Klinckowstroemia hunteri sp. nov.

Material examined. Holotype. Ƥ (CNAC 006530), Hidalgo, Mexico, 2 km Mojonera-Tizapan, municipality Zacualtipan (20°38.107' N, 98°35.981' W), 2,019 m, 22 September 2006, from Odontotaenius zodiacus, O. Francke, A. Valdez and H. Montaño coll., pine-oak forest. Paratypes. 2 Ƥ (CNAC 006531, CNAC 006532), 5 33 (CNAC 006533- CNAC 006537), same data as holotype, from 3 specimens of Odontotaenius zodiacus; 2 Ƥ, Hidalgo, Mexico, 2 km E Acaxochitlán (20°08.500' N, 98°10.740' W), 2,214m, 23 September 2006, from Odontotaenius zodiacus, O. Francke, A. Valdez and H. Montaño coll. pine-oak forest. Holotype female, two paratype females and four paratype males deposited in the CNAC, one female and one male paratypes deposited in NMNH.

Female (n = 13). Body oval. Idiosoma, L = 966 (896–1,043); W = 666 (640–672) (Fig. 3 A).

Ve n tr al idiosoma. Hyaline hood extending to level of coxa I, seta a 1 large and barbed, L = 42 (31–43). Tritosternum base wider than long. Tetartosternum L = 40 (34–40), anterior W = 124 (124–127), shagreened and reticulated as illustrated (Fig. 4 C). Tetartosternal notch triangular. Sternal seta st 1 simple (Fig. 4 D), L = 6, but broken on all specimens, lyriform sternal pore stp 1 near posterior margin. Sternal shield (Fig. 4 E) L = 87 (59–90), stp 2 near centre of shield, behind it sternal seta st 2, a simple microseta. Setae st 3, L = 20 (12–22) and st 4, L = 7 (6–8) near posterior margin of shield, both simple, close together. Shield reticulated and shagreened. Sternogynial shield (Fig. 4 G) L = 65 (62–68); W = 170 (161–174) triangular, anterior margin narrow and pointed at apex, surface shagreened and reticulated, stp 3 located closer to lateral margins. Sternogynial apodeme with broad base that rises to the shield, posterior arms thick, extending posteriorly to level of latigynial and mesogynial condyles. Latigynial shields, L = 143 (121–143); W = 68 (47–76), each with an oval pore and four setae, medial margin of shield straight and short (Fig. 4 G), shield reticulated, surface shagreened; latigynial apodeme thick and separate from sternogynial shield. Mesogynial shield L = 81 (53– 81), W = 84 (71–93), triangular, wider posteriorly and pointed at apex, anterior margin extending slightly anteriorly to sternogynal shield (Fig. 4 G), surface shagreened. Mesogynial condyles extending almost to level of shield apex. Ventral shield, L = 279 (251–282); posterior W = 544 (518–544), shield triangular, truncated posteriorly, surface shagreened (Fig. 6 B), with 12 pairs of small setae (Fig. 3 A). One pore underneath posterior margin of coxa IV (Fig. 3 A). Metapodal-peritremal-exopodal shield (MPES) with a pair of pores and one simple seta (Fig. 3 A, 6B). Anal shield, L = 192 (102–198); anterior W = 474 (448–474) (Fig. 4 F), with six pairs of simple setae plus longer antero anal seta, L = 34 (32–34.1), two pairs of pores, one near anterior margin and the other below the anus.

Gnathosoma . Capitular setae (sc) short and serrate, L = 20 (14–20). With three hypostomal setae (Fig. 4 H), hyp 1 long and simple, L = 65 (56–68), longest. Seta hyp 2 serrate, L = 40 (40–45). Seta hyp 3 short and simple, L = 12 (12–16). Chelicera with barbed setae, movable digit with four teeth, two small and two large; fixed digit with six teeth, two large and four small. Most palpal setae simple, but av 1 and av 2 of trochanter are branched and serrate respectively. On femur pv 1 is barbed; ad 1, ad 1, pd 1 and pd 2 are serrated. On genu ad 1 and ad 2 are serrate. Anterior margin of palp trochanter with blunt process (b), denticulated process (s) slightly longer (Fig. 6 A).

Legs. Most leg setae simple, except: Leg I: trochanter I ad 1, av 1, al 1 and pv 1 serrated; femur I, al 1, pv 1 and pv 3 serrated; genu I, av 1 and pl 1 serrated. Leg II: femur av 1 and genu av 1 serrated. Leg III: femur av 1; genu av 1 and pv 1; tibia ad 3 and al 3 serrated. Leg IV: coxa av 1 and pv 1, tibia ad 4, tarsus ad 2 and ad 3 slightly serrated.

Male (n = 4) Body oval, similar to female. Idiosoma, L = 992–1018, W = 717–755 (Fig. 3 B).

Ve n tr al idiosoma. Tetartosternum, L = 47–56, anterior W = 124–133, shagreened, with one line near anterior margin (Fig. 6 D). Tetartosternal notch small, square, moderately deep (Fig. 6 D). Sternal seta st 1, L = 9–22, simple (Fig. 6 C). Sternal seta st 2, L = 12, simple, seta st 3, L = 6–11, simple, and st 4 is a microseta. Sternal shield shagreened, L = 153. Genital opening oval, L = 59–65, W = 89–96. Ventral shield with 36 setae, L = 372–388, shagreened, with two pores, one near anterior margin of coxa IV and other below the same coxa (Fig. 3 B). Anal shield, L = 183–217, with six pairs of simple setae, plus longer antero anal seta L = 12–34, with two pores: one near to anterior margin and the other below the anus.

Gnathosoma . Hypostomal seta hyp 1 long and simple, L = 65–71, seta hyp 3 serrate and long, L = 43–47, seta hyp 2 simple and shorter, L = 12–16.

Legs. Seta pv 1 on coxa IV slightly serrated (Fig. 6 E).

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Preston E. Hunter, for his contribution to the study of mites associated with passalids, especially of the family Klinckowstroemiidae .

Remarks. This species can be distinguished from all others because the latigynial and sternogynial apodemes are strongly developed and wider, separating the sternogynial and latigynial shields. The mesogynial shield has a wide posterior margin. The tetartosternum, sternal, sternogynial and latyginal shields are reticulated and shagreened. The male has 34 setae on the ventral shield, and the tetartosternum is hexagonal in shape and expanded. Klinckowstroemia hunteri is similar to K. atramaculata, because they have the latigynial shield long and st 1 barbed, but the last species lacks the well-developed latigynial and mesogynial apodemes, has three setae on latigynial, and seta a 1 is simple, while, K. hunteri has four setae on latigynial shield and seta a 1 long and barded. The male of K. atramaculata has 13–15 pair of setae, while the male of K. hunteri with 17 pairs.

The species K. bifurcata and K. hunteri were found together on three specimens of Odontotaenius zodiacus . It is possible that these passalids lived in the same log, because they share the same klinckowstroemiids and they were collected at the same locality on the same day. One of these passalid had three different species of the genus Klinckowstroemia . Furthermore seven (5 Ƥ, 2 33) specimens of K. hunteri were collected together with one female of K. victoriae on the same species of passalid.