Taxon classification Animalia Trombidiformes Torrenticolidae

Testudacarus americanus Marshall, 1943

Testudacarus americanus: Marshall 1943: 320; Bergstrom 1953: 160; Mitchell 1954: 40; Imamura 1955: 182, 188; Viets 1956: 255; Habeeb 1959a: 21; Habeeb 1959b: 6; Crowell 1961: 329; Mitchell 1962: 42; Lundblad 1967: 418; Habeeb 1967: 1, 4; Habeeb 1969: 2; Young 1969: 373, 376-377, 380-381, 383-384, 386; Cook 1974: 578-579; Habeeb 1974a: 1; Imamura 1976: 283, 284; Smith 1982: 901, 922-923, 981-985; Viets 1987: 724-725; Smith and Cook 1991: 582; Cramer 1992: 14; Smith et al. 2001: 625; Guo and Jin 2005: 72; Walter et al. 2009: 353; Smith et al. 2010: 566; Smith et al. 2011: 262.

Testudacarus american galloi: Habeeb 1969: 2

Type series.

Holotype (1♀): California, USA: 1♀ from Santa Cruz County, Waddell Creek, 29-30 June 1933, by PR Needham, RM330008

Other material examined.

Other (9♀, 8♂): Oregon, USA: 1♀ and 1♂ from Lincoln County, Siuslaw National Forest, Lord Creek, (44°14'24.00"N, 123°46'11.00"W), 8 August 2013, by JC O’Neill and WA Nelson, JNOW13-0808-002; 3♀ and 4♂ from Lane County, Cape Perpetua, Cape Perpetua Campground (44°16'51.00"N, 124°5'38.00"W), 15 September 2004, by IM Smith, IMS040077; 1♀ and 1♂ from Lane County, Rock Creek, Rock Creek Campground off Route 101 between Heceta Head and Yachats (44°11'6.00"N, 124°6'34.00"W), 14 September 2004, by IM Smith, IMS040076; 1♀ from Lane County, Cape Creek, Cape Perpetua, Cape Perpetua Campground (44°16'51.00"N, 124°5'38.00"W), 24 June 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100083; 1♀ and 1♂ from Curry County, Port Orford, beside road from Humbug Mountain State Park to McGribble Campground (Forest Road 5002) 5.3 km from Route 101 (42°42'11.00"N, 124°23'54.00"W), 25 June 1976, by IM Smith, IMS760161; 1♀ from Curry County, Port Orford, beside road from Humbug Mountain State Pk to McGribble Campground (Forest Road 5002) 4.6 km from Route 101 (42°42'3.00"N, 124°24'21.00"W), 17 June 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100070; 1♀ from Curry County, Siskiyou National Forest, North Fork of Foster Creek, beside Road #33 between Powers and Agness (42°39'N, 124°4'W), 2 July 1983, IMS 830019; Washington, USA: 1♂ from Kittitas County, Wenatchee National Forest, Squawk Creek, (47°16'51.00"N, 120°41'53.00"W), 31 July 2013, by JC O’Neill, WA Nelson, JNOW13-0731-002.

Type deposition.

Holotype (1♀) deposited at CNC.

Diagnosis.

Resembling most Testudacarus smithi, these mites differ by shape, color, and several other characters. Most notably, Testudacarus americanus are elliptical and colorless to peach and have a small cheliceral fang (<33 µm) while Testudacarus smithi are rounded and are grey to colorless with large cheliceral fangs (>40 µm).

Redescription.

Female (n=10) with characteristics of the genus with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [180-199 ventral length; 108-121 dorsal length; 110-124 tall] ovoid with short rostrum and colorless. Chelicerae [148-173 long] unmodified with lightly curved fangs [30-33 long]. Pedipalp [209-236 long] unmodified. Trochanter [29-37 long; 31-33 wide]. Femur [54-59 long; 38-45 wide]. Genu [47-60 long; 32-36 wide]. Tibia [53-59 long; 21-24 wide]. Tarsus [19-23 long; 9-13 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 33) - [826-890 long; 570-688 wide] ovoid to oblong and colorless with a peach tint. Dorsal plate [696-765 long; 497-561 wide]. Primary sclerotization [626-710 long]. Dorso-glandularia-4 [221-260 apart] anterior to [0-35] and lateral to [50-67] muscle scars. Anterio-medial platelet [198-241 long; 85-105 wide] broad, thin, very slightly rounded trapezoid similar in size to anterio-lateral platelets. Anterio-lateral platelets [219-253 long; 103-130 wide]. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [562-78 long; 48-59 wide]; lateral-2 [175-191 long; 41-59 wide]; lateral-3 [50-81 long; 22-45 wide]; lateral-4 [137-180 long; 40-56 wide]; lateral-5 [62-78 long; 40-55 wide]; lateral-6 [140-153 long; 39-56 wide]; lateral-7 [76-102 long; 36-52 wide].

