Platymamersopsis (s. str.) palustris, Goldschmidt, 2008

Goldschmidt, Tom, 2008, Taxonomical, ecological and zoogeographical studies on anisitsiellid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Anisitsiellidae Koenike, 1910) from Madagascar, Zootaxa 1954 (1), pp. 1-120 : 103-106

Platymamersopsis (s. str.) palustris sp. nov.

( Figs 248–256 , Table 12)

Type series: Holotype male, MD 79 , Fort Dauphin (Tulear), Mandena ( QMM area), swamp with Sphagnum et left border of Rivière Amendano (1 km downstream road bridge), 10 m asl, 21.4 °C, 290 µS/cm, 13.09.2001, mounted; paratypes, MD 82 , Fort Dauphin (Tulear), Mandena ( QMM area), swamp with Sphagnum near road from nursery to coastal lake ( MD 080 ), 5 m asl, 14.09.2001, 0/1/0 mounted, 0/1/0 unmounted; MD 83 , Fort Dauphin (Tulear), Mandena ( QMM area), pond with Nepenthes near road from nursery to coastal lake ( MD 080 ), 5 m asl, 25.0 °C, 23 µS/cm, 14.09.2001, 1/0/0 mounted, 1/0/0 unmounted.

Habitat: Swamps and pond in coastal forest at 5–10 m asl.

Distribution: South-east Madagascar (Fort Dauphin, Mandena).

Derivatio nominis: Palustris (Latin) — living in the swamp; as the species has only been found in swamps in the coastal forest near Fort Dauphin.

Diagnosis: Idiosoma mid-sized, rounded; ridge on dorsal shield remote from margin, only visible as anterior and lateral bow; dorsal shield anterior very broad; coxal field short, broad, medial margins of Cx-I relatively long, of Cx-III relatively short; genital field broad rectangular, caudally surpassing genital bay; acetabula mid-sized, oval; legs relatively slender, claws on leg-I to -III with small, single dorsal clawlet and short comb-like ventral clawlets; leg-IV-6 with two short terminal setae and longer sub-terminal seta; capitulum short, compact; palp typical, relatively stout, ventral margin of P2 straight to slightly convex, dorsal margin rounded.

Description, male (n = 2): Idiosoma rounded ( Fig. 248 ), purple-blue, coxae and legs more brown-greyish; dorsal shield rounded (L/W 549 (569)/471 (491)), ridge on dorsal shield far central, only developed anteriorly and laterally, open bell-shaped, Dgl-3 to -5 with stronger setae on straight line relatively far central, Dgl-6 and Lgl-4 with smaller setae far peripheral; soft integument in dorsal furrow fine lined ( Fig. 249 ); ventral shield nearly circular (L/W 589 (628)/530 (569), Table 12); coxal field short, broad, transverse-oval, Cx-I to -III relatively small, anteriorly not surpassing ventral shield; medial margin Cx-I long (77 (74)), Cx-III short (27 (25)) ( Fig. 248 ); Cxgl-2 near posterior margin of Cx-II, Cxgl-4 at anterior margin of Cx-III; Cx-IV caudally and, laterally rounded, dorso-laterally extended to Cx-II, lateral ridge straight ( Fig. 248 ); genital field relatively small, broad-rectangular (L/W 115 (137)/115 (125)), anteriorly and posteriorly truncated, laterally nearly straight, caudally slightly extended beyond genital bay; acetabula rather small, oval (Ac1 and Ac3 far remote from anterior and posterior end of genital flaps respectively), setae on genital flaps very small ( Fig. 248 ); setae of Vgl-1 and Vgl-3 close to caudal margin of Cx-IV; excretory pore and Vgl-2 relatively close together, close to caudal margin of ventral shield, Vgl-4 and Lgl-1 to -3 close to lateral margin; legs relatively slender, leg-I and -II with several stronger and many fine hair-like setae; leg-III with more heavy setae and very few fine setae, claws on leg-I to -III strong, curved, with single, small dorsal clawlet and relatively short, comb-like ventral clawlets ( Figs 250-252 ); leg-IV with many heavy setae, terminal segment slender, with two small terminal setae and a row of four stronger sub-terminal setae ( Fig. 253 ); capitulum very short, compact, dorsal apodemes slender, ventral margin proximally inflated, rostrum very short, truncated ( Fig. 254 ); chelicera typical; palp very compact; P2 short, compact, with four dorsal and two latero-dorsal setae, dorsal margin curved; ventral margin straight to convex ( Figs 254, 255 ), ventral seta mid-sized, pointed; P3 with two dorsal and one lateral setae, the latter far proximal; P4 with ventral and ventro-distal protrusions, ventral setae centrally and distally; P5 compact ( Figs 254, 255 ).

Female (n = 1): Idiosoma larger than in males (L/W, dorsal shield 706/569, ventral shield 741/647), darker purple; genital field more elongated (L/W 167/145) ( Fig. 256 ); legs and capitulum similar to males.

Remarks: See below below P.spinalis .

Figures

FIGURE 256. Platymamersopsis palustris sp. nov., female paratype (MD 82): 256, idiosoma, ventral view. Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURES 248–255. Platymamersopsis palustris sp. nov., male holotype (MD 79): 248, idiosoma, ventral view; 249, idiosoma, dorsal view; 250, leg-I; 251, leg-II; 252, leg-III; 253, leg-IV; 254, capitulum with left palp and chelicera, lateral view; 255, right palp, medial view. Scale bars = 100 µm.