Spatulaphorus brasiliensis, Khaustov & Frolov, 2017

Khaustov, Alexander A. & Frolov, Andrey V., 2017, New species of heterostigmatic mites (Acari: Heterostigmata: Athyreacaridae, Dolichocybidae, Pygmephoridae) associated with scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 4294 (5), pp. 501-521 : 513-516

Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov.

( Figures 11–16 )

Description. Female ( Figures 11–16 ). Body well sclerotized. Length of idiosoma 180 (170–200), width 110 (100– 115). Gnathosoma ( Figure 11 ). Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, almost oval, its length 18 (17–19), width 22 (21–23). Dorsum with one pair of needle-like cheliceral setae (cha) 5 (4–5). Dorsal median apodeme absent. Postpalpal setae (pp) needle-like, situated laterally to setae cha. Ventral gnathosoma with one pair of smooth, pointed subcapitular setae m 5 (5–6). Palps with smooth needle-like setae dFe and dGe dorsolaterally, setae dGe about twice longer than dFe. Palps ventrally each with mushroom-like accessory setigenous structure and tiny solenidion. Palps terminated with small tibial claw. Pharyngeal pumps with weak transverse striation; pharyngeal pump 1 small, butterfly-like; pharyngeal pump 3 oval, slightly larger than pump 1 and about twice smaller than oval pump 2.

Idiosomal dorsum ( Figures 11 A, 13A, 14A, B). All dorsal shields with two types of dimples, large and sparsely distributed, and numerous very small, difficult to discern ( Figures 14 A, B). Prodorsal shield with three pairs of setae (v 1, v 2, sc 2), one pair of weakly barbed capitate trichobothria and one pair of round stigmata ( Figure 14 A). In some specimens trichobothria look truncate because of weakly sclerotized distal part, which able to hide inside basal part. All dorsal idiosomal setae blunt-ended. Setae v 2, e and h 2 smooth, other dorsal setae distinctly barbed. Cupules ia on tergite D, im on tergite EF and ih on tergite H large, round. Lengths of dorsal setae: v 1 19 (19–21), v 2 10 (10–12), sc 2 43 (38–49), c 1 33 (29–35), c 2 43 (42–49), d 35 (31–39), e 13 (12–13), f 36 (36–40), h 1 34 (34–38), h 2 9 (9). Distances between setae: v 1– v 1 19 (18–21), v 2 –v 2 32 (29–36), sc 2 –sc 2 30 (28–35), c 1– c 1 36 (34–38), c 1– c 2 20 (20–22), d–d 53 (49–54), e–f 4 (3–4), f–f 50 (47–51), h 1– h 1 38 (35–40), h 1– h 2 5 (5–6).

Idiosomal venter ( Figures 11 B, 14B, 15С, D). Coxal fields II with several large and numerous very small dimples; other ventral plates only with numerous very small dimples. Setae 1 b and ps 1, 2 pointed; other ventral setae with slightly rounded tips. Setae 1 b with few barbs; other ventral setae smooth; sometimes ps 3 with one barb. Ap1, ap2 and apsej well developed and joined with thick appr; ap3 very weak, not joined with poststernal apodeme (appo); ap4 well developed, reaching beyond bases of setae 3 b. Apodemes 5 (ap5) present, joined with appo.

Anterior genital sclerite (ags) small, cup-like; posterior genital sclerite (pgs) rhombic, with lateral processes. Posterior margins of posterior sternal and aggenital plates weakly concave in middle part. Lengths of ventral setae: 1 a 10 (8–14), 1 b 13 (11–14), 1 с 13 (12–14), 2 a 11 (10–11), 2 b 10 (9–10), 3 a 11 (11–13), 3 b 10 (9–11), 3 c 13 (12– 13), 4 a 10 (10–13), 4 b 19 (19–22), 4 c 12 (12–14), ps 1 12 (12–16), ps 2 12 (12–16), ps 3 16 (16–18).

