Neognathus beshtauiensis, Khaustov, 2024

Khaustov, Alexander A., 2024, A new species and a new record of Caligonellidae (Acari: Raphignathoidea) from Russia, Persian Journal of Acarology 13 (1), pp. 1-11 : 2-5

Neognathus beshtauiensis sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DE51827D-445C-4A7F-B904-F4A95241DDFF

Diagnosis

Female – Cupuli ia well developed, tarsi III and IV with eight setae each (vs present), genua III and IV with two setae each, tarsus IV without solenidion, tibia IV without solenidion, palpgenu with one seta, stylophore without lateral projections, peritremes with 5–6 pairs of segments, two pairs of pseudanal setae.

Description

Female ( Figs. 1‒3 ) – Length of idiosoma 265 (240‒250), width 160 (135‒140).

Idiosomal dorsum ( Fig. 1A ) ‒ Ovate. Dorsal idiosomal striae thin. Dorsal setae smooth, pointed. Cupules ia, im and ip large, almost round; ia located posterolaterad c1, im posterolaterad d, and ip anterolaterad f. Lengths of dorsal setae: vi 8 (8–9), ve 12 (12), sci 13 (13–14), sce 12 (12–13), c1 12 (12), c2 12 (11–12), d 14 (13–14), e 13 (12–13), f 13 (11–12), h1 11 (10–11), h2 13 (11–12).

Idiosomal venter ( Fig. 1B ) ‒ All ventral setae smooth and pointed. Four pairs of aggenital and two pair of genital setae; cupuli ih located anterolaterad ag4. Anal valves with two pairs of pseudanal setae. Two longitudinal groups of tiny sclerites situated between setae 4a and ag1. Lengths of ventral setae: 1a 20 (20‒22), 1b 15 (15‒18), 1c 16 (16‒18), 2c 19 (19‒20), 3a 20 (20‒23), 3c 16 (16‒20), 4a 19 (19‒20), 4c 16 (14‒16), ag1 16 (16‒18), ag2 15 (15‒18), ag3 13 (13‒18), ag4 11 (11‒13), g1 15 (15‒17), g2 15 (15‒16), ps1 11 (11), ps2 11 (11‒13).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 2 ) ‒ Stylophore width 38 (38‒40); peritremes with 5–6 pairs of segments; cheliceral stylets 30 (30‒31), slightly curved; cheliceral levers poorly visible, about three times shorter than cheliceral stylets. Palpal supracoxal setae (ep) short, peg-like; palpal chaetotaxy: Tr 0, Fe 1 (d), Ge 1 (d), Ti 3 (d, l’, l”), Ta 8(1) (ba, bp, lp, va, acmϛ, ul’ϛ, ul”ϛ, sulϛ, ω); tibial claw well developed, slightly hooked; all palpal setae smooth, eupathidia acmϛ, ul’ϛ, ul”ϛ, sulϛ blunt-tipped, other palpal setae pointed. Subcapitulum with delicate striae in basal part; all subcapitular setae smooth and pointed; lengths of subcapitular setae: m 16 (16‒18), n 37 (37‒38), or1 11 (11‒12), or2 11 (11‒12), length of palptarsal solenidion ω 4 (4).

Legs ( Fig. 3 ) ‒ Lengths of legs: I 165 (170‒180), II 125 (125‒130), III 125 (125‒130), IV 155 (155‒160). Leg I ( Fig. 3A ). Leg setation: Tr 1 (v’), Fe 3 (d, l’, bv”), Ge 6 (d, l’, l”, v’, v”, k), Ti 5(2) (dϛ, l’, l”, v’, v”, φ, φp), Ta 14(2) (ft’ϛ, ft”ϛ, tc’ϛ, tc”ϛ, p’ϛ, p”ϛ, a’, a”, u’, u”, vsϛ, pv’, pl’, pl”, ω1, ω2). Supracoxal seta of leg I (el) peg-like; all leg setae smooth; setae d of tibia, (ft), (tc), (p) and vs of tarsus eupathid-like, blunt-tipped; other leg setae pointed; solenidion ω1 8 (8) digitiform, solenidion ω2 11 (11) baculiform and curved, solenidion φ 4 (4) digitiform, solenidion φp 8 (8‒9) baculiform and curved, seta k 3 (3). Leg II ( Fig. 3B ). Leg setation: Tr 1 (v’), Fe 3 (d, l’, bv”), Ge 6 (d, l’, l”, v’, v”, k), Ti 5(1) (dϛ, l’, l”, v’, v”, φp), Ta 9(2) (ft’, tc’ϛ, tc”ϛ, a’, a”, u’, u”, pv, vs, ω1, ω2). All leg setae smooth; setae d of tibia and (tc) of tarsus eupathid-like, blunt-tipped; other leg setae pointed; solenidion ω1 7 (6‒7) digitiform, solenidion ω2 8 (8) baculiform and curved, solenidion φp 9 (7) baculiform, seta k 3 (3). Leg III ( Fig. 3C ). Leg setation: Tr 2 (l’, v’), Fe 2 (d, ev’), Ge 2 (d, v’), Ti 4(1) (d, l”, v’, v”, φp), Ta 8(1) (tc’, tc”, a’, a”, u’, u”, pv, vs, ω). Solenidion ω 10 (9) digitiform, solenidion φp 9 (8) baculiform. All leg setae smooth and pointed. Seta l” of genu absent. Leg IV ( Fig. 3D ). Leg setation: Tr 1 (v’), Fe 2 (d, ev’), Ge 3 (d, v’), Ti 4 (d, l”, v’, v”), Ta 8 (tc’, tc”, a’, a”, u’, u”, pv, vs). Solenidia ω and φp absent. All leg setae smooth and pointed.

Male and immatures unknown

Type material

Female holotype, slide ZISP T-Cal-05, Russia, Stavropol Krai, Beshtau mountain , 44° 06' 13.1" N, 43° 01' 13.0" E, 30 July 2023, in soil on the meadow, 1180 m a.s.l., coll. A.A. Khaustov. Paratypes: 2 females, same data .

Type deposition

The holotype and one female paratype of the new species are deposited in the acarological collection of the Zoological Institute of RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia ; one paratype is deposited in the mite collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology , Tyumen, Russia .

Etymology

The name of the new species refers to its distribution in Beshtau mountain.

Differential diagnosis

The female of the new species is very similar to Neognathus sibiriensis in having large palptibial claw, absence of solenidion ω on tarsus IV, absence of lateral projections on stylophore, presence of two pairs of pseudanal setae, presence of well-developed cupuli ia, presence of three setae on femur I, presence of seta k on genu II, presence of two setae on genu III, presence of only one seta on palpgenu, and presence of seta vs on tarsi III and IV. The new species differs from N. sibiriensis by the absence of solenidion on tibia IV (solenidion on tibia IV present in N. sibiriensis ), presence of two setae on genu IV (three setae in N. sibiriensis ), and in having 5–6 pairs of segments in peritremes (four pairs in N. sibiriensis ).

Figures

Figure 1. Neognathus beshtauiensis sp. nov. (female) – A. Idiosomal dorsum; B. Idiosomal venter.

Figure 2. Neognathus beshtauiensis sp. nov., female – A. Gnathosoma, dorsal aspect; B. Subcapitulum.

Figure 3. Neognathus beshtauiensis sp. nov. (female) – A–D. Right legs I-IV respectively, dorsal aspect.