Venter (Fig. 33) - [973-1095 long; 620-731 wide] ovoid to oblong and colorless. Primary sclerotization [828-934 long]. Gnathosomal bay [83-100 dorsal length; 171-196 ventral length; 67-82 wide]. Coxal field [555-615 long; 393-478 wide] noticeably small in relation to the venter when compared to other Testudacarines. Coxa-I [279-326 long; 106-141 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [128-145 distance to top of coxa-II; 211-256 distance to top of coxa-III; 391-444 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 263-304 total length]. Coxa-IV [368-427 distance to top; 170-198 total length]. Genital field [375-438 distance to top; 570-641 distance to bottom; 188-203 total length; 157-170 width; 203-259 distance from gnathosomal bay; 94-118 distance from coxa-I; 282-325 distance to excretory pore; 403-472 distance to caudad]. Eggs [182-200 long; 1-2 eggs]. Distance to excretory pore [880-964].

Legs - colorless. Total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [542-604 total; trochanter 68-75; basifemur 91-108; telofemur 75-83; genu 95-111; tibia 108-122; tarsus 101-112]. Leg-II [548-611 total; trochanter 63-72; basifemur 95-108; telofemur 70-83; genu 93-103; tibia 107-123; tarsus 110-127]. Leg-III [595-683 total; trochanter 66-73; basifemur 99-108; telofemur 76-84; genu 103-124; tibia 127-150; tarsus 124-153]. Leg-IV [854-987 total; trochanter 94-112; basifemur 125-152; telofemur 134-154; genu 170-192; tibia 171-216; tarsus 154-181].

Male (n=8) similar to female except for sexually dimorphic characters previously discussed and with following specifications.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum [164-178 ventral length; 97-109 dorsal length; 96-114 tall]. Chelicerae [132-152 long]. Fangs [28-33 long]. Pedipalp [202-222 long]. Trochanter [28-33 long; 28-33 wide]. Femur [50-58 long; 38-42 wide]. Genu [50-55 long; width 30-35 wide]. Tibia [53-58 long; 20-22 wide]. Tarsus [18-23 long; 11-13 wide].

Dorsum (Fig. 34) - [678-755 long; 475-534 wide]. Dorsal plate [573-645 long; 405-463 wide]. Dorso-glandularia-4 [180-208 apart] lateral to [40-58] and well an terior to [53-90] muscle scars. Anterio-medial platelet [194-220 long; 82-103 wide]. Anterio-lateral platelets [198-227 long; 101-120 wide] without noticeable bump. Lateral platelets as follows: lateral-1 [52-62 long; 35-48 wide]; lateral-2 [125-164 long; 30-45 wide]; lateral-3 [47-68 long; 21-31 wide]; lateral-4 [92-120 long; 31-41 wide]; lateral-5 [55-68 long; 20-39 wide]; lateral-6 [87-125 long; 25-43 wide]; lateral-7 [47-63 long; 26-38 wide].

Venter (Fig. 34) - [840-893 long; 516-605 wide]. Primary sclerotization [763-841 long]. Gnathosomal bay [76-93 dorsal length; 150-174 ventral length; 64-89 wide]. Coxal field [520-594 long; 361-402 wide]. Coxa-I [276-291 long; 112-126 midlength]. Coxa-II + III [112-130 distance to top of coxa-II; 190-226 distance to top of coxa-III; 413-452 distance to bottom of coxa-III; 298-324 total length]. Coxa-IV [366-395 length to top; 150-203 total length]. Genital field [448-492 distance to top; 593-638 distance to bottom; 130-159 total length; 120-138 width; 292-323 distance from gnathosomal bay; 168-200 distance from coxa-I; 181-201 distance to excretory pore; 236-280 distance to caudad]. Genital skeleton [163-178 long; 80-88 wide]. Distance to excretory pore [780-833].

Legs - total leg and podomere lengths as follows: Leg-I [501-560 total; trochanter 57-64; basifemur 85-99; telofemur 70-80; genu 90-102; tibia 101-113; tarsus 95-108]. Leg-II [508-567 total; trochanter 58-67; basifemur 88-96; telofe mur 67-74; genu 83-99; tibia 101-117; tarsus 105-119]. Leg-III [554-615 total; trochanter 59-63; basifemur 83-98; telofemur 70-76; genu 97-115; tibia 117-138; tarsus 119-132]. Leg-IV [526-882 total; trochanter 79-103; basifemur 116-130; telofemur 121-135; genu 157-175; tibia 171-197; tarsus 149-166].

Distribution.

Western North America within and west of the Rocky Mountains. California (Marshall 1943), Wyoming (Bergstrom 1953), Colorado (Young 1969), Vancouver Island (Smith 1982), Mexico State (Cramer 1992).

Remarks.

Having examined the type material, we suggest that Testudacarus americanus galloi Habeeb, 1969 is simply a teneral Testudacarus americanus that Habeeb confused for an “a-typical” Testudacarus americanus .