Sternoppia fissurata, Ermilov, Sergey G., Sandmann, Dorothee, Marian, Franca & Maraun, Mark, 2013

Ermilov, Sergey G., Sandmann, Dorothee, Marian, Franca & Maraun, Mark, 2013, Three new species of the genus Sternoppia (Acari: Oribatida: Sternoppiidae) from Ecuador, Zootaxa 3641 (5), pp. 565-576 : 572-576

Sternoppia fissurata sp. nov.

( Figs 33–45 )

Diagnosis. Body size 209–237 × 114–127. Rostrum rounded, with two small lateral tubercles. Sensilli with weakly swollen head, having seven to eight long ramifying branches on dorsal side and one short simple cilium on ventral side. Nine pairs (setae p 3 and their alveoli absent) of short notogastral setae present, similar in length. Setae la and lm inserted on transversal level. Ventral plate anteriorly with large tectum, which covers the one third of posterior part of a subcapitulum. Epimere I striate. Lyrifissures iad located in inverse apoanal position.

Description. Measurements. Body length 229 (holotype), 209–237 (mean 225; four paratypes); body width 123 (holotype), 114–127 (mean 120; four paratypes).

Integument ( Figs 33–35 ). Body color yellow-brownish. Surface of prodorsum, notogaster and anogenital region micropunctate (visible under high magnification, × 1000). Epimere I striate, epimere III+IV with weakly developed polygonal ornamentation.

Prodorsum ( Figs 33 , 35, 37–42 ). Rostrum rounded, with two small lateral tubercles. Costulae well developed, parallel, widely spaces. A transverse pigmented line is located between interlamellar setae. Rostral, interlamellar and exobothridial setae similar in length (20–24), setiform, with short cilia; lamellar setae little longer (24–28). Sensilli with weakly developed head, having seven to eight long ramifying branches on dorsal side and one short simple cilium on ventral side.

Notogaster ( Figs 33 , 35, 36, 43 ). Nine pairs (setae p 3 and their alveoli absent) of notogastral setae short (lm clearly not reaching insertion of lp), similar in length (14–16), setiform, smooth. Setae c located anteriorly to lyrifissures ia. Setae la and lm inserted on one transversal level. Lyrifissures ia, im, ip, ih and ips distinct, thin, located typically for genus. Opisthonotal gland openings located posteriorly to lyrifissures im.

Gnathosoma. Subcapitulum longer than wide (53–61 × 32–36). Subcapitular setae setiform; h (16–20) and m (12–14) with short cilia, a shorter (8–10), smooth. Two pairs of adoral setae present, short (2), thin, smooth. Palps (41) with setation 0–2–1–3–9(+ω). Setae of femora with long cilia, setae of genua and tibia weakly barbed, setae of tarsi smooth. Solenidion long, thickened, blunt-ended, pressed to the palptarsus surface. Chelicerae (61) with two setiform, barbed setae; cha (20) longer than chb (12). Small thorn located posterior to cha. Trägårdh’s organ distinct.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions ( Fig. 34 ). Ventral plate anteriorly with large tectum, which covers the one third of posterior part of a subcapitulum. Epimeral setae 3a thickened, heavily ciliate; other setae setiform, with long or short cilia. Lengths of setae: 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b and 4b 20–24; other 32–41. Pedotecta I convex. Discidia triangular, blunt-ended.

Anogenital region ( Figs 34 , 44, 45 ). Six pairs of genital (g 1, 16; g 2– g 6, 12), one pair of aggenital (20–24), two pairs of anal (8–12) and three pairs of adanal (16–20) setiform, ciliate. Lyrifissures iad located in inverse apoanal position.

Legs. Similar with Sternoppia paraincisa sp. nov. Homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1 .

Type deposition. Holotype: male (ZISP). Paratypes: two males (SZMN), one male and one female (PC).

Etymology. The specific name “ fissurata ” refers to the adanal lyrifissures, which are located in inverse apoanal position (untypical for the genus).

Remarks. Sternoppia fissurata sp. nov. differs clearly from all species of the genus Sternoppia by the number of notogastral setae (nine pairs versus ten pairs), location of lyrifissures iad (inverse apoanal position versus paraanal position), and morphology of anterior part of ventral plate (with large tectum versus with no or narrow tectum).

