Torrenticola khorassanula Pesic & Saboori, 2006

Pesic, Vladimir, Saboori, Alireza, Asadi, Mahdieh, Vafaei, Reza & Sanatgar, Elham, 2006, Water mites of the genus Torrenticola Piersig, 1896 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae) from Iran, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 1133 (1), pp. 45-59 : 53-54

Torrenticola khorassanula Pesic & Saboori sp. nov.

( Figs. 18–28 )

Type series: Holotype: female, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid. Iran: IR72 Khorassan Province, Guik stream before Guik dam near Birjand city (59º10´E 32º50´N), ca. 2500 m asl., 08.06.2005, leg. Pesic & Saboori ; Paratypes: 1/3/0 same data as holotype, 1/1/0 dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid.

Further records: IR73 Khorrasan Province , Chahar Deh stream near Birjand city (59º12´E 32º45´N), ca. 2500 m asl., 08.06.2005, leg. Pesic & Saboori, 1/0/0, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid .

Diagnosis: ventral projection on P­2 slightly pronounced and more ventrodistally positioned, L P­2/P­4 ratio 1.3–1.5, relatively long P­1 (16.8–18.2% total L); relatively short cheliceral claw, L basal segments/claw ratio 5.6–6.2.

Description

Female (holotype, in parentheses paratype): Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 19 ) L 794 (794), W 569 (589), dorsal shield ( Fig. 18 ), L 688 (713), W 431 (450), L/W ratio 1.6 (1.58); dorsal plate 650 (681); shoulder plate L 175 (191), W 56 (56), L/W ratio 3.1 (3.4); frontal plate L 113 (119), W 53 (56), L/W ratio 2.1 (2.1); shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.56 (1.6); gnathosomal bay L 135 (138), Cx­1 total L 259 (273), Cx­1 medial L 125 (133), Cx­2+3 medial L 56 (53); ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 medial L 2.1 (2.05); Cx­1 medial L/ Cx­2+3 medial L 4.6 (5.2); genital field L/W 156 (162)/ 144 (150), L/W ratio 1.1 (1.08); egg maximum diameter (n=2) 206–213 (209); distance genital field–excretory pore 225 (222), genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 313 (297); gnathosoma ( Fig. 20 ) ventral L 325; chelicera ( Fig. 22 ) L 350, basal segment L 323, claw L 56 (53), ratio chelicerae basal segment/claw L 5.8; palp ( Figs. 20–21 ) total L 285 (293), dorsal length: P­1 53 (53), P­2 101 (102), P­3 43 (45), P­4 71 (76), P­5 17 (17); relative length (in parentheses given as % of total length): P­1 18.6 (18.1), P­2 35.4 (34.8), P­3 15.1 (15.4), P­4 24.9 (25.9), P­5 6.0 (5.8); P­2/P­4 L ratio 1.4 (1.34); P­2 with slightly pronounced ventral projection.

Male (in parentheses specimen from IR73): Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 23 ) L 669 (763), W 469 (550), dorsal shield, L 581 (681), W 356 (431), L/W ratio 1.6 (1.58); dorsal plate 544 (644); shoulder plate L 166 (184), W 57 (67), L/W ratio 2.9 (2.8); frontal plate L 100 (109), W 50 (53), L/W ratio 2.0 (2.06); shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.66 (1.69); gnathosomal bay L 122 (131), Cx­1 total L 234 (261), Cx­1 medial L 112 (138), Cx­2+3 medial L 95 (104); ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 medial L 2.1 (2.04); Cx­1 medial L/Cx­2+3 medial L 2.5 (2.51); genital field L/W 131 (138)/103 (109), L/W ratio 1.27 (1.27), ejaculatory complex ( Figs. 27–28 ) L 163 (181); distance genital field–excretory pore 147 (203), genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 200 (250); gnathosoma ventral L 260 (306); chelicera L 278 (344), basal segment L 263 (309), claw L 47 (50), ratio chelicerae basal segment/claw L 5.6 (6.18); palp (right palp— Fig. 25 ; left palp aberrant— Fig. 26 ) total L 239 (274), dorsal length: P­1 44 (46), P­2 82 (100), P­3 38 (42), P­4 61 (68), P­5 14 (18); relative length (given as % of total length): P­1 18.4 (16.8), P­2 34.3 (36.5), P­3 15.9 (15.3), P­4 25.5 (24.8), P­5 5.9 (6.6); P­2/P­4 ratio 1.34 (1.47).

Discussion: The only known species of the subgenus bearing a ventral projection on P­ 2 are T. jasminae Bader, 1988 ( Iran, Israel and Turkey) and T. trinicriae Di Sabatino & Cicolani, 1992 (Sicily) . However, in the latter species these projections are well developed, peg­like and ventrally in position, whereas in T. khorassanula sp. nov. they are slightly pronounced and more ventrodistally (compare Figs. 20–21 with 29–30). Further, T. khorassanula is clearly distinct from T. jasminae (in parentheses, data from Di Sabatino et al. 2003, Pesic et al. 2004, Pesic et al. this paper and Pesic et al. submitted) due its relatively short genital field (L 160–170 in females, 150 in male) and palps (370–423 in females, L 340 in male), a rather long P­1 (15.5–15.8% total L), and a L P­2/P­4 ratio (1.6–1.9). T. khorassanula differs from T. trinicriae (both sexes, in parentheses) due its relatively short cheliceral claw with a basal segments/claw¨ratio of 5.6–6.2 (4.3–4.4) and a L ratio P­2/P­4 of 1.3–1.5 (1.6–1.7).

The male from IR73 is in good agreement with the specimen from the locus typicus. Difference is found in the excretory pore and V­1 fused with the area of primary sclerotization ( Fig. 24 ). In view of the good agreement in other measurements these differences are most probably age­ dependent.

Etymology: The species is named after its presence in Khorassan Province.

Habitat: The collecting sites refer to a first order stream.

Distribution: Iran, only known from the Khorassan Province.

Figures

FIGURES 18–22. Torrenticola khorassanula sp. nov., female: 18 = dorsal shield; 19 = idiosoma, ventral view; 20 = gnathosoma and palp, lateral view; 21 = palp, medial view; 22 = chelicera. Scale bars = 100µm.

FIGURES 23–28. Torrenticola khorassanula sp. nov., male (23, 25–26 from IR72; 23, 26–27 from IR73): 23 = idiosoma. ventral view; 24 = idiosoma, ventral view; 25 = right palp, medial view; 26 = aberrant left pap, medial view; 27 = ejaculatory complex, lateral view; 28 = ejaculatory complex, posterior view. Scale bars = 100µm.