Atractides iranicus, Pesic, Vladimir M. & Asadi, Mahdieh, 2002

Pesic, Vladimir M. & Asadi, Mahdieh, 2002, Two new water mite species from Iran of the water mite families Torrenticolidae and Hygrobatidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 127, pp. 1-7 : 4-6

Atractides iranicus sp. nov. ( Figs. 7­9 )

Material examined: Holotype, female, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; Iran, Kerman area, the Sirch stream in the Sirch village (near Kerman), 23.07.2002, leg Asadi; Paratypes: two females, same data as holotype, dissected and slide mounted on Hoyer's fluid.

Diagnosis: Females: I­L­5 thickened at insertion S­1 (ratio dorsal length I­L­5/central height 2.9­3.3); S­1­2 distanced (31­36.5), seta S­1 less slender (L/W<10.0); I­L­6 more stout (L/HB<9); the ventral margin of P­4 is divided by hair insertions in sectors 1:1:2; the sword seta is arranged distally from the distoventral hair.

Description

Female (holotype, measurements of paratypes are given in parentheses): Length of idiosoma 690.0 (692.0), width 507.0 (493.0); dorsally the integument is striated; muscle attachments unsclerotized; length between anterior end of first coxae and posterior end of fourth coxae 346.1; Cx­3 width 396.0; Cx­1+2 width 307.0 (275.0); Cx­1+2 medial suture 102.0 (100.0) in length; distance from lateralmost tips of Cx­2 to the medioposterior edge of Cx­2+3 203.0 (192.3); chelicerae L 322.5, claw L 61.5; palp total L 308. 1 (300.6), dorsal L of single segments: P­1 28.3 (28.0), P­2 68.3 (66.6), P­3 84.6 (82), P­4 92.3 (91), P­5 34.6 (33); length ratio P­2/P­4 is 0.74 (0.73); palp: slender; P­2 ventral margin very weakly convex, nearly straight, distally forming a right angle; P­4 with a slight ventral indentation, sword seta distal to disto­ventral hair ( Fig. 8 ). Genital field: praegenital sclerite narrow, Ac in a weakly curved line ( Fig. 7 ); genital plates L 98.0 (98.0), W 28.0 (27.0), genital field W 163.0; Ac­1­3 length 25.0­28.3­27.0 (24.0­25.0­25.0); excretory pore unsclerotized; Vgl­1 separated from Vgl­2.

I­L­5 thickened at insertion S­1, with ventral seta inserted close to S­1; S­1­2 distanced, heteromorphic, thickened; I­L­6 curved, very slender ( Fig. 9 ); I­L­5 dorsal length 205.0 (186.5), I­L­5 ventral length 117.0 (115.4), ratio dorsal length I­L­5/ventral length 1.75 (1.62), I­L­5 central height 61.5 (65.0), ratio dorsal length I­L­5/central height 3.3 (2.9), S­1 length 105.8 (100.0), ratio length S­1/ width 9.2 (8.0), S­2 length 80.8 (77.0), ratio length S­2/ width 4.67 (5.0), distance of sword setae at I­L­5 36.5 (31.0); length ratio S­1/2 1.2 (1.3); I­L­6 length 152.3 (146.1), I­L­6 central height 17.3 (17.3), ratio length I­ L­6/central height 8.8 (8.4); length ratio I­L­5/6 1.35 (1.28).

Male: unknown.

Discussion: In the combination of a striated integument, unsclerotized excretory pore, unfused Vgl­1/2, relatively small acetabula in a curved line and similar morphology of I­ L­5/6, A. iranicus sp. nov. is similar to Atractides distans ( K. Viets, 1914) , and A. inflatipes Lundblad, 1956 . Atractides distans ( K. Viets, 1914) (measurements are given in parentheses [from Gerecke (in press.)]) is similar to A. inflatipes and A. iranicus sp. nov., in a rather low I­L­5 L/HB ratio (3.14), but differs in a lower L ratio I­L­5/6 (1.03), and by far more slender S­1 (L/ W 16.1, with distally enlarged and truncate tip) and S­2 (L/ W 9.9). As compared with A. inflatipes (see: Pesic, 2001), A.iranicus n. sp. is characterized by the following features: More stout I­L­6, L/HB<9.0 (L/HB>9.0 in A. inflatipes ), less distanced setae S­1­2>37.0 (39.0­49.0 in A. inflatipes ), more shorter S­1, L<110.0, L ratio S­1/2 is 1.2­1.3 (L S­1>110.0, L ratio S­1/2 1.4­1.5 in A. inflatipes ). The most important difference between A. inflatipes and A. iranicus sp. nov., is present in the P­4: In A.iranicus sp. nov., the ventral margin of P­4 is divided by hair insertions in sectors 1:1:2 (in A. inflatipes , the ventral margin of P­4 is divided by hair insertions in sectors 1:1:1), additionally the sword seta is arranged distally from the distoventral hair, while it is closely approached to the disto­ventral hair in A. inflatipes ( Pesic, 2001) .

Etymology: The species in named for its occurrence in Iran.

Habitat: Rhithral.

Distribution: Iran, only known from the locus typicus in the Kerman area.

Figures

FIGURES 7 ­ 9. Atractides iranicus sp. nov., female, holotype: 7 = coxal and genital field; 8 = palp; 9 = I­L­ 5 / 6. Scale bars = 100 m.