Crinitodiscus ayyildizi, Bal, Durmuş Ali, 2006

Bal, Durmuş Ali, 2006, New species of mites in the genera Uropoda, Crinitodiscus and Uroobovella from Turkey (Acari: Mesostigmata: Uropodidae, Urodinychidae), Zootaxa 1368, pp. 19-40 : 26-31

Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov.

Material examined. Holotype Ψ, Giresun province, Tirebolu district (41°06’ N, 39°14’25” E), in soil around chestnut tree-stump ( Castanea sativa ), 10 June 2006, 110 m a.s.l. Paratypes, 8 Ψ, 17 ɗ, same data as holotype; 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ, Dere village, (40°72’ N, 38°46’ E), soil and litter, 21 April 2001. Soil samples were extremely wet.

Female (holotype). Idiosoma 475 µm long, 375 µm wide. Body oval, well sclerotised. Dorsum ( Figs 8 , 9 ). Dorsal plate not heavily sculptured, brown in colour, without ornamentation. Four pair of post-dorsal setae finely pilose lateraly. Posterior bulge triangular, with fine spines, pilose anteriorly. Dorsal plate with about 15 pairs of dorsal setae, smooth and thorn-like. Marginal plate with fine spines. All marginal plate setae dagger-like with sawtooth denticles on one side, each arising on a chitinous tubercle. Submarginal setae finely denticulate laterally.

Ven te r ( Fig. 10 ). Opisthogastric setae very long, needle-like, bearing a medial keel throughout their length. A pair of short, thorn-like ventri-anal setae inserted on smooth cuticle in front of anus. Genital operculum tongue- or helmet-shaped; length 130 µm and width 100 µm. Surface of operculum without ornamentation. Sternal seta st1 at level of coxae II, st2 close to anterior margin of epigynial plate, st3-st5 located lateral to plate. Pre- and para-anal setae short and simple. Post-anal seta resembles pre- and post-anal setae. A pair of additional sternal setae occurs just behind epigynium.

Scabellum clear and well developed, with four pairs of pilose capitular setae. Peritremes simple, short, located at level of coxae II–III; anterior prolongation directed externally; posteriorly with stigmata located in pedofossae III. Pedofossal grooves deep and well marked; pedofossae IV directed internally accomodating distal part of legs IV.

Two pairs of short pilose setae behind anal region near posterior margin of idiosoma.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 11 ). Chelicera without nodus; movable digit with one tooth; fixed digit 33 µm long, with anterior sensory angular point and a sensillar setae near distal part, movable digit 22 µm long, middle section 135 µm long ( Fig. 11 A). Epistome lancet-like, bifurcate and pilose distally, basally denticulate, witha row of median denticles ( Fig. 11 B). Base of tritosternum vase- or glass-shaped, its laciniae branched, internal branches denticulate and paraxial branches shorter and smooth ( Fig. 11 C). Laciniae of hypostome finely denticulate ( Fig. 11 D). Hypostome with four pairs of setae; hypostomal setae h1 long and forked distally, setae h2-h4 denticulate. Hypostomal setae h4 shorter than the others, serrated, not reaching the base of h3; h3 long, exceeding base of h2; h2 half length of h1. Hypostome articulated between h3-h4. Corniculi horn-like; deutosternum with fine superficial denticulations up to h4 ( Fig. 11 D).

Male. Idiosoma 475 µm long and 375 µm wide.

Ven te r ( Fig. 12 ). Ventral surfaces of idiosoma smooth and without ornamentation. Sternal area smooth, without ornamentation, sternal setae simple, short and thorn-like. Genital aperture located between coxae IV, its opening 30 µm in diameter. Sternal setae st1 at level of coxae II, st2 behind coxae II–III, st3 between coxae III–IV, st4 close to anterior margin of genital plate, st5 near posterior level of genital plate. Pre- and post-anal setae short and simple. Genital plate circular and 50 µm diameter. Posterior opisthosomal leaflike setae 105–130 µm, and column length 25–35 µm at base. Legs, chelicerae, epistome, tritosternum, setal arrangement, idiosoma shape and pattern, and other morphological characters resemble those of female.

Deutonymph. Idiosoma 460 µm long, 360 µm wide.

