Crotonia venetiolana, Lochyńska, 2010

Lochyńska, Malgorzata, 2010, The ontogeny description of two Neotropical species of Crotonia (Acari: Oribatida: Crotonioidea), Journal of Natural History 44 (15 - 16), pp. 969-992 : 970-975

Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov.

Diagnosis

Adult C. venetiolana sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of the genus by possessing the longest notogastral setae c 3 in alveoli without tubercles, very fine setae c 1 and d 2, setae d 3 located close to c 3, apophyses of f 2 in the middle of the e 2 –f 1 distance, apophyses of f 1 located above h 1 and the longest apophyses of h 2 as long as their mutual distance.

Material examined

The description of C. venetiolana sp. nov. is based on material borrowed from Prof. J. Palacios-Vargas (Universidad Nacional Autónomia México, México). All specimens of the new species studied come from five samples from Venezuela and 54 individuals were found: 20 immatures and 34 adults.

The holotype, seven paratypes and one tritonymph of C. venetiolana sp. nov. (Ven 004, Ven 011) are stored in the collection of Prof. J. Palacios-Vargas (Universidad Nacional Autónomia México, México); six paratypes and one tritonymph (Ven 002, Ven 007) are in the collection of the Zoological Museum, Natural History Museum of Denmark , Copenhagen, Denmark. Other specimens of the new species are stored in the collection of the Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland .

Locality data

Venezuela: Mérida, Mucubají; ex litter of Speletia schultzii. 23 August 1981. A. Díaz coll.: Ven 002 (nine juveniles, eight adults), Ven 004 (one juvenile, six adults; one adult– on SEM), Ven 007 (three juveniles, eight adults; two juveniles on SEM), Ven 010 (seven juveniles, nine adults; one juvenile and two adults on SEM), Ven 011 (three adults; holotype) .

Description

Larva ( Figures 1 , 2 ). Body length: 395 µm, body width: 210 µm; colour: white. Body slightly covered with dirt. Prodorsum with median incision. Rostrum rounded. Two ridges of thickened cuticle run between bothridia and lamellar apophyses. Surface with spots and knobs; small folds occur posteriorly. Rostral setae (ro) bent, as long as the distance between their tubercles. Lamellar setae (le) smooth and curved, as long as distance between tops of their apophyses. Setiform interlamellar setae (in) onequarter length of ro. Small sensillus completely contained within bothridium. Setation of subcapitulum hardly visible (not studied). Notogaster narrowed posteriorly, surface with folds and knobs. With 10 pairs of notogastral setae (setae c 2, d 1 and e 1 absent; seta f 1 present). Setae c 1 and d 2 as short as in, in alveoli without tubercles. Setae f 1 shorter than le, setae h 2 and h 3 half length of f 1, all on apophyses. Other notogastral setae longer than le (seta c 3, d 3 and h 1 the longest), h 1 delicately barbed, all set on large apophyses (c 3 and d 3 apophyses are near to each other). Oval opening of opisthosomal gland (gla) situated close to seta f 2. Pairs of epimeres separated by medial furrow. Epimeral setation: 2-1-2. Lack of genital plates, anal and adanal setae. All legs monodactylous (setation not studied).

Deutonymph ( Figures 3 , 4 ). Body length: 620–645 µm, body width: 235–250 µm; colour: light brown. Body covered with dirt and debris, particularly on notogastral setae. Prodorsum shape similar to that of larva. Setae le slightly longer than in larva, set on smaller apophyses; setae in longer than double distance between tops of their apophyses. Sensillus well developed, completely contained within bothridium. Setation of subcapitulum hardly visible (not studied). Notogaster shape similar to that of larva; surface with folds, pits and knobs. With 13 pairs of notogastral setae. Setae c 1 fine, one-third length of d 2. Setae h 2 smooth, as long as le, set on the largest apophyses; h 3 shorter than c 3. Setae p 1 longer than distance between their bases; p 2 slightly longer than p 1; p 3 half length p 2. Other setae long (the longest e 2 longer than in; the shortest c 3 slightly longer than le), pliable, set on large apophyses (c 3 and d 3 apophyses are connected). Pairs of epimeres separated. Epimeral setation: 3-1-3-3. Four pairs of genital setae; one pair of aggenital setae. Three pairs of adanal setae. Anal setae lacking. All legs monodactylous (setation not studied).

