Torrenticola longiseta, PešićK & K & K, 2022

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 : 836-838

Torrenticola longiseta sp. nov.

Zoobank: 28E8E90D-E1EC-4473-9A2B-188D5C93BE21

Figures 10, 11, 14A–C

Material examined — Holotype ♂, dissected and slide mounted, Bhutan, MG5 Dakpay Chhu , 27.14621°N, 90.69220°E, 539 m asl, 27.x.2021 . Paratypes: 4♂, 4♀, same data as holotype, 1♀ dissected and slide mounted; 2♀, same data as holotype, 1.v.2021, 1♀ dissected and slide mounted; 1♂ (juvenile), 1♀ (juvenile), MG 1 Maidagang Chhu, 27.12761°N, 90.71560°E, 554 m asl, 20.x.2021 ; 1♂, MG 4 Takabi Chhu, 27.14782°N, 90.68833°E, 543 m

asl, 26.x.2021.

Diagnosis — Shoulder platelets fused with dorsal plate; dorsal shield with colour pattern as illustrated in Figures 14A, B ; Cxgl–4 subapical; medial suture line of Cx-II+III relatively short; P-2 ventrodistal extension relatively short, on a large base, triangular, P-2 ventral seta long, clearly exceeding width of segment.

Description — General features – Idiosoma oval; shoulder platelets fused to dorsal plate, but suture line visible; dorsal shield with a colour pattern as illustrated in Figures 14A, B ; area of primary sclerotization of the dorsal plate with two dorsoglandularia; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally rounded; Cxgl-4 subapical; suture lines of Cx-IV distinctly extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field; excretory pore and Vgl-2 away from the line of primary sclerotization; gnathosoma with a strongly curved ventral margin, rostrum elongated ( Figure 10E); P-2 ventral margin straight or slightly concave, ventral seta long, exceeding the segment width, P-2 and P-3 ventrodistal protrusions relatively short, P-2 ventrodistal extension slightly curved distally, P-3 ventral seta long, P-4 distally tapering, with a ventral tubercle bearing one long and three shorter setae ( Figures 10D, 11B). Male – Medial suture line of Cx-II+III relatively short; genital field subrectangular; ejaculatory complex conventional in shape (with well-developed anterior keel and proximal arms; Figure 14C).

Measurements. Male (holotype) – Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 10C) L 734, W 606; dorsal shield ( Figures 10B, 14A) L 638, W 516, L/W ratio 1.24; dorsal plate L 603; frontal plate

L 145–147, W 53–55, L/W ratio 2.7–2.8. Gnathosomal bay L 167, Cx-I total L 297, Cx-I mL

128, Cx-II+III mL 94; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 3.16; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.36. Genital field L/W 142/114, ratio 1.24; distance genital field-excretory pore 134, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 184. Ejaculatory complex L 178. Gnathosoma vL 294, chelicera L 368;

palp total L 356, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 36/36, 0.99; P-2, 119/64, 1.88; P-3, 61/59, 1.04; P-4,

123/34, 3.6; P-5, 17/11, 1.6; L ratio P-2/P-4 0.93. dL of I-L-2–6: 66, 81, 98, 103, 103; I-L-6 H

30; dL/H I-L-6 ratio 3.4.

Female (paratype from Dakpay Chhu, n = 1) – Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 11A) L 887,

W 700; dorsal shield ( Figure 14B) L 731, W 613, L/W ratio 1.19; dorsal plate L 688; frontal plate L 167–170, W 59, L/W ratio 2.8–2.9. Gnathosomal bay L 194, Cx-I total L 334, Cx-I

mL 138, Cx-II+III mL 44; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 7.6; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 3.15. Genital field L/W 169/150, ratio 1.13; distance genital field-excretory pore 222, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 322. Gnathosoma vL 338, chelicera L 438; palp total L 421, dL/H, dL/H ratio:

P-1, 41/44, 0.95; P-2, 147/79, 1.87; P-3, 70/69, 1.02; P-4, 141/39, 3.6; P-5, 22/13, 1.75; L ratio

P-2/P-4 1.05. dL of I-L-4–6: 106, 111, 102; I-L-6 H 30; dL/H I-L-6 ratio 3.4.

Etymology — The species is named for its long setae of the palp.

Discussion — The new species is most similar to Torrenticola minuta ( Lundblad, 1941) , a species originally described from Java ( Lundblad 1941), and later on reported from the Malay Peninsula ( Wiles 1997). Both species have the dorsal shield with the shoulder platelets partially fused with the dorsal plate, a Cxgl-4 situated subapically and a relatively short median suture line of Cx-II–III in the male. The new species from Bhutan can be separated from T. minuta by P-2 with a shorter ventral projection and a longer ventral seta T (. minuta has a shorter ventral seta, not exceeding width of the segment, see Lundblad 1956, Figure 4F, and Wiles 1997, Figure 13C) and by a different colour pattern of the dorsal shield (in T. minuta typically with a broad posterior band of blue/violet pigment, Wiles 1997).

Distribution — Bhutan.