Testudacarus tripeltatus Walter, 1928

Pesic, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2007, First records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Bhutan, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 1613, pp. 45-56 : 50

Testudacarus tripeltatus Walter, 1928

( Figs. 15–20 )

Material examined. Bhutan: Dochu La, 06.iv.2002, 2800 m asl., two females ( ZMAN), one of them dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid.

Morphology. Female: Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 16 ) L 856, W 650; dorsal shield ( Fig. 15 ): central plate L 556, W 469, L/W ratio 1.19, single median anterior plate L 144; capitular bay L 172, Cx-1 total L 294, Cx-1 medial L 122, Cx-2+3 medial 62; ratio Cx-1 L/Cx-2+3 medial L 2.4; Cx-1 medial L/Cx-2+3 medial L 4.7; genital field L/W 181/147, L/W ratio 1.2; distance genital field–excretory pore 247, genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 308; capitulum ( Fig. 19 ) ventral L 167; chelicera L ( Fig. 20 ) 196, H 26 L/H ratio 7.6, basal segment L 161, claw L 38, L claw/basal segment ratio 2.4; palp ( Figs. 17–18 ) total L 206, dL and %L (in parentheses, given as % of total L): P-1 32 (15.5), P-2 61 (29.6), P-3 43 (20.9), P-4 53 (25.7), P-5 17 (8.3); P- 2/P-4 ratio 1.15.

Remarks. T. tripeltatus is similar to T. okadai Imamura (known from Japan) due to the short median suture of Cx-2+3 (<0.5 the length of the genital flap) ( Wiles 1997). Dorsolateral platelets are large and broad in T. tripeltatus but small and narrow in T. okadai . The specimen from Bhutan differs from the specimen from India (in parentheses data taken from Walter 1928) in its minor idiosomal and capitular dimensions (e.g., idiosoma L/W 1065/720, central plate L/W 690/525, capitulum L 220, chelicera L 225, palp total L 223).

Distribution. India ( Walter 1928). New for Bhutan.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 20. Testudacarus tripeltatus Walter, female: 15 = dorsal shield, 16 = ventral shield; 17 = palp, medial view; 18 = palp, lateral view; 19 = capitulum; 20 = chelicera. Scale bars = 100 m.