Crinitodiscus ozkani, Bal, Durmuş Ali, 2005

Bal, Durmuş Ali, 2005, Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n., a new uropodid mite from Turkey (Acari, Mesostigmata, Uropodidae), Zootaxa 1069, pp. 47-60 : 49-59

Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n. ( Figs 1–9)

Material examined. Holotype female, Giresun province, Eynesil district (41°06’03” N, 39°14’25” E), in soil and litter under hazelnut trees ( Corylus avellana ), 10 May 2005, altitude 110 m. Paratypes, 9 females, 27 males, same data as holotype; 1 female, 1 male, same locality, soil and litter under tea plants ( Thea cinensis ), 21 April 2005. Samples were extremely wet.

Description

Female (holotype). Idiosoma 470 µm long x 360 µm wide. Body oval, well sclerotized.

Dorsum ( Figs. 1, 3 A). Dorsal plate not heavily sculptured, brown in colour, with regular network ornamentation ( Fig. 3 A). Posterior bulge triangular, with fine spines, tasseled anteriorly. Dorsal plate with 65–70 pairs of dorsal setae, most setae basally branched, branches fine and thorn­like; 30–32 posterior dorsal setae smooth and needlelike. Marginal plates posteriorly unfused, with about 27 pairs of setae. All marginal setae serrated. Two pairs of sparsely serrated setae occur on platelets between marginal and pygidial plates, posterior seta longer than anterior ( Fig. 1).

Venter ( Figs. 2, 3 B). Ventri­anal setae robust, serrated, inserted on heavily sclerotized tubercles. Opisthogastric setae inserted on individual tubercles situated along a transverse row. Genital operculum tongue­ or helmet­shaped, with a lobate anterior process with denticles; the plate anteriorly concave, posteriorly articulated with venter at the level of coxae IV; length 110 µm (excluding hyaline lobate process), width 87 µm at base ( Figs. 2, 3 B). Surface of operculum with alveoli 10 µm in diameter. Sternal seta st1 at level of coxae II, st2–st3 close to anterior marginal of epigynial plate, st4 level with posterior margin of plate. Pre­ and para­ anal setae short and simple. Postanal seta Pa serrated. Scabellum (= tectum) clear and well developed, and capitular setae pilose. Peritremes simple, short, located at the level of coxae II–III; anterior prolongation directed externally, posteriorly with stigmata located in pedofossae III. Pedofossal grooves deep and well marked; pedofossae IV with a posterior gutter accomodating distal part of legs IV ( Fig. 2).

Gnathosoma. Chelicera with nodus; movable digit with one tooth; fixed digit 27 µm long, with anterior sensory angular point; movable digit 18 µm long, middle section 88 µm long ( Fig. 4 A). Epistome lancet­like, bifurcate distally, basally denticulate, distally feathered ( Fig. 4 B). Base of tritosternum (= sternapophyse) vase­ or glass­shaped, its laciniae 4­branched, middle branches bifurcate apically and paraxial branches shorter ( Fig. 4 C). Laciniae of hypostome finely pilose on both sides ( Fig. 4 D). Hypostome with four pairs of setae; setae h2–h4 denticulate; hypostomal setae h1 long, forked, with one branch finely crenellated. 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. Tectum forked distally. Corniculi horn­like; deutosternum with fine superficial denticulation ( Fig. 4 E).

Legs. Leg I lacking claw; with a long dorsal sensory setae on tarsi I, with leaf­shaped end. Trochanter III and IV bearing a robust serrated dorsal seta. Coxae I broad, hiding tritosternum and gnathosomal apparatus ( Fig. 2, 5 A). Some leg setae sparsely serrated. Femora of legs I–IV with a membranous flap. Legs II–IV terminating in a pulvillus and two claws. Palps short and powerful, v setae of coxae denticled, most setae of trochanters, femora and genua also denticled. Other chaetotactic features of the legs and palps as in Figures 4 F and 5.

Male ( Fig. 6). Idiosoma 480 µm long x 360 µm wide. Submarginal setae inserted on well marked tubercles so that the margins of the idiosama appear crenellated. Sternal area with alveoli, sternal setae simple. Hypostomal setae h2 and h3 more robust than in female; h1 slightly longer than in female. Genital aperture located between coxae IV, its opening 30 µm in diameter. Sternal setae st1 at level of coxae II, st2 behind coxae II, st3 between coxae III, st4 close to anterior of epigynium, st5 near posterior level of the opening. Pre­ and post­anal setae (V2–V4, U) short and simple. Legs, chelicerae, epistome, tritosternum, setal arrangement, idiosoma shape and pattern, and other morphological characters resemble those of the female.

Deutonymph ( Figs. 7–8 ). Idiosoma 460 µm long, 320 µm wide. Dorsal plate with distinct, shallow variable­sized polygonal depressions. Dorsal plate mosaic in form, but area between dorsal and marginal setae series unsclerotized. All dorsal and marginal setae simple, straight, thorn­like, dorsal setae shorter than marginals. Dorsal plate with 35 pairs of setae, marginal series with 36 pairs. Posterior marginal setae (I5) shortest ( Fig. 7 ). Sternal plate 180 long and 50 wide, anal plate 110 µm long and 145 µm wide. All ventral plates (sternal, anal, endopodal, exopodal) with mosaic patterns. Sternal plate anvilshaped, extending from coxae I to behind coxae IV, bearing five pairs of short setae st1–st5 (v1, v2, v3, v4, v5). Unsclerotised skin around ventral plates striated; some anal plate setae branched, all other ventral setae smooth. Coxae I large, close together; pedofossae distinct, well developed. Anterior extension of peritreme long, medially elbowed, stigmata at level of coxae III ( Fig. 8 ).

