Albia (Anchistalbia) tenuipalpis Viets, 1911

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 : 525

Albia (Anchistalbia) tenuipalpis Viets, 1911

( Figs. 1 B–D)

Material examined. Ghana. 1/0/0, Stream Asukuma, Kakum NP, 5º 26.995 N 1º 25.071 W, alt. 131 m a.s.l., 12-ii- 2013.

Description. Male: Idiosoma yellowish with in the centre a large purple spot, dorsally 640 long and 470 wide, ventrally 559 long. Dorsal and ventral shields present. Dorsal shield 429 wide, with five pairs of glandularia. First coxae not extending to anterior idiosoma margin. Suture lines between Cx-I and Cx-II and midline distinct, suture line between Cx-III and Cx-IV indistinct, suture lines of Cx-II and Cx-III obliterated. Suture lines of Cx-III/IV fused with midline anterior to fusion point of CX-I/II. Cxgl–4 close to suture line between Cx-III and Cx-IV. Genital field with numerous acetabula, gonopore 56 long. Length of P1–5: 38, 64, 47, 86, 36. P4 bowed. Length of I-leg-4–6: 72, 82, 70. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 98, 104, 90. Second, third and fourth legs with numerous swimming setae.

Remarks. Cook (1966) reported the species from Liberia, but his specimen has a different configuration of the dorsal glandularia compared to the male from Ghana, and has an anterior and posterior blue spot. The male described by Viets (1916) has a blue spot in the centre, but is larger (735 µm) than the male from Ghana. Unfortunately Viets (1916) didn’t illustrate the dorsum, and his illustration of the venter is sketchy. The palp of Viets’ his male agrees well with the palp of the male from Ghana, which is less elongated compared to the female. Albia tenuipalpis is known from Cameroon, South Africa, possibly from Liberia and reported here for the first time from Ghana .

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Albia hystrix Viets, female, detail of genital field. B – D. Albia tenuipalpis Viets. B = dorsum; C = venter; D = palp. Scale bars = 50 µm.