Podocinum tupinamba, Santos, Jandir C., Martins, João P. I., Britto, Erika P. J. & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2017

Santos, Jandir C., Martins, João P. I., Britto, Erika P. J. & De Moraes, Gilberto J., 2017, A new species of Podocinum (Acari: Podocinidae) from Brazil, and supplementary descriptions of three species of this genus, Zootaxa 4290 (3), pp. 444-458 : 453-456

Podocinum tupinamba n. sp.

Specimens examined. Holotype female and five paratype females collected by A.R. Oliveira on February 07, 2000 at Leme , São Paulo State; two paratype females collected by A.R. Oliveira on May 16, 2000 at Piracicaba , São Paulo State; two paratype females collected by A. Sciviatto on May 01, 1970 at Botucatu , São Paulo State. All type specimens collected from litter and deposited in the mite reference collection of Departamento de Entomologia e Acarologia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “LuiZ de QueiroZ” , Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba , São Paulo State, BraZil .

Adult female: (five specimens measured)

Gnathosoma. Chelicera with antiaxial and dorsal lyrifissures as well as dorsal seta distinct ( Fig. 39 ); fixed digit 39 (38–39) long, with five teeth in addition to apical tooth and a minute setiform pilus dentilis; movable digit 38 (37–38) long, with two teeth in addition to apical tooth. Palp setae (trochanter to tibia): 2-5-6-13; all setae aciculate and smooth; apotele 2-tined with an adjacent hyaline membrane ( Fig. 40 ). Anterior region of epistome with three distally divided extensions; lateral extensions with outer margin denticulate ( Fig. 41 ). Deutosternum with smooth anteriormost transverse line followed by six transverse lines of denticles about parallel to each other, each with 16–23 denticles; corniculus horn-shaped, about 21 (21–22) long and 11 (11–12) wide basally; seta h 2 slightly anteriad of h 3 ( Fig. 42 ). Measurements of setae: h 1 17 (17–18), h 2 5 (5–6), h 3 23 (20–22), pc 12 (10–12).

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 43 ). Dorsal shield covered by small protuberances aligned to constitute a polygonal network ( Figs 43, 44 ), 430 (428–430) long and 319 (313–325) wide at widest level. Dorsal shield without distinct lateral incisions at region between Z 1 and Z 3. Podonotal region of dorsal shield with ten pairs of setae (j 1 –j 3, j 5, j 6, z 5, s 2 –s 5), (j 1 usually difficult to see), one pair of distinguishable lyrifissures and two pairs of distinguishable pores. Opisthonotal region with ten pairs of setae (J 1, J 3 –J5, Z 1, Z 3, Z 4, S 2, S 4, S 5), and one pair of distinguishable pores. Setal lengths: j 1 8 (7 – 8), j 2 77 (75 – 78), j 3 14 (13 – 15), j 5 19 (18 – 20), j 6 48 (43–53), z 5 13, s 2 13, s 3 13, s 4 13, s 5 38 (35–40), J 1 91 (83–95), J 3 80 (75–88), J 4 58 (58–60), J 5 31 (30–33), Z 1 79 (75–85), Z 3 98 (95–100), Z 4 96 (95–100), S 2 27 (25–28), S 4 36 (33–38), S 5 68 (65–70). Setae j 2, j 6, J 1, J 3, J 4, J 5, z 6, Z 1, Z 3, Z 4, S 2, S 4, S 5 strongly serrated and j 1, j 3, j 5, z 5, s 2, s 3, s 4 slightly serrated ( Figs 43–46 ).

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 46 ). Base of tritosternum indistinguishable; laciniae 32 (30–32) long, separated for about 95% of their total length ( Fig. 47 ). Pre-sternal area without plates. Sternal shield reticulate, 53 long at midline and 95 wide between setae st 1 and st 2, reticulate; posterior margin slightly concave; with three pairs of setae (st 1– st 3) without lyrifissures (iv 1– iv 5). Seta st 4 inserted on metaesternal plate. Genital shield reticulate, posterior margin truncate; widened posteriorly (gv 2 on unsclerotised cuticle), distance st 5- st 5 65 (63–68). Without metapodal plates. Ventrianal shield inverted dome-shaped 131 (125–1138) long at mid-line and 217 (208–225) wide at widest level; with four pairs of setae (Jv 1, Jv 3, Jv 4 and Zv 2) in addition to circumanal setae; para-anal and post-anal setae similar in length, the former inserted at about median level of anal opening. Without opisthogastric setae on unsclerotised cuticle flanking ventrianal shield. Exopodal plate fused with peritrematic plate next to coxa IV, entire, extending forward up to coxa II. Measurements of setae: st 1 20, st 2 18 (15–20), st 3 19 (18–20), st 4 13, st 5 14 (13–15); Jv 1 20 (19–20), Jv 3 20, Jv 4 30 (31–30), Zv 2 15; para-anal 15 (15–16), post-anal 15 (14–16). All setae aciculate and smooth.

