Phthiracarus paralongulus, Niedbała & Starý, 2010

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2010, Three holarctic new species of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida), Zootaxa 2625 (1), pp. 63-68 : 66-68

Phthiracarus paralongulus sp. nov.

( Figs 12–19 )

Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 258, width 185, height 99, sensillus 30, setae: interlamellar 71, lamellar 43, rostral 66, exobothridial 35; notogaster: length 470, width 318, height 308, setae: c 1 35, h 1 109, p 1 95; genitoaggenital plate 111 x 88, anoadanal plate 164 x 76.

Description: Rather small species. Colour light brown. Integument densely porous.

Prodorsum with distinct and long lateral carinae. Sigillar fields narrow and short. Sensilli short (shorter than exobothridial setae), spindle-shaped, pointed distally, smooth. Setae of medium length, attenuate, in> ro> le> ex.

Notogaster with 15 pairs short setae, setae c 1 shorter than distance c 1 -d 1. All setae of row c 1-3 situated at the anterior border. Vestigial setae f 1 in holotype posteriad of setae h 1 on the right side and anteriad on the left side; vestigial setae f 1 in paratype situated at the level of h 1 setae. Two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 4+3: 2. Anoadanal plates with long anal setae and short ad 3 setae, setae ad 1 and ad 2 vestigial.

Setation of legs incomplete. Femora I with 3 setae and genae IV without setae.

Material: Holotype (in DATE) and one paratype (in ISB): Czech Republic, South Bohemia [7354],

Novohradské hory Mts., Žofínský prales, 15.IX. 1988, altitude 798 m, 48 o 40´04,41´´ N, 14 o 42´30,33´´ E, virgin climax forest with dominant white fir (Abies alba) and common beech (Fagus sylvatica), decaying fir wood sample, leg. J. Starý.

Etymology: The prefix para is Latin meaning “near” and refers to the similarity the new species with Phthiracarus longulus .

Comparison: The new species is similar to Phthiracarus longulus (C.L. Koch, 1841) but is distinguishable by the following characters: shorter interlamellar and lamellar setae, setae d of femora I long and situated posteriorly of l” setae.

Figures

FIGURES 12–19. Phthiracarus paralongulus sp. nov.: 12, prodorsum, lateral view; 13, prodorsum, dorsal view; 14, lateral view of opisthosoma; 15, mentum of infracapitulum; 16, genitoaggenital plate; 17, anoadanal plate, 18, trochanter and femur I, 19, genu and tibia IV.