Torrenticola brachypalpis, PešićK & K & K, 2022

PešićK, Vladimir, K, Harry Smit & K, Mer Man Gurung, 2022, Torrenticolid water mites of Bhutan. Genera Torrenticola Piersig, 1896 and Neoatractides Lundblad, 1941 (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae), Acarologia 1941 (3), pp. 821-860 : 838-842

Torrenticola brachypalpis sp. nov.

Zoobank: 70A3C10B-4F5E-44A5-A2E1-3CACCAF0D0E8

Figures 12, 13, 14 D-I

Material examined — Holotype ♂, dissected and slide mounted, Bhutan, MG3 Bipgang Chhu , 27.15729°N, 90.66721°E, 586 m asl, 25.x.2021 . Paratypes: 1 ♂ (juvenile), MG 3

Bipgang Chhu, 27.15729°N, 90.66721, 586 m asl, 28.vi.2021 ; 1 ♀, Bhutan, MG 4 Takabi Chhu, 27.14782°N, 90.68833°E, 543 m asl, 30.vi.2021, dissected and slide mounted; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, MG 4

Takabi Chhu, 27.14782°N, 90.68833°E, 543 m asl, 26.x.2021, dissected and slide mounted; 1

♂ (damaged, dorsal shield lacking), MG 5 Dakpay Chhu, 27.14621°N, 90.69220°E, 539 m asl, 1.v.2021.

Diagnosis — Gnathosomal rostrum long and very slender; P-2 ventral seta relatively long (reaching almost width of the segment) and slightly below the ventrodistal projection, P-3 with a very long seta located at the base of the projection, P-4 relatively short and stout, L ratio P-2/P-4 1.5–1.6.

Description — General features – Idiosoma oval-elongated (dorsal shield L/W ratio 1.3-1.4); dorsal shield without a colour pattern (as photographed in Figures 14 D-E); area of primary sclerotization of the dorsal plate with two dorsoglandularia; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally pointed; Cxgl-4 subapical; suture lines of Cx-IV distinctly extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field, laterally curved; excretory pore and Vgl-2 located close to the margin of primary sclerotization; gnathosoma with a curved ventral margin, rostrum elongated and slender ( Figure 12E); P-2 ventral margin straight, ventral seta slightly below the ventrodistal projection, P-2 and P-3 ventrodistal protrusions small and bluntly pointed, P-3 with a very long seta located at the base of the projection, P-4 relatively short and stout, P-4 with a ventral tubercle bearing one longer and three shorter setae ( Figures 12D, 13C). Male – Medial suture line of Cx-II+III relatively short; genital field subrectangular; ejaculatory complex conventional in shape (with well-developed anterior keel and proximal arms, Figure 14F). Female – Genital field wider than in male and slightly tapering posteriorly.

Measurements. Male (holotype) – Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 12C) L 752, W 531;

dorsal shield ( Figure 12B) L 591, W 445, L/W ratio 1.33; dorsal plate L 550; shoulder plate L 188–195, W 68–69, L/W ratio 2.77–2.84; frontal plate L 150, W 63, L/W ratio 2.4; shoulder/frontal plate L 1.25–1.3. Gnathosomal bay L 175, Cx-I total L 322, Cx-I mL 146, CxII+III mL 94; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 3.43; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.55. Genital field L/W 138/109, ratio 1.26; distance genital field-excretory pore 142, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 198. Ejaculatory complex L 168. Gnathosoma vL 334, chelicera L 394; palp total L

244, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 28/27, 1.03; P-2, 86/41, 2.1; P-3, 58/39, 1.48; P-4, 55/27, 2.1; P-5,

17/13, 1.3; L ratio P-2/P-4 1.57. dL of I-L-2–6: 75, 75, 102, 102, 87; I-L-6 H 28; dL/H I-L-6

ratio 3.1.

Female (paratype from Takabi Chhu, n = 1) – Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 13B) L

884, W 575; dorsal shield ( Figure 13A) L 659, W 478, L/W ratio 1.38; dorsal plate L 613; shoulder plate L 203, W 72, L/W ratio 2.8; frontal plate L 156–159, W 64–66, L/W ratio

2.4–2.5; shoulder/frontal plate L 1.27–1.3. Gnathosomal bay L 197, Cx-I total L 359, Cx-I mL

163, Cx-II+III mL 69; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 5.2; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 2.36. Genital field L/W 160/141, ratio 1.14; distance genital field-excretory pore 188, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 269. Gnathosoma vL 363, chelicera L 438; palp total L 278, dL/H, dL/H ratio:

P-1, 30/31, 0.97; P-2, 98/50, 1.97; P-3, 67/45, 1.5; P-4, 66/30, 2.21; P-5, 17/14, 1.23; L ratio

P-2/P-4 1.5. dL of I-L-4–6: 108, 108, 91; I-L-6 H 27; dL/H I-L-6 ratio 3.4.

Etymology — Named for the relatively short palp.

Discussion — In regard to the similar shape of gnathosoma and a P-4 shortened and stout, the new species resembles Torrenticola yunnanensis Gu, Jin & Guo, 2020 , a species described from a single female from Yunnan Province (Mengla, China). In regard to the shape of the genital field (subrectangular as illustrated in figure 3B in Gu et al. 2020b) it is likely that the illustrated female of T. yunnanensis represent a male specimen. Torrenticola yunnanensis differs in having a shorter ventral setae on P-2 and P-3, and the ventral seta on P-2 is located proximally to the ventral extension in T. brachypalpis sp. nov.

Distribution — Bhutan (this study).