Peritreme and peritrematic plate ( Figs 43, 46 ). Peritreme extending forward beyond level of j 1. Peritrematic plate fused with dorsal shield anteriad of s 2, extending posteriorly behind coxae IV, with a distinguishable pore next to coxae II, section posteriad of stigma with a pore and no distinct lyrifissures.

Spermathecal apparatus. Not visible.

Legs. Median section of pulvilli of legs II–IV rounded; paradactyli of these legs elongate and acuminate ( Fig. 48 ). Lengths: I: 805 (788–825); II: 482 (475–490); III: 450 (425–475); IV: 526 (513–550). Chaetotaxy/setation – coxae: I: 0, 0/1, 0/1, 0; II: 0, 0/1, 0/1, 0; III: 0, 0/1, 0/1, 0; IV: 0, 0/1, 0/0, 0; trochanters: I: 1, 0/1, 1/2, 1; II: 1, 0/1, 0/2, 1; III: 1, 1/2, 0/1, 0; IV: 1, 1/2, 0/1, 0; femora: I: 2, 1/1, 3/2, 2; II: 2, 2/2, 2/1, 1; III: 1, 2/1, 1/0, 1; IV: 1, 2/1, 1/ 0, 1; genua: I: 2, 1/0, 3/2, 2; II: 1, 2/1, 2/0, 1; III: 1, 2/1, 2/0, 1; IV: 1, 2/0, 2/1, 0; tibiae: I: 2, 1/0, 3/2, 1; II: 1, 1/1, 2/ 1, 1; III: 1, 1/1, 2/1, 1; IV: 1, 1/1, 2/1, 0; tarsi: I: not counted, II: 18 setae, III: 18, IV: 18 ( Fig. 49 ). No leg macrosetae.

Adult male. Unknown.

Etymology. The term “ tupinamba ” is the name of a BraZilian Indian tribe that inhabited the coastal areas of the states of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Remarks. Adults of the new species are distinguished from other podocinids by having 2-tined apotele with an adjacent hyaline membrane (instead of 3-tined and without hyaline membrane in other species of the same genus); h 2 inserted laterad and slightly anteriad of h 3 (instead of laterad and slightly posteriad of h 3, as illustrated in the original description of Podocinum anhuense Wen, 1965 , Podocinum guizhouense Yan & Jin (in Yan et al., 2011) , Podocinum monilicum Halliday, 1990 , Podocinum sibiricum Volonikhina, 1999 , Podocinum tibetensis Yan, Jin, Wu, Guo & Guo, 2012 , and in BraZilian specimens identified as P. bengalensis , P. pacificum , P. sagax and an unidentified species of Podocinella ); dorsal shield with 20 pairs of setae (including S 2, absent in other species); tarsus IV with 18 setae, including an extra seta anteriad of md (instead of 17 in other Podocinum species, without extra seta). A thorough revision of the Podocinidae could lead to conclusion that the new species here described should be placed in a new genus. However, because of the insufficient information available about the members of this group described so far, it was considered more convenient to place it in the genus Podocinum , which now needs to have a new characterisation to include P. tupinamba n. sp..

Figures

FIGURE 49. Podocinum tupinamba n. sp. Female. Legs I – IV.

FIGURES 39 – 48. Podocinum tupinamba n. sp. Female. 39. Antiaxial view of chelicera; 40. Apotele; 41. Epistome; 42. Hypostome; 43. Dorsal view of idiosoma; 44. Ornamentation of dorsal shield; 45. Seta J 3; 46. Ventral view of idiosoma; 47. Tritosternum; 48. Pretarsus of leg II. Lyrifissures and pores enlarged for improved visibility.