lacking. Marginal shield without ornamentation, most marginal setae Yshaped with short pilosity ( Fig. 9), with some short and smooth needle-like setae between the Y-shaped setae.

Ve n t r a l idiosoma ( Fig. 10). Tritosternum not clearly visible. Sternal and ventral shields without ornamentation. All sternal setae short, smooth and needle-like, St 3 placed near St 4. Genital shield linguliform with pointed apical part and without process. Genital shield without ornamentation. Ornamentation of ventral shield lacking, ventral and adanal setae short, smooth and needle-like. V 6 and V 8 setae bear short hairs on their apical part. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III. Peritreme hook-shaped.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 11). Internal malae short and smooth. Hypostomal setae h 1 long, smooth, setiform; h 2 short, setiform, with serrated apical margins; h 3 longer than h 2 but shorter than h 1; h 3 setiform, with serrated margin; h 4 as long as h 2, setiform, with serrated margins. Labrum with serrated apical margins; epistome with serrated margin, apical part with two short branches, which bear short hairs. Palp with smooth and simple setae. Chelicera as in Fig. 12.

Male. Length of idiosoma 350 µm, width 310 µm (n= 1). Shape oval, posterior margin rounded.

Dorsal idiosoma. Ornamentation and chaetotaxy of dorsal shield as for female.

Ve n t r a l idiosoma ( Fig. 13). Sternal shield without ornamentation. Sternal setae smooth, short and needlelike. Ventral and adanal setae similar to female. Genital shield circular, situated between coxae IV.

Gnathosoma . Not clearly visible (covered by coxae I).

Etymology. The name splendida to refer to the very attractive appearance of this species.

Notes. This species may be recognised by having all the dorsal shield setae setiform, and the dorsal, ventral, and genital shields without ornamentation. The marginal shield has some smooth needle-like seta inserted between the Y-shaped setae, which bear short pilosity. Ventral setae V 6 and V 8 setae have short apical pilosity.