Atractides Koch, 1837

Asadi, Mahdieh, Pešić, Vladimir & Etemadi, Isa, 2010, A revised survey of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Iran: new synonyms and descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 2628, pp. 43-55 : 48-49

Genus Atractides Koch, 1837

Atractides (Polymegapus) persicus Peši ć & Asadi sp. nov. ( Figs. 2A–B , 3A–E )

Material examined. Holotype: male (idiosoma preserved in Koenike’s medium, palp, I-L and gnathosoma dissected and slide-mounted in Hoyer’s medium), Iran, Kerman Province, Jiroft city area, Gholgholoo spring, June 2009, leg. Asadi.

Diagnosis (female unknown). Dorsal integument lineated; muscle attachments sclerotized, prefr, postfr, postoc and Dgl–3 fused in a large plate ( Fig. 2A ); all other dorsalia free, not fused to neighbouring platelets; D-4 closely adjacent to each other and slightly fused at the median line. Coxal field ( Fig. 2B ): with extended borders of secondary sclerotization, posteromedian margin of Cx-I+II irregularly rounded, medial margin of Cx-III + IV rounded. Palp ( Figs. 3A–B ): ventral margins of P-2/3 straight or weakly concave; P-4 ventral margin 3: 1: 2, with fine denticles near insertions of ventral hairs and strong sword inserting proximally from proximoventral hair; excretory pore sclerotized; Vgl-1 fused to Vgl-2; genital field: with four pairs of Ac, anteriorly rounded, with a secondary sclerite border, posterior margin medially indented. I-L ( Fig. 3C–D ): I- L-5: S-1 ending in a fine, pointed tip; claw with two clawlets ( Fig. 3E ).

Description. Male: Idiosoma L/W 622/465; coxal field L 363; Cx-III W 358; Cx-I+II mL 130; lL Cx-I+II 209. Genital field ( Fig. 2B ): L/W 137/157; L Ac 22-33.

Palp: total L 339, dL: P-1, 36 (10.6); P-2, 82 (24.2); P-3, 66 (19.5); P-4, 109 (32.2); P-5, 46 (13.6); L ratio P-2/P-4, 0.75.

I-L: I-L-5 dL 162, vL 129, dL/vL ratio 1.17, HB 38.5, dL/HB 4.2, S-1 L 51, L/ W 6.6, S-2 L 45, L/ W 3.1, distance S-1-2 0, L ratio S-1/2 1.13; I-L-6 L 59, HB 15, L/HB ratio 3.8; L ratio I-L-5/6 2.75.

Etymology. The species is named for its occurrence in Iran ( Persia).

Discussion. The presence of four pairs of acetabula separates this species from other Polymegapus species. The new species from SE Iran bridges between the three-acetabulate species of the subgenus Polymegapus , Atractides rutae (Lundblad, 1941) , A. elegans (Motaş & Tanasachi, 1948) and A. orghidani Motaş & Tanasachi, 1960 , all from Europe, and A. proximalis (Lundblad, 1934) from the Indian Himalayas, and polyacetabulate (genital field with more than 10 acetabula), A. minutus Walter, 1928 , A. diversus Cook, 1967 , A. davecooki Pešić & Panesar, 2009 , all from from India, and A. polyporus (K. Viets, 1922) from the Western Palaearctic.

Distribution. Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 2 A – B. Atractides persicus Pešiċ & Asadi sp. nov., male: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view. Scale bar = 100 μm.

FIGURE 3 A – E. Atractides persicus Pešiċ & Asadi sp. nov., male: A = palp, medial view; B = palp, lateral view; C = I- L- 5 and – 6, anteriorly; D = I-L- 5 and – 6, posteriorly; E = claw. Scale bar = 100 μm.