Scheloribates (Scheloribates) flexibilis Ermilov, 2024

Ermilov, Sergey G., Rybalov, Leonid B. & Kuzmicheva, Evgeniya A., 2024, New Scheloribates (Acari, Oribatida, Scheloribatidae) from Ethiopia, Zootaxa 5492 (2), pp. 176-190 : 177-181

Scheloribates (Scheloribates) flexibilis Ermilov sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Material. Holotype (female) and seven paratypes (two males and five females): Southeastern Ethiopia, Oromia Region, Bale Zone, Bale Mountains National Park , 6°48′40.7″N, 39°51′07.7″E, 4050 m a.s.l., Sanetti Plateau , Afroalpine community, predominance of cushion-shaped shrubs of Helichrysum citrispinum and H. splendidum , co-dominance of Festuca richardii , Pentaschistis pictigluma , Agrostis quinqueseta , and Alchemilla haumannii , litter, 16.XI.2014 (E. Kuzmicheva). Eight paratypes (four males and four females): Southeastern Ethiopia, Oromia Region, Bale Zone, Bale Mountains National Park , 6°43′18.1″N, 39°44′12.1″E, 2570 m a.s.l., Harenna Forest , litter in bamboo belt (vegetation represented by dense bamboo thickets of Oldeania alpina , the African alpine bamboo, Hagenia abyssinica, Myrsine melanophloeos, and Schefflera volkensii trees accompany bamboo), 15.XI.2014 (E.A. Kuzmicheva).

The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz, Germany; 15 paratypes are in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology , Tyumen, Russia. All specimens are preserved in a solution of 70% ethanol with a drop of glycerol.

Diagnosis. Body length: 480–555. Notogaster distinctly elongate. Rostrum rounded. Prolamella complete; translamella represented by two short lines near lamellae. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae long, setiform, barbed; in ˃ le ˃ ro; bothridial seta long, lanceolate, barbed. All notogastral setae medium-sized, flexible, roughened. Circumpedal carina long. Anal and adanal setae medium-sized, setiform to flexible, thin, roughened. Ventrobasal tubercle of leg tibiae I, II well observable; femur II broadly rounded ventrodistally; tarsus I with 18 setae (l” and v’ absent); genu II with two setae (v’ absent).

Description of adult. Measurements. Body length: 555 (holotype), 480–525 (male paratypes), 525–555 (female paratypes); body width (level of pteromorph): 360 (holotype), 315–330 (male paratypes), 330–360 (female paratypes); width of ventral plate: 330 (holotype), 285–300 (male paratypes), 300–330 (female paratypes).

Integument. Body color light brown. Surface densely microfoveolate (visible only under high magnification in dissected specimens; ×1000); podosomal region and lateral part of prodorsum partially with dense microgranulate cerotegument.

Prodorsum ( Figs 1A, C ). Rostrum rounded. Lamella about 1/2 length of prodorsum; prolamella complete (reaching insertion of ro); translamella represented by two short lines near lamellae; sublamella and lateral keel-shaped ridge distinct; sublamellar porose area (9–11 × 7) oval. Rostral (71–75), lamellar (101–112) and interlamellar (118–131) setae setiform, barbed; bothridial seta (77–90) with lanceolate, barbed head, directed posterolaterad; bothridial stalk slightly longer than head; exobothridial seta (30–37) setiform, thin, roughened. Dorsosejugal porose area oval, poorly visible.

Notogaster ( Figs 1A, C ). Anterior notogastral margin convex medially. Notogaster distinctly elongate. Pteromorph medium-sized, broadly rounded laterally, its anterior margin straight (perpendicular to longitudinal axis of body in dorsal aspect). Ten pairs of notogastral setae (37–41) flexible, roughened. Four pairs of saccules with small opening and drop-like channel. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures distinct.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 2A–C ). Subcapitulum size: 116–120 × 82–86; subcapitular setae (a: 22–26; m: 19–22; h: 34–37) setiform, roughened; m thinner than a and h; both adoral setae (13–15) setiform, barbed. Palp length: 71–75; postpalpal seta (5) spiniform, roughened. Chelicera length: 123–131; setae (cha: 41–45; chb: 26–30) setiform, barbed.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions ( Figs 1B, C ). Epimeral formula: 3–1–3–3; all setae (1b, 3b, 3c, 4a: 28–32; others: 19–22) setiform, thin, roughened. Humeral porose areas Am and Ah elongate oval, poorly visible. Pedotectum II rounded laterally in ventral aspect. Discidium broadly rounded. Circumpedal carina long, directed to pedotectum II.

Anogenital region ( Figs 1B, C ). Genital (g 1: 24–26; g 2 – g 4: 17–19), aggenital (30–32), anal (28–30), and adanal (30–32) setae setiform (anal and adanal setae sometimes flexible), thin, roughened. Adanal lyrifissure distinct, close and parallel to anal plate. Marginal porose area band-like.

Legs ( Figs 2D–G ). Median claw thick; lateral claws thin, with small tubercle distoventrally; all claws slightly barbed on dorsal side. Ventrobasal tubercle of tibiae I, II well observable. Femur II broadly rounded ventrodistally. Proximoventral porose area on tarsi I–IV, distoventral porose area on tibiae I–IV, dorsoparaxial porose area on femora I–IV and on trochanters III, IV distinct. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–5–3–4–18) [1–2–2], II (1–5–2–4–15) [1–1–2], III (2–3–1–3–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–2–3–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1 . Seta s on tarsus I setiform (not eupathidial), barbed, located between (a) and (pv).

Remarks. The new species is similar to S. (S.) longisetosus Feider, Vasiliu & Călugăr, 1973 from Romania in the presence of lanceolate bothridial seta and medium-sized, flexible notogastral setae, but differs from the latter by the presence of medium-sized (versus short) aggenital, anal and adanal setae, and the absence (versus presence) of needleform apex on the bothridial head and anterodorsal tooth on the leg tibia II.

Etymology. The specific epithet flexibilis refers to flexible setae on the notogaster.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scheloribates (Scheloribates) flexibilis Ermilov sp. nov., adult: A—dorsal view (legs omitted); B—ventral view (legs omitted); C—right lateral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.

FIGURE 2. Scheloribates (Scheloribates) flexibilis Ermilov sp. nov., adult: A—subcapitulum, ventral view; B—palp, right, antiaxial view; C—chelicera, left, paraxial view; D—leg I, right, antiaxial view; E—leg II, left, paraxial view; F—leg III, left, antiaxial view; G—leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bars 20 μm (A–C), 50 μm (D–G).