Key to known species of Sternoppia

1. Sensillar branches simple; species with largest size in the genus: 775–850 × 474–550......................................................................................... S. pocsiana Mahunka, 2006 (Distribution: Venezuela)

- Sensillar branches ramified; species with smaller size....................................................... 2

2. Lyrifissures iad in inverse apoanal position; nine pairs of notogastral setae present (setae p 3 absent); body size: 209–237 × 114– 127.............................................................. S. fissurata sp. nov. (Distribution: Ecuador)

- Lyrifissures iad in paraanal position; ten pairs of notogastral setae present, sometimes setae c represented by alveoli (setae p 3 present)............................................................................................. 3

3. Sensilli with well swollen sensillar head.................................................................. 4

- Sensilli setiform or with scarcely or weakly swollen sensillar head............................................. 6

4. Anterior part of notogaster with longitudinal striae; notogastral setae c present; body size: 252–267 × 139–152....................................................................... S. striata Mahunka, 1983 (Distribution: Guatemala)

- Anterior part of notogaster without longitudinal striae; notogastral setae c represented by alveoli...................... 5

5. Five pairs of genital setae present; notogastral setae lm reaching insertion of lp; body size: 534–615 × 252–302........................................................... S. sphaerodendron Balogh & Mahunka, 1979 (Distribution: Cuba)

- Six pairs of genital setae present; notogastral setae lm not reaching insertion of lp; body size: 196–208 × 104–111................................................................. S. minor Balogh & Mahunka, 1980 (Distribution: Cuba)

6. Rostrum pointed; notogastral setae la and lm inserted on one transversal level; body size: 426–450 × 245–254....................................................... S. boliviana Balogh & Mahunka, 1969 (see 1969b) (Distribution: Bolivia)

- Rostrum rounded or weakly truncated; notogastral setae la inserted anterior or posterior to lm ........................ 7

7. Notogastral setae la inserted anterior to lm ................................................................. 8

- Notogastral setae la inserted posterior to lm ............................................................... 9

8. Sensilli with six to seven branches; interlamellar setae shorter than sensilli; body size: 273–322 × 161–180................................................................ S. mirabilis Balogh & Mahunka, 1968 (Distribution: Argentina)

- Sensilli with two to three branches; interlamellar setae longer than sensilli; body size: 365–415 × 215–249............................................................................. S. paramirabilis sp. nov. (Distribution: Ecuador)

9. Notogastral setae lm and lp extremely long, other setae short................................................. 10

- Notogastral setae almost equal in length.................................................................. 11

10. Notogastral setae c present; epimere I smooth; body size: 347 × 210...................................................................................... S. quadriseta Balogh & Mahunka, 1969 (see 1969b) (Distribution: Bolivia)

- Notogastral setae c represented by alveoli; epimere I reticulate; body size: 267–317 × 165–172................................................................... S. reticulata Balogh & Mahunka, 1969 (see 1969a) (Distribution: Brazil)

11. Epimere I smooth; sensilli without swollen head; body size: 290 × 120......................................................................................... S. brasiliensis Franklin & Woas, 1992 (Distribution: Brazil, Ecuador)

- Epimere I striate; sensilli with weakly swollen head........................................................ 12

12. Notogastral setae c present; lyrifissures ia located antero-medially to setae c … 262–295 × 159–176..................................................................................... S. paraincisa sp. nov. (Distribution: Ecuador)

- Notogastral setae c represented by alveoli; lyrifissures ia located posteriorly or postero-laterally to setae c .............. 13

13. Notogastral setae short, similar in length, setae lm clearly not reaching insertion of lp; body size: 331–357 × 193–204............................................................. S. incisa Balogh & Mahunka, 1977 (Distribution: Bolivia)

- Notogastral setae longer, setae la, lm and lp clearly longer than others, setae lm reaching insertion of lp; body size: 365–405 × 170–227.................................... S. vicina Balogh & Mahunka, 1980 (Distribution: Neotropical region)

Acknowledgements

We cordially thank Dr. Ekaterina A. Sidorchuk (Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia) and anonymous reviewers for the valuable comments. Oribatid mites were investigated as part of the Research Unit "Biodiversity and sustainable management of a megadiverse mountain ecosystem in South Ecuador ", subproject "Soil fauna: Diversity and functioning" headed by Mark Maraun and Stefan Scheu; financial support by the German Research Foundation is gratefully acknowledged (RU 816).

References

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Figures

FIGURES 33 – 34. Sternoppia fissurata sp. nov., adult: 33 — dorsal view; 34 — ventral view (legs not shown). Scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURES 35 – 45. Sternoppia fissurata sp. nov., adult: 35 — prodorsum, lateral view (gnathosoma, epimeral setae and legs not shown); 36 — notogaster, posterior view; 37 — rostrum, dorso-anterior view; 38 — rostral seta; 39 — lamellar seta; 40 — interlamellar seta; 41 — sensillus; 42 — exobothridial seta; 43 — notogastral seta lp; 44 — genital plate, left; 45 — anal plate, left. Scale bars (35, 36) 50 μm, (37 – 45) 10 μm.