Notophthiracarus spathulatus Niedbała, 2019

Niedbała, Wojciech, Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A. & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2019, New Notophthiracarus species (Acarina, Oribatida, Phthiracaridae) and overview of the distribution of the genus in South Africa, Zootaxa 4647 (1), pp. 231-240 : 234-236

Notophthiracarus spathulatus Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Measurements. Small to medium sized species. Holotype. Prodorsum: length 265, width 190, height 106. Prodorsal setae: ss 25, in 51, le and ro 38, ex 30. Notogaster: length 480, width 303, height 293. Notogastral setae: c 1 63, c 1 / c 1 - d 1 =0.6, h 1 73, ps 1 66. Genitoaggenital plate 182 × 86. Anoadanal plate 159 × 81. Measurements of 15 paratypes. Prodorsum: length 197–343, height 68–101. Notogaster: length 348–636, height 101–414.

Integument. Colour dark brown. Body surface covered with large, distinct foveoles.

Prodorsum. With large, median dorsal crista. Lateral carinae absent. Posterior furrows well marked. Sigillar field invisible due to strong sculpture. Strong hump present above bothridia. Sensilli short with rounded head covered with minute scales. Interlamellar setae thickened, covered with small spines in distal half. Lamellar setae setiform, rough. Rostral setae also setiform, rough, located close to each other. Setae in, le and ro procumbent. Relative length of setae: in>ro=le>ex>ss.

Notogaster. With relatively short (c 1 <c 1 - d 1) setae. Dorsal setae (c 1, d 1, e 1, h 1, ps 1, ps 2) rigid, dilated in distal half, sparsely covered with small spines, setae c 2, d 2, e 2, h 3 similar in shape to dorsal setae (type A); setae c 3, cp and h 2 shorter and spoon-shaped (type B; see below), covered with small spines; setae ps 3 and ps 4 intermediate shape (type C). Setae c 1 and c 3 slightly remote from anterior margin, c 1 slightly more than c 3; c 2 far from margin. Lyrifissures and vestigial setae not seen, probably due to strong sculpture.

Ventral region. Setae h of subcapitular mentum longer than distance between them. Formula of genital setae: 5: 4 ( Niedbała 1986). Anoadanal plates each with five setae, two short anal setae but longer than ad 3 setae; setae ad 1 and ad 2 vestigial and situated posterior of an 1 setae.

Legs. Formulas of setae and solenidia of “complete type ” ( Niedbała 2000). Dorsal setae d on femora I long, strong, bifurcated distally, situated in middle of article, lateral setae l” located between setae d and v”.

Material examined

Holotype and two paratypes: South Africa, Western Cape, Wilderness, Kaaimansgat estuary, next to a gorge, 33°59.350’S, 22°33.058’E, 4 m a.s.l., coastal forest, soil, sample at base of a tree, 28.IX.2018 (J.A. Neethling); 13 paratypes: same data, but sample at base of rock outcrop.

Type deposition

The holotype (in ethanol with drop of glycerol) and 13 paratypes are deposited in AMU; 2 paratypes are deposited in NMBS .

Etymology

The name of new species spathula is Latin for “spoon, a broad piece” and refers to shape of notogastral setae. Remarks

The new species is characterized by the large foveoles of body surface, short, rounded sensilli, the dilated, spoonshaped notogastral setae of slightly different shape, presence of large median crista of prodorsum, setae ad 1 and ad 2 of anoadanal plates vestigial and situated posterior of an 1 setae, dorsal setae d on femora I long, strong, bifurcated distally, situated in middle of article. It is slightly similar, through the shape of sensilli, shape of notogastral setae and bifurcated setae d of legs femora I, to some South African Notophthiracarus species: N. heterotrichus ( Mahunka, 1984) , N. knysnaensis Niedbała, 2006 and N. reductus ( Mahunka, 1986) . Notophthiracarus heterotrichus has setiform notogastral setae ps 3 and ps 4 (versus spoon-shaped), and adanal setae ad 2 situated anterior of anal setae an 1 (versus posterior of an 1). Notophthiracarus knysnaensis lacks a median prodorsal crista (versus crista present), and lamellar setae swollen in distal half (versus setiform). Notophthiracarus reductus has all similar spoon-shaped notogastral setae (versus three types of dilated notogastral setae), and adanal setae ad 2 situated anterior of anal setae an 1 (versus posterior of an 1).

Morphological note

Notogastral setae have not only different shapes, but these shapes may be differently distributed according to individual. For example the distribution of setae in paratype I is as follows: right side: type A— c 1, d 1, e 1, h 1, ps 1, ps 2, d 2; type B—c 2, c 3, cp, h 2; type C— d 2, e 2, ps 3, ps 4; left side: type A— d 1, e 1, h 1, ps 1, ps 2, d 2; type B— c 1, c 2, c 3, cp, h 2; type C— d 2, e 2, ps 3, ps 4. By contrast, the distribution in paratype II is: right side—type A— d 1, e 1, h 1, ps 1; type B— c 2, c 3, cp, h 3, ps 3, ps 4; type C— c 1, d 2, e 2, h 2, ps 2; left side: type A— d 1, e 1, h 1, ps 1; type B— c 1, c 2, c 3, cp, h 3, ps 2, ps 3, ps 4; type C— d 2, e 2, h 2.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Notophthiracarus spathulatus Niedbała sp. nov. (holotype): A—prodorsum, dorsal view; B—fragment of prodor- sum with sensillus and exobothridial seta, lateral view; C—lateral view of body; D—sensillus, ventral view; E—seta c 1; F—seta h 2; G—mentum of subcapitulum; H—right genitoaggenital plate; I—right anoadanal plate; J—femur of leg I. Scale bars 100 µm (A, C), 50 µm (B, H, I), 25 µm (D, E, F, G, J).