Neumania, Lebert, 1879

Chatterjee, Tapas, 2021, A checklist of halacarid and hydrachnid mites (Acari, Halacaridae & Hydrachnidia) associated with sponges (Porifera), Zootaxa 5072 (2), pp. 101-129 : 117

Neumania spp.

Report associated with sponges: Vidrine (1996) mentioned Neumania sp. under possible ‘sponge-mite’ species in North America.

In a personal communication to the author (Tapas Chatterjee) Malcolm F. Vidrine states: “As recorded in my blog and for your information, I reared Neumania spp. from sponges in my lab in the late 1970s. These have not been reported in the literature, but I do have some pictures at my website www.unionicola.wordpress.com at the entry on Neumania . You are welcome to report these mites.” He also writes “You have my permission to use the pictures of Neumania spp. that are posted on my webpage” and sent some photos of Neumania spp. which were collected on sponges to use in this article ( Figs. 1 & 2 ).

Web page of M. F. Vidrine https://unionicola.wordpress.com/ 2017/08/02 /neumania-sp-the-closest-relatives-of-theunionicola/ states that in the 1970’s sponges were collected in the Atchafalaya Basin and a fish culture ponds at the USL farm, from Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.A. These were transported to the lab and set in aerated overnight. It was found later that some mites leaving the sponges and swimming in the water column. These collections contained free-swimming species of Unionicola , including Unionicola (Hexatax) laurentiana , Unionicola (Hexatax) gracilipalpis , Unionicola (Lundbladatax) furcula , Unionicola (Wilsonatax) poirrieri , and other species, including Neumania spp. Illustrations (pictures) of male(s), female and a deutonymph of Neumania spp. are published here ( Figs. 1 & 2 )—these are copied from Vidrine’s website and photos sent to author (TC) by Malcolm F. Vidrine.

There appear to be at least 2 species: one with leg segment IV-leg-6 curved ( Fig. 1A ) and one with the segment straight ( Fig. 1B ). Smit (2020) would appear to place these mites into 2 distinctive subgenera, Neumania s. s. and possibly Alloneumania Lundblad, 1949 , but this requires further study.

General description of Neumania spp. ( Figs. 1A–F ; 2 A–G ): Specimens of both sexes appear soft-bodied with distinctive coxal plates but lacking any other obvious plates. Both males and females have numerous acetabula in the genital fields; the females appear to have only a single plate on either side of the gonopore. Pedipalps of both sexes appear similar and not remarkably modified from those of typical members of the subgenus Neumania . Walking legs have a moderate number of blunt, relatively short setae; the legs terminate with moderatelylarge, simple, smoothly-curved, tarsal claws. The basic morphological characters of these specimens rather closely match the descriptions and illustrations of Cook (1974) and Smit (2020) for members of the subgenus Neumania . The deutonymph resembles the adult mites taken in these same collections.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neumania spp.: A, B. male ventral view; C. male coxal plates; D. male genital field; E. Leg I of male; F. tarsus of leg I of male.

FIGURE 2. Neumania sp.: A. female ventral view; B. female coxal plates; C. female genital field; D. Pedipalp female; E. leg I of female; F. leg IV of female; G. deutonymph.