Legs ( Figures 12 , 13 , 16 ). Leg I ( Figure 12 A, 16) distinctly thicker than leg II. Setal formula: 1–4–2–17 (4). Tibiotarsus massive, with large claw. Setae (u) fused into bifurcate structure opposing to claw. Tarsal claw blunttipped, with delicate oblique striation on dorsomedial surface and basal thickening ( Figure 16 ). Tibiotarsus inside with round sclerite. Setae d of femur spatulate, with short subterminal projection. Setae l’ of femur and k of tibiotarsus smooth; other leg setae (except eupathidia) sparsely barbed. Setae (l) of femur, l” of genu and k of tibiotarsus blunt-ended; other leg setae (except eupathidia) pointed. Lengths of solenidia ω 1 8 (8–9)> ω 2 4 (4–5) <φ 1 6 (6–7)> φ 2 4 (3–5); Solenidion ω 1 finger-shaped, other solenidia clavate. Leg II ( Figure 12 B). Setal formula: 1– 3–1–4–6(1). Tarsus with padded claws and empodium with three lobes, one distal and two lateral. Solenidion ω 7 (7), finger-shaped, solenidion φ absent, but pore-like structure visible on its typical insertion point. Setae d, l’, v” of femur and u’ of tarsus blunt-ended; other leg setae pointed. Seta tc” of tarsus smooth; other leg setae barbed. Leg III ( Figure 13 A). Setal formula: 1–2–1–4–6. Claws and empodium of same shape as on tarsus II. Setae d of femur and l” of genu blunt-ended; other leg setae pointed. Seta tc” of tarsus smooth; other leg setae barbed. Leg IV ( Figure 13 B). Setal formula: 1–2–1–4–6. Claws simple, empodium round, stalked. Setae v’ of trochanter, d, v’ of femur, v” of tibia and pl” of tarsus blunt-ended; other leg setae pointed. Seta pl” of tarsus smooth; other leg setae barbed.

Male unknown.

Type material. Female holotype, slide No. 10722, Brazil, Amazonas, Careiro, on a beetle Dichotomius podalirius . The mites were attached to the membrane connecting pro- and mesothorax of the beetle; paratypes: 17 females, same data.

Type deposition. The holotype and four paratypes are deposited in the collection of UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista , Department of Zoology and Botany, 15054–000 São José do Rio Preto –SP, Brazil ; 11 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology , Tyumen, Russia ; two paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia .

Differential diagnosis. The new species is most similar to S. gymnopleuri Sobhi and Hajiqanbar, 2017 , described from Iran ( Sobhi et al. 2017), by the similar relative lengths and position of dorsal idiosomal setae, presence of large dimples on idiosomal tergites, absence of modified setae on tarsi II and III and presence of apodemes 5. The new species differs from S. gymnopleuri by smooth setae e and h 2 (vs. barbed in S. gymnopleuri ), absence of solenidia on tibiae II–IV (vs. present in S. gymnopleuri ) and subequal setae ps 1 and ps 2, 3 (vs. ps 1 more than two times longer than ps 2, 3 in S. gymnopleuri ).

Etymology. The name of the new species referring to its distribution in Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov., female: A—dorsum of the body, B—venter of the body.

FIGURE 12. Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov., female: A—right leg I in dorsal view, B—right leg II in dorsal view.

FIGURE 13. Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov., female: A—right leg III in dorsal view, B—right leg IV in dorsal view.

FIGURE 14. DIC micrographs of Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov., female: A—general view dorsally, B—general view ventrally.

FIGURE 15. DIC micrographs of Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov., female: A—gnathosoma and podosoma in dorsal view, B—hysterosoma in dorsal view, C—gnathosoma and podosoma in ventral view, D—hysterosoma in ventral view.

FIGURE 16. DIC micrographs of Spatulaphorus brasiliensis sp. nov., female: right tibiotarsus I.