Protonymph ( Figs. 9 A–B). Idiosoma 390 long x 270 wide. Podonotal plate 232 long x 163 wide, with mosaic­like ornamentation, bearing 5 pairs of simple thorn­like setae (i2, i3, i4, z2, i5). Lateral plates 85 long x 37 wide, bean­shaped, with mosaic ornamentation; an additional pair of elongate platelets occurs anterior to the lateral plates, 45 long x 5 wide. Pygidial plate 32 long x 100 wide, quadrangular; lateral and marginal seta serrated and arise from hump­like tubercles ( Fig. 9 A). Three pairs of simple setae inserted between podonotal and pygidial plates, directed anteriorly, and a pair of unbranched setae inserted laterad of the pygidial plate. Sternal plate pitcher­shaped, with three pairs of short, straight setae. Three setae­like process on tubercles present outside of peritrema. Pre­ and postanal setae, pa1–pa2, short thorn­like; peritreme 65 long, at level of coxae III. Some ventral setae serrate; postanal seta (U) short and thorn­like ( Fig. 9 B).

Larva ( Figs. 9 C–D). Idiosoma 380 long x 250 wide. Podonotal plate shaped like an iron; pygidial plate half moon­shaped. Lateral platelets behind podonotal plate bigger than the medial platelets; margins of platelets indented or smooth; unsclerotised skin ornamented with small bead­like tubercles. Podonotal plate with five pairs of setae (i2, i3, i4, i5, z2), and four further pairs of setae (i1, s2, z1, s5) laterally in anterior half of idiosoma. One pair of setae (I2) arises between the posterior and pygidial plates; setae s7, S2, S3, Z3, S4, Z4, Z5, I3, I4 and I5 arise laterally from the posterior skin; all dorsal setae branched. Posterior dorsal setae T­shaped and finely denticulate (except I2, S2, S3, Z4) ( Fig. 9 C).

Edges of ventral plates and platelets not visible. Sternal st1 located at level of coxae II, st2 between coxae II–III, and st3 at level of coxae III. Sternal, pre­anal and post­anal setae pa similar to each other, simple, short and thorn­like, but ventral setae (V6) somewhat longer. Peritreme located laterad of coxae III. Surface of body soft and delicate ( Fig. 9 D).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the Turkish acarologist, Prof. Dr. Muhlis Özkan.

Remarks. Species of Crinitodiscus are higher uropodids, and the genus is represented by two subgenera ( Crinitodiscus and Orientidiscus ). Crinitodiscus ozkani n. sp. belongs to the subgenus Orientidiscus . The two subgenera are easily distinguished, both by morphological characters and zoogeographic distribution. The subgenus Crinitodiscus s. s. appears to be confined to continental Greece and nearby islands, but C. ( Orientidiscus ) has a more easterly distribution and may be characteristic of Asia Minor ( Athias­Binche & Bloszyk, 1985).

Adults of the new species differ from their congeners by the presence of backwardsdirected branched dorsal setae with fine thorn­like basal branches, by pilose setae on the marginal and lateral plates, by polygonal dorsal ornamentation with punctuate borders, and by the absence of postmarginal setae. Adults of Crinitodiscus ozkani n. sp. are also easily differentiated from C. pawlowskii by the presence of short branched opisthogastric setae, circular ornamentation pattern on the epigynial plate, the lack of marginal and lateral leaflike setae, and a greater number of postdorsal setae. C. pawlowskii has long and branched denticulate opishogastric setae, reticulate­alveolar dorsal ornamentation, and long notched capitular setae, including setae i1. Pedofossal area IV does not have knobs, the peritremes are longer and sickle­like, and marginal setae are present on the posterior part of the idiosoma in C. pawlowskii . C. ozkani has knobs in pedofossae IV, a longer and partly smooth peritreme, and lacks postmarginal setae. Sternal setae st3 and st4 are widely separated in C. ozkani , and st2 and st3 are close together; in C. pawlowskii st2 and st3 are widely separated. The post­dorsal setae in both species are similar, but C. ozkani has a greater number of these setae. The females of C. ozkani and C. pawlowskii share the same structure of the gnathosoma, chelicera, epistome, tritosternum, body size, shape of epigynial plate and its pleura, body sculpture, and chaetotaxy of the dorsal and ventral surfaces.

Deutonymphs of C. ozkani have simple thorn­like dorsal and marginal setae, unbranched post­dorsal marginal setae, and mosaic­like ornamentation of the dorsal plate, as distinct from the deutonymph of C. rafalskii , in which the dorsal setae are longer, some post­dorsal setae are branched, and the dorsal plate is not ornamented.

It should be noted that some females were carrying an egg in their body cavity, and the new species is apparently nonphoretic. The larval and protonymphal stages of the genus Crinitodiscus are here recorded for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n. (female): A dorsal ornamentation, B epigynium

FIGURE 4. Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n. (female): A chelicera, B epistome, C tritosternum, D lacinia, E venter of gnathosoma, F palp.

FIGURE 5. Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n.: (female): Legs I, II, III, IV.

FIGURE 7. Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n.: Dorsal view of deutonymph.

FIGURE 8. Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n.: Ventral view of deutonymph

FIGURE 9. Crinitodiscus ozkani sp. n. (protonymph): A dorsal, B ventral; (larva): C dorsal, D ventral.