Torrenticola irana 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 : 49-52

Torrenticola irana Pesic & Saboori sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–17 )

Type series: Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid. Iran: IR72 Southern 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: 12/3/0, same data as holotype, 3/2/0 dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer’s fluid.

Further records: IR73 Southern Khorrasan Province , Chahar Deh stream near Birjand city (59º12´E 32º45´N), ca. 2500 m asl., 08.06.2005, leg. Pesic & Saboori (12/21/0) ; IR74 Southern Khorrasan Province , Cheshmeh Ahnagar spring, Birjand to Asadieh city road (ca. 2 km after Neghenj village), 59º29´E 33º10´N, ca. 2200 m asl., 08.06.2005, leg. Pesic (1/1/0) ; IR64 Northern Khorrasan Province , Gojki road to Kalat (ca. 94 km to Kalat), 59º45´E 36º35´N, stream, ca. 1400 m asl., 05.06.2005, leg. Pesic & Saboori (6/19/0).

Diagnosis: Median suture line of Cx­2+3 relatively long in males, ventrodistal projection of P­2 broad and subrectangular, P­2 with ventral seta.

Description

Male (holotype, in parentheses range of two paratype males): Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 7 ) L 819 (775–818), W 656 (575–594), dorsal shield ( Fig. 6 ), L 706 (654–694), W 494 (469–488), L/W ratio 1.43 (1.4–1.42); dorsal plate L 663 (613–656); shoulder plate L 201 (191–203), W 72 (64), L/W ratio 2.8 (3.0–3.2); frontal plate L 138 (141–144), W 53 (53–54), L/W ratio 2.6 (2.7); shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.46 (1.36–1.41); gnathosomal bay L 153 (141–162), Cx­1 total L 297 (285–303), Cx­1 medial L 157 (141–144), Cx­2+3 medial L 113 (106–116); ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 medial L 2.0 (2.0–2.1); Cx­1 medial L/Cx­ 2+3 medial L 2.64 (2.6–2.7); genital field L/W 172 (153–158)/134 (131–141), L/W ratio 1.28 (1.1–1.17); ejaculatory complex ( Figs. 12–13 ) L 247 (232–234); distance genital field–excretory pore 163 (169–172), genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 232 (225–231); gnathosoma ( Fig. 11 ) ventral L 334 (313–325), with weakly curved ventral margin; chelicera ( Fig. 10 ) L 378 (375), ratio chelicerae basal segment /claw L 5.6; palp ( Figs. 8–9 ) total L 315 (311–316), dorsal length: P­1 34 (32–33), P­2 105 (105–109), P­3 60 (58), P­4 99 (98–99), P­5 17 (17–18), relative length (in parentheses given as % of total length): P­1 10.7 (10.1–10.6), P­2 33.3 (33.4–34.5), P­3 19.1 (18.4–18.7), P­4 31.4 (31.3–31.5), P­ 5 5.3 (5.5–5.7); P­2/P­4 L ratio 1.06 (1.07–1.1); ventrodistal protuberance of P­2 short, broad, more or less subrectangular with serrulate margin, ventrodistal protuberance of P­3 slender, slightly serrate at its tip, ventral protuberances of P­4 ending in two tips separated by a concavity.

Female: Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 14 ) L 903, W 688, dorsal shield L 744, W 544, L/W ratio 1.37; dorsal plate L 716; shoulder plate L 206, W 70, L/W ratio 2.9; frontal plate L 160, W 53, L/W ratio 3.0; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.29; gnathosomal bay L 172, Cx­1 total L 322, Cx­1 medial L 150, Cx­2+3 medial L 45; ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 medial L 2.2; Cx­1 medial L/Cx­2+3 medial L 7.2; genital field L/W 182/172, L/W ratio 1.06; egg maximum diameter (n=2) 231; distance genital field–excretory pore 225, genital field–caudal idiosoma margin 331; gnathosoma ventral L 350; chelicera L 419, ratio chelicerae basal segment /claw L 5.2; palp ( Fig. 15 ) total L 346, dorsal length and relative length (in parentheses given as % of total length): P­1 38 (10.9), P­2 117 (33.8), P­3 64 (18.5), P­4 109 (31.5), P­5 18 (5.2); P­2/P­4 ratio 1.07; shape and setation as in males.

Additionally we give the measurements for specimens suspected to represent the teneral male and female adults of T. irana sp. nov.: Male: Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 16 ) L 681, W 531, dorsal shield L 600, W 425, L/W ratio 1.4; dorsal plate 569; shoulder plate L 197; frontal plate L 130; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.5; gnathosomal bay L 153, Cx­1 total L 284, Cx­1 medial L 131, Cx­2+3 medial L 106; genital field L/W 150/134, L/W ratio 1.1, ejaculatory complex L 228; distance genital field–excretory pore 134; gnathosoma ventral L 307; palp total L 296, dorsal length and relative length (given as % of total length): P­1 33 (11.1), P­2 100 (33.8), P­3 53 (17.9), P­4 95 (32.1), P­5 15 (5.1); P­ 2/P­4 ratio 1.05; shape and setation as given for adult male. Female: Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 17 ) L 794, W 619, dorsal shield, L 709, W 506, L/W ratio 1.4; dorsal plate 669; shoulder plate L 219; frontal plate L 150; shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.46; gnathosomal bay L 194, Cx­1 total L 338, Cx­1 medial L 144, Cx­2+3 medial L 62; genital field L/W 187/178, L/W ratio 1.05; distance genital field–excretory pore 209; gnathosoma ventral L 363; palp total L 356, dorsal length and relative length (given as % of total length): P­1 39 (11.0), P­2 121 (34.0), P­3 63 (17.8), P­4 114 (32.0), P­5 19 (5.3); P­2/P­4 ratio 1.06.

Discussion: T. irana sp. nov. belongs to the serratipalpis species group, characterized by the presence on P­2 of a laterally compressed and serrate, hyaline ventrodistal projection (’flange’ sensu Wiles 1997), a similar, but more slender projection on P­3, and by the absence of a medial digitiform projection on P­4 ( Gerecke & Di Sabatino 1996). By the absence of a fine denticulation on the ventral margins of P­2 and P­3, presence of ventral seta on P­2, relatively long median suture line of Cx­2+3 and the ventrodistal projection of P­2 not set off from the ventral margin of the segment, T. irana sp. nov. is most similar to T. convexipalpis ( Viets, 1935) , reported from Java. From T. convexipalpis , it can be easily distinguished by the different shape of ventrodistal projection of P­2 (broad and subrectangular vs. strongly anteriorly directed in T. convexipalis ) and much longer ventral seta of P­2 (not exceeding distal end of the ventrodistal projection in T. convexipalpis .).

Etymology: The species is named after Iran.

Habitat: From the rich material collected in the Khorassan Province, we can consider that this species preferably inhabits first order streams, often those with considerably exposure to sunlight, but is restricted to areas with permanent flow.

Distribution: Iran, known from the Northern and Southern Khorassan Provincