Austrophthiracarus pachiteaensis Niedbała, 2024

Niedbała, Wojciech & Magowski, Wojciech Ł., 2024, New species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from the Peruvian Andes, Zootaxa 5448 (3), pp. 401-416 : 406-409

Austrophthiracarus pachiteaensis Niedbała sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:96D7A621-EF33-4972-82F9-650CEFBA9353

( Fig. 1A , 4 )

Description. Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 429, width 303, height 162: setae: tr 58, in 35, le 30, ro 25, ex 18; notogaster: length 848, width 525, height 566, setae: c 1 30, h 1 28, ps 1 38; genitoaggenital plate 202×121, anoadanal plate 318×131. Paratypes (six specimens from the same sample as the holotype): prodorsum: length 394–525, height 141–192; notogaster: length 737–1050, height 525–727.

Large species. Colour brown. Cuticle finely dimpled. Neotrichy of notogastral and adanal setae present.

Prodorsum with very feeble lateral carinae. Posterior furrows absent. Sigillar fields rather short, narrow, median longer than laterals. Trichobothria short, slightly fusiform covered with weak spines. Setae short, spiniform, smooth; tr> in> le> ro> ex.

Notogaster with 22 pairs of short (c 1 <c 1 -d 1 =0.2), spiniform, smooth setae. Setae c 1 and c 2 situated far from anterior border, setae c 3 near border. Two pairs of vestigial setae f 1 and f 2 present. Four pairs of lyrifissures ia, im, ip and ips present.

Venter. Setae h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Genital setae short, its formula: 9(4+5): 0. Anoadanal plates with 2 pairs of anal setae and 6 adanal setae on right plate and 5 on left plate. In three paratypes number of adanal setae are 6 on left plate and 5 on right plate; in one paratype are 5 adanal setae on left plate and 6 setae on right plate, in one paratype are 7 adanal setae on left and 6 setae on right plate and in one paratype both plates with 6 setae.

Legs. Chaetome of complete type; femoral setae d on leg I fairly long, located far from distal end of femur.

Type material. Holotype and six paratypes: South America , Andes , Central Peru, Huánuco Department, Pachitea Province, Molino District , W Molino , Monte Potrero , 09°54’30’’S, 76°03’48’’W, 2850–3100 m a.s.l., upper soil and leaf litter in primary mountain cloud forest, Winkler extraction (sample 1.4), 15–17. IV. 2016, leg. S. Friedrich, F. Wachtel and D. Hauth.

Etymology. The new species is named after the Pachitea Province.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to two neotropical species A. foveoreticulatus ( Mahunka, 1980) and A. gongylos Niedbała, 2004 by the neotrichy and spiniform shape of notogastral and adanal setae. However, the body surface of A. foveoreticulatus is covered with concavities (finely dimpled in new species), the shape of trichobothria is more rounded distally (vs. more elongate) and the number of notogastral setae (28 pairs) is higher (vs. 22 pairs), especially in row ps. In A. gongylos lateral carinae of prodorsum are absent (vs. present), the shape of trichobothrium is more rounded distally (vs. elongate), and the number of notogastral setae (29 pairs) is higher (vs. 22 pairs).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Representatives of newly reported species of box mites from Peruvian Andes– habitus. A—Austrophthiracarus pachiteaensis sp. nov.; B—Notophthiracarus quasipedanos sp. nov. Scale bars 100 µm (A, B).

FIGURE 4. Austrophthiracarus pachiteaensis sp. nov. A—prodorsum, lateral view; B—trichobothrium, lateral view; C— prodorsum, dorsal view; D—trichobothrium, dorsal view; E—opisthosoma, lateral view; F–mentum of subcapitulum; G—right genitoaggenital plate; H—right anoadanal plate; I—trochanter and femur of leg I. Scale bars 100 µm (A, C, E), 50 µm (G, H), 25 µm (B, D, F, I).