Torrenticola himalayica, 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 : 850-853

Torrenticola himalayica sp. nov.

Zoobank: EE2A1CBD-893C-465B-8296-327EA645F191

Figures 20, 21, 24C, D, G

Material examined — Holotype ♂, dissected and slide mounted, Bhutan, MG2 Berti Chhu , 27.16264°N, 90.66003°E, 590 m asl, 26.iv.2021 . Paratype: 1♀, MG 5 Dakpay Chhu, 27.14621°N, 90.69220°E, 539 m asl, 1.v.2021, dissected and slide mounted.

Diagnosis — Dorsal shield without a colour pattern; P-2 ventrally with a flat, blade-like hyaline anterior flange, and a short denticle-like seta, laterally at base of projection; P-3 with a short seta laterally at base of projection.

Description — General features – Idiosoma roundish; dorsal shield without a colour pattern (as photographed in Figures 24 C-D); area of primary sclerotization of the dorsal plate with four dorsoglandularia; gnathosomal bay V-shaped; Cxgl-4 subapical; medial suture line of Cx-II+III moderately long; posterior suture lines of Cx-IV extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field, laterally curved; excretory and Vgl-2 close to the line of primary sclerotization pore; gnathosomal rostrum long and slender ( Figure 21E); P-2 shorter than P-4, P-2 with a laterally compressed, longish (> 30% of ventral margin), anteriorly directed ventrodistal extension, and a short seta, laterally at base of projection; P-3 with a short, subrectangular, apically serrated ventrodistal projection, and a short seta laterally at base of projection; P-4 slender with a well-developed ventral tubercle ending in two tips separated by a concavity, bearing shorter setae ( Figures 20D, 21C, D). Male – Genital field with obtuse, but distinct anterior angles, posteriorly parabola-shaped; male ejaculatory complex conventional in shape, with well-developed anterior keel and proximal arms ( Figure 24G).

Measurements. Male (holotype) – Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 20C) L 650, W 478;

dorsal shield ( Figure 20B) L 529, W 416, L/W ratio 1.27; dorsal plate L 488; shoulder plate L

172, W 63, L/W ratio 2.8; frontal plate L 125, W 56, L/W ratio 2.2; shoulder/frontal plate L

1.38. Gnathosomal bay L 106, Cx-I total L 234, Cx-I mL 125, Cx-II+III mL 122; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 1.9; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.03. Genital field L/W 112/94, ratio 1.19; distance genital field-excretory pore 147, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 181. Palp total L 249, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 27/22, 1.2; P-2, 78/41, 1.89; P-3, 47/34, 1.36; P-4, 83/22, 3.8; P-5, 14/9,

1.5; L ratio P-2/P-4 0.94. dL of I-L-4–6: 77, 90, 84; I-L-6 H 20; dL/H I-L-6 ratio 4.1.

Female (paratype from Dakpay Chhu, n = 1) – Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 21B) L 700,

W 472; dorsal shield ( Figure 21A) L 548, W 409, L/W ratio 1.34; dorsal plate L 500; shoulder plate L 169–172, W 66–67, L/W ratio 2.56–2.58; frontal plate L 125–128, W 58–61, L/W ratio

2.1–2.16; shoulder/frontal plate L 1.32–1.38. Gnathosomal bay L 119, Cx-I total L 255, Cx-I

mL 136, Cx-II+III mL 91; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 2.8; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.5. Genital field L/W 134/122, ratio 1.1; distance genital field-excretory pore 159, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 219. Gnathosoma vL 300, chelicera L 334; palp total L 256, dL/H, dL/H

ratio: P-1, 27/23, 1.14; P-2, 81/48, 1.7; P-3, 45/41, 1.1; P-4, 89/22, 4.07; P-5, 14/9, 1.5 L ratio

P-2/P-4 0.91.

Etymology — The species is named after the Himalayan mountain range from where the new species was collected.

Discussion — The new species is most similar to Torrenticola lamellifer ( Lundblad, 1941) . Both species have a long tapering blade-like flange extending to the middle of P-2. The new species from Bhutan differs from T. lamellifer in shape of the palp (P-2 with a small denticle-like ventral seta, a short ventral seta laterally at base of projection P-3, P-4 ventral setae shorter; compare Figures 6A and 21C, D) and by the lack of characteristic colour pattern (compare Figures 1E and 24C, D).

Distribution — Bhutan (this study).