Torrenticola bhutana Pesic & Smit, 2007

PešićK, Vladimir, K, Harry Smit & K, Mer Man Gurung, 2022, Torrenticolid water mites of Bhutan. Genera Torrenticola Piersig, 1896 and Neoatractides Lundblad, 1941 (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae), Acarologia 1941 (3), pp. 821-860 : 822

Torrenticola bhutana Pesic & Smit, 2007

Figures 1A, G

Material examined — Bhutan, MG 10 Chumpigang Chhu, 27.31608°N, 90.58071°E, 1018

m asl, 8.v.2021, 1♂, 1♀ (juvenile) (1♂ dissected and slide mounted).

Description — General features – Idiosoma elongated-oval (dorsal shield L/W ratio

1.3); dorsal shield without a colour pattern (as photographed in Figure 1A); area of primary sclerotization of the dorsal plate with two dorsoglandularia; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally rounded; Cxgl-4 subapical; medial suture line of Cx-II+III short; suture lines of Cx-IV in both sexes distinctly extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field, laterally curved; excretory pore and Vgl-2 close to the line of primary sclerotization, excretory pore on the level of Vgl-2; gnathosoma with a strongly curved ventral margin, rostrum elongated; P-2 longer than P-4; P-2 ventral margin straight or slightly convex, P-2

and P-3 ventrodistal protrusions bluntly pointed, P-4 with a well-developed ventral tubercle bearing one longer and three shorter setae). Male (in parentheses measurements from original description; Pesic and Smit 2007) – Idiosoma L/W 719 (875)/549 (625); dorsal shield L/W

570 (706)/444 (531); medial suture Cx-II+III L 71 (61); genital field subrectangular, L/W 156 (172)/119 (116); ejaculatory complex characteristic, proximal and distal arms short, proximal chamber large, proximal horns reduced ( Fig. 1G); P-2 98 (98), P-4 77 (85).

Remarks — This species was originally described on basis of specimens collected from a stream at the Pele La mountain pass in Bhutan at an elevation of 3200 m asl ( Pesic and Smit

2007).

Distribution — Bhutan ( Pesic and Smit 2007 ; this study).