Stigmaeus furcatus, Dönel, Güldem & Doğan, Salih, 2011

Dönel, Güldem & Doğan, Salih, 2011, The stigmaeid mites (Acari: Stigmaeidae) of Kelkit Valley (Turkey), Zootaxa 2942, pp. 1-56 : 42

Stigmaeus furcatus sp. nov.

Holotype. Female ( Figure 21 ). Length of body 417 (420), width 188 (195).

Dorsum. Dorsal shields with reticulum. Propodosomal shield with three pairs of setae. Eyes and post-ocular bodies absent. Setae sce located on auxiliary shields. Central shield with two pairs of setae. Setae e 1 placed on single median zonal shield and setae e 2 located on lateral zonal shields. Setae d 2 located on marginal shields. Intercalary shield divided, with setae f 1. Suranal shield entire, with two pairs of setae. 13 pairs of dorsal setae thickened, distal two thirds branched; setae vi and sci monoaxial, setae ve trifurcate, all others bifurcate. Dimensions of setae as follows: vi 25 (27); ve 20 (25); sci 30 (33); sce 33 (35); c 1 25 (28); c 2 33 (35); d 1 30 (33); d 2 27 (30); e 1 30 (35); e 2 33 (35); f 1 27 (30); h 1 40 (43); h 2 38 (40). Distances between setae: vi-vi 35 (40); ve-ve 60 (65); vi-ve 38 (43); sci-sci 93 (98); ve-sci 30 (35); c 1 -c 1 76 (80); c 1 -d 1 70 (75); d 1 -d 1 80 (85); e 1 -e 1 75 (80); h 1 -h 1 40 (43); h 2 -h 2 90 (93); h 1 -h 2 30 (33).

Venter. Humeral shields bearing setae c 2, bifurcate. Humeral shields with similar patterns as dorsal shields. Coxisternal shields separated and reticulated, bearing three pairs of setae. Aggenital shield entire, bearing five pairs of setae. Genital covers bearing two pairs of setae. Pseudanal covers bearing three pairs of setae. Dimensions of setae as follows: ag 1 20 (25); ag 2 23 (28); ag 3 25 (28); ag 4 30 (35); ag 5 33 (35); g 1 15 (18); g 2 13 (15); ps 1 38 (38) ps 2 33 (35); ps 3 35 (35). Setae ps 1 bifurcate, setae ps 2 faintly bifurcate, setae ps 3 and ag 5 with minute spinules.

Legs. Leg I 300 (305), leg II 245 (253), leg III 230 (235), leg IV 280 (285). Chaetotaxy of leg segments as follows: coxae 2–2–2–2, trochanters 1–1–2–1, femora 6–4–3–2, genua 6(κ)–5(κ)–1–1, tibiae 7(ϕ,ϕρ)–6(ϕρ)–6(ϕρ)– 6(ϕρ), tarsi 14(ω)–10(ω)–8(ω)–8(ω). Genua I and II with solenidion κ. All tarsi with solenidion ω. Setae of leg segments not bifurcate.

Gnathosoma . Chelicera 75 (80), palp 65 (70). Subcapitulum with two pairs of adoral setae distally and two pairs of subcapitular setae proximally. Dimension of setae: m 40 (45); n 30 (33), distances between setae: m-m 20 (23); n-n 15 (20).

Male and other immature stages. Unknown.

Etymology. The name of this new species, furcatus , refers to the mostly furcate dorsal body setae.

Type materials. Holotype Ƥ and 1 paratype Ƥ from litter under Pistasia sp., 40°38'37'' N, 36°37'38'' E, 305 m, Erbaa, 15 III 2008; ZMAU.

Remarks. The new species resembles Stigmaeus smithi ( Mitra & Mitra, 1953) , S. sinai Swift, 1987 and S. youngi Hirst, 1926 in the shape of the dorsal setae. However it can be distinguished from them by: median zonal shield entire, setae ps 2 faintly bifurcate and leg segments without furcate setae. More details are given in Table 2. Stigmaeus smithi , S. sinai and S. youngi were found associated with phlebotomine sandflies, and they are known ectoparasties of sandflies ( Mitra & Mitra 1953; Wood 1972b; Swift 1987). Stigmaeus furcatus were found in litter under Pistasia sp.

Species Median zonal Setae on femora I- Setae on genu I Setae on genu II Setae on tibiae II

shield IV furcate furcate furcate and III furcate

S. youngi divided + + + + S. smithi entire + + + + S. sinai entire + + - - S. furcatus sp. nov. entire - - - -

+ yes, - no.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Stigmaeus furcatus sp. nov. female—A, dorsal view of idiosoma; B, ventral view of idiosoma; C, dorsal setae; D, palp; E, leg I; F, leg II; G, leg III; H, leg IV.