Dorsum ( Fig. 13 ). Dorsal plate without ornamentation, light brown in colour, weakly sclerotised, anterior and posterior margins slightly indented. All dorsal, marginal and lateral setae simple and hair-like, dorsal setae shorter than marginal setae. Dorsal plate with about 20 pairs of setae, I5 shortest, marginal series with 30 pairs.

Ven te r ( Fig. 14 ). Sternal plate 135–150 µm long and 50–55 µm wide, anal plate 105–125 µm long and 150–155 µm wide. Sternal and anal plates with web-like ornamentation. Endo- and exopodal plates with punctate ornamentation. Sternal plate pitcher-shaped, extending from coxae I to behind coxae IV, bearing five pairs of short setae st1–st5. Interscutal membrane around ventral plates striated; ventri-anal plate setae short and thorn-like, except a pair of long ventri-anal setae at posterior margin. Other ventral setae in soft skin long and needle-like. Coxae I large, close together; pedofossae distinct, well developed. Anterior extension of peritreme long, medially elbowed, stigmata at level of coxae III ( Fig. 14 ).

Remarks. Adults of the new species differ from their congeners by the presence of leaf-like setae on posterior idiosoma. These setae are very similar to grass leaves, which bear a median keel and a few basal denticles. Each seta arise from a large chitinous based limited by wide flaps. In the other known species of Crinitodiscus , setae like this are absent (Athias-Binche & Błoszyk, 1985; Kontschán, 2003; Bal, 2005).

The new species can also be distinguished from other species by the following combination of characters: dorsal and ventral plates without ornamentation, a series of asymmetrical anterior setae on the dorsal shield; marginal setae leaf-like, with denticles laterally and medially and a median keel; sublateral setae bearing a few minute denticles; four pairs of widened and denticulate posterior dorsal setae in front of the postdorsal hump; this hump is high and conspicuous, its lateral sides with web-like ornamentation and superficial spines; epigynium without ornamentation and not bearing a hyaline lobate process or a prolongation. Also, there is a pair of very long ventral setae behind the epigynium; two pairs of short pilose ventral setae behind the anus; and two pairs of very short ventral setae between the epigynium and anus.

In C. beieri Sellnick 1931 , C. rafalskii Athias-Binche & Błoszyk 1985 , C. pawlowskii Athias-Binche & Błoszyk 1985 , and C. ozkani Bal 2005 , the epigynial plate bears an anterior prolongation or lobate hyaline process, which do not exist in C. mahunkai Kontschán 2003 and the new species. C. ozkani , C. rafalskii and C. pawlowskii share the characteristics of two pairs of sparsely serrated setae on platelets between the marginal and pygidial plates, but these setae are absent in the new species and exist only as a pair of setae in C. mahunkai . Both hyaline lobate processes recorded in C. ozkani , C. pawlowskii and C. rafalskii , and the prolongation recored in C. beieri , are absent in the new species.

Deutonymphs of C. ayyildizi sp. nov. are also easily differentiated from those of C. ozkani by the dorsal plate lacking ornamentation, and from C. rafalskii by the presence of web-like ornamentation on the sternal and anal plates. However, C. rafalskii has three pairs of serrate setae in the anterior dorsal and posterior dorsal regions of the dorsum. In the deutonymph of C. rafalskii , the dorsal and anal plates lack ornamentation, while the new species has circular markings on the sternal plate. In deutonymphs of the new species, the idiosoma is larger than that of all other known Crinitodiscus species. C. rafalskii measures 320x140 µm and C. ozkani 390x270 µm, compared with 460x360 µm for deutonymphs of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov., dorsal idiosoma of female; scale: 100 µm.

FIGURE 9. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov., postdorsal region of female; scale: 100 µm.

FIGURE 10. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov., ventral idiosoma of female; scale: 100 µm.

FIGURE 11. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi, female. A: Chelicera; B: Epistome; C: Tritosternum; D: Ventral view of gnathosoma; E: Dorsolateral seta from anterior idiosoma; F: Camerostomal seta, type I; G: Dorsolateral seta from posterior idiosoma; H: Camerostomal seta, type II; I: Dorsoposteriolateral seta; scale: 100 µm.

FIGURE 12. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov., ventral idiosoma of male; scale: 100 µm.

FIGURE 13. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov.: dorsal idiosoma of deutonymph; scale: 100 µm.

FIGURE 14. Crinitodiscus ayyildizi sp. nov.: ventral idiosoma of deutonymph; scale: 100 µm.