Tritonymph ( Figures 5 , 6 ). Body length: 870–890 µm, body width: 370–390 µm; colour: light brown–brown. Body covered with dirt and debris, particularly on notogastral setae. Prodorsum shape similar to deutonymph. Surface with folds and knobs. Setation of subcapitulum hardly visible (not studied). Notogaster shape similar to that of deutonymph. Setae d 2 slightly shorter than ro; c 1 half length d 2. Setae p slightly shorter than le. Other setae long, pliable, on large apophyses, h 2 delicately barbed. Epimeral setation: 3-1-(2-3)-3 (hardly visible). Six or seven pairs of genital and two pairs of aggenital setae. Three pairs of anal and three pairs of adanal setae. Lyrifissures ian and iad visible. All legs monodactylous (setation not studied).

Adult ( Figures 7–9 ). Body length: 1120–1190 µm (holotype, female: 1190 µm), body width: 550–630 µm (holotype: 570 µm); colour: dark brown. Whole body covered with dirt and debris, in posterior part with fragments of tritonymphal exuvium. Prodorsal shape and surface similar to tritonymph. Setae in almost twice length le. Setation of subcapitulum hardly visible (not studied). Notogastral plate demarcated laterally by plicature strip. Setae c 1 and d 2 very fine. Anterior setae in alveoli without tubercles, posterior – set on small apophyses and setae h 2 on the biggest apophyses. The longest setae c 3 slightly longer than distance c 1 –c 3, posterior setae – one-third length of c 3, barbed. Setae d 3 set close to c 3. Epimeral setation: 3-1-3-3. Genital plate with eight pairs of long setae; aggenital plate with two pairs of short setae. Three pairs of anal and three pairs of adanal setae. All legs tridactylous (setation not studied).

Etymology

The name venetiolana refers to the country, where the new species has been found.

Remarks

Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov. is most similar to the African species C. lyrata Colloff, 1990 . Both species have apophyses of setae h 2 far longer than the other caudal apophyses, two pairs of setae c, eight pairs of genital setae, epimeral setation (3-1-3-3), subequal length of barbed setae h and plicature strips on the lateral edges of notogaster. However, setae c 3 of C. venetiolana sp. nov. are set in alveoli without tubercles, setae d 3 are close to c 3, apophyses of f 2 are in the middle of e 2 –f 1 distance, apophyses of f 1 are further from h 1 and apophyses of in, le and the longest of h 2 are not as long as in C. lyrata .

Figures

Figure 1. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., larva. (A) Dorsal view; (B) ventral view.

Figure 2. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., larva. (A) General view; (B) dorsal view.

Figure 3. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., deutonymph. (A) Dorsal view; (B) ventral view.

Figure 4. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., deutonymph. (A) General view; (B) dorsal view; (C) setae c (arrows show fine setae c1); (D) posterior part of notogaster.

Figure 5. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., tritonymph. (A) Dorsal view; (B) ventral view.

Figure 6. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., tritonymph. (A) General view; (B) dorsal view; (C) posterior part of notogaster.

Figure 7. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., adult. (A) Dorsal view (setae e2 missing); (B) ventral view.

Figure 8. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., adult. (A) Dorsal view – specimen before cleaning; (B) dorsal view – specimen after cleaning; (C) general view – specimen after cleaning; (D) posterior part of notogaster.

Figure 9. Crotonia venetiolana sp. nov., adult. (A) Seta f2 with oval opening of opisthosomal gland; (B) seta c3; (C) anogenital region; (D) setae p1 and p2.