Platymamersopsis (s. str.) davecooki, 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 : 98-103

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

( Figs 239–247 , Table 12)

Type: Holotype male, MD 162 a, Joffreville (Montagne d’Ambre, Antsiranana), Rivière de Manques in Reserve Fontenay , riffle, 730 m asl, 21.5 °C, 15 µS/cm, 20.11.2001, mounted.

Additional specimens examined: MD 118a, Maromandia (Majunga), left tributary of Rivière Andranamalaza, riffle, about 1.0 km E from main road, 100 m asl, 25.5 °C, 36 µS/cm, 21.10.2001, 0/1/0 mounted.

Habitat: Streams at 100–730 m asl.

Distribution: Madagascar (Montagne d’Ambre and northern lowland).

Derivatio nominis: Davecooki — named after Dr Dave Cook (Paradise Valley, USA), who made the present study possible and described several species of the genus from West Africa.

Diagnosis: Idiosoma small, oval; dorsal shield anteriorly rounded, broad, ridge on dorsal shield apically pointed, caudally undulated; coxal field relatively broad, medial margins of Cx-I long, of Cx-III mid-sized; genital field small, rounded-rectangular, caudally only slightly surpassing genital bay; acetabula mid-sized, oval; legs relatively compact, claws on leg-I to -III strong, with single dorsal clawlet and comb-like ventral clawlets; leg-IV-6 with two mid-sized terminal setae and three strong sub-terminal setae; capitulum very compact; palp relatively stout, ventral margin of P2 straight, dorsal margin rounded.

Description, male (n = 1): Idiosoma oval ( Fig. 239 ), pale grey; dorsal shield oval, anteriorly and posteriorly rounded ( Fig. 240 ) (L/W 407/304), ridge on dorsal shield apically tapering, caudally weaker, undulated, Dgl-3 to -5 with strong setae, Dgl-6 and Lgl-4 with small setae; soft integument in dorsal furrow lined ( Fig. 240 ); ventral shield broad-oval (L/W 451/331); coxal field (especially Cx-I to -III) relatively broad, anteriorly surpassing ventral shield; medial margin Cx-I long (56), Cx-III mid-sized (34) ( Fig. 239 ); Cxgl-2 close to posterior margin of Cx-II, Cxgl-4 at anterior margin of Cx-III; caudal margin of Cx-IV rounded, caudo-laterally undulated, laterally slightly convex, dorso-lateral only weakly extended, lateral ridge +/-straight ( Fig. 239 ); genital field small, rounded-rectangular (L/W 83/78), anteriorly rounded, laterally nearly straight, smoothly convex, posteriorly truncated, caudally slightly extended beyond genital bay; acetabula mid-sized, oval (Ac1 and Ac3 slightly remote from anterior and caudal end of genital flaps respectively), few, small setae on genital flaps ( Fig. 239 ); setae of Vgl-1 postero-medial to caudal corner of Cx-IV, Vgl-3 close to caudo-lateral margin of Cx-IV; excretory pore and Vgl-2 close together, remote from caudal margin of ventral shield, Vgl-4 closer to caudal margin, Lgl-1 to -3 at lateral margin; legs compact, leg-I to -III with few strong, pinnate setae and many fine hair-like setae, claws heavy with single dorsal clawlet and comb-like ventral clawlets ( Fig. 241 ); leg-IV with many heavy setae, leg-IV-6 with two mid-sized terminal setae ( Fig. 242 ); capitulum short, compact, dorsal apodemes slender, ventral margin proximally bellied, towards rostrum straight ( Fig. 243 ); chelicera typical, with high dorsal hump ( Fig. 244 ); palp compact, strong; P2 short, compact, with four laterodorsal and two medio-dorsal setae, dorsal margin curved, undulated; ventral margin straight ( Fig. 243 ), ventral seta long, pointed; P3 with two medio-dorsal and one lateral setae; P4 with ventro-distal protrusions, ventral setae located distally; P5 compact with strong distal claw ( Fig. 243 ).

Female (n = 1): Idiosoma similar to male, coxal field as well as genital field slenderer (L/W 87/69) ( Fig. 245 , Table 12); legs and gnathosoma similar to male ( Figs 246, 247 ).

Remarks: See below under P. spinalis .

Figures

FIGURES 239–244. Platymamersopsis davecooki sp. nov., male holotype (MD 162a): 239, idiosoma, ventral view; 240, idiosoma, dorsal view; 241, leg-II; 242, leg-IV-2 to -6; 243, capitulum with left palp and chelicera, lateral view; 244, right chelicera, medial view. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURES 245–247. Platymamersopsis davecooki sp. nov., female (MD 118a): 245, idiosoma, ventral view; 246, left chelicera, lateral view; 247, right palp, medial view. Scale bars = 100 µm.