Axonopsis kintampo, Smit, Harry, 2016

Smit, Harry, 2016, The water mite family Aturidae Thor (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Ghana, with the description of twelve new species, Zootaxa 4158 (4), pp. 523-543 : 531-532

Axonopsis kintampo n. sp.

( Figs. 6A–E )

Material examined. Holotype male, Kintampo Falls , Ghana, 8 0 5.413 N 1 41.881 W, 3-iii-2011 . Paratypes: one male, Fuller Falls , Ghana, 8 0 4.975 N 1 47.842 W, alt. 189 m a.s.l., 6-iii-2011 ; one female, Namini stream, Kakum NP, 5 23.396 N 1 23.294 W, alt. 185 m a.s.l., 12-ii-2013; one male, one female, Ankasa River , Ankasa NP, Ghana, 5 13.011 N 2 39.126 W, alt. 60 m a.s.l., 13-ii-2013 ; one male, Ankasa Exploration Base trail stream, Ankasa NP, Ghana, 5 16.415 N 2 38.751 W, alt. 80 m a.s.l., 14-ii-2013 ; one female, Ankasa Exploration Base trail stream, Ankasa NP, Ghana, 5 16.413 N 2 38.810 W, alt. 81 m a.s.l., 14-ii-2013 ; one male, Kulugu River , upstream, N of Biakpa, Ghana, 6 51.223 N 0 25.141 E, alt. 410 m a.s.l., 20-ii-2013 ; one male, Kulugu River , 6 51.365 N 0 25.101 E, alt. 388 m a.s.l, 19-ii-2013 .

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with a large concavity; genital field with four acetabula, male with three acetabula in a triangle, the fourth pair medial to this triangle.

Description. Both sexes: Idiosoma yellowish, outline rugose, frontal margin concave, Dorsal shield fused anteriorly with ventral shield, with three flat ridges and four pairs of glandularia, most posterior pair flanking the excretory pore, the latter fused with dorsal shield. Dorsal furrow in posterior third with two pairs of glandularia platelets, the posterior one hardly visible in dorsal view due to rugosity of idiosoma and therefore not shown in Fig. 6A . First coxae slender, extending beyond frontal margin. Coxal suture lines obliterated. A ridge extending from anterolateral idiosoma margin to fourth leg sockets, and from here slightly diverging in posterior direction. No glandularia between fourth leg sockets and genital field. Genital field with four pairs of acetabula, three pairs in a triangle, one pair lying medially of this triangle. Numbers of swimming setae: II-leg-4 two, II-leg-5 one, III-leg-4 two, III-leg-5 four, IV-leg-4 two and IV-leg-5 three. Male: Idiosoma dorsally 389 (356–413) long and 340 (300– 335) wide, ventrally 413 (360–413) long. Dorsal shield 300 (264–300) wide; gonopore 30 long. Length of P1–5: 28, 50, 24, 90, 28. P2 somewhat enlarged, with strongly rounded dorsal and straight ventral margins; P4 slender. Length of I-leg-4–6: 54, 58, 76. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 74, 80, 76.

Female: Idiosoma yellowish, with a purple transversal dorsal band, dorsally 397 (356) long and 317 (284–292) wide, ventrally 405 (369–373) long. Dorsal shield 292 (255–259) wide. Length of P1–5: 22, 50, 30, 88, 30. Length of I-leg-4–6: 48, 50, 66. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 60, 67, 56.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, the name being a noun in apposition.

Remarks. The new species is closest to A. magnipalpis Cook, 1966 in the presence of four pairs of acetabula and P2 enlarged. P2 of A. magnipalpis is more enlarged while P4 is stockier than in the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 6 A – E. Axonopsis kintampo n. sp., A – D = holotype male, E = paratype female. A = dorsum; B = venter; C = posteromedial view genital field; D = palp; E = venter. Scale bars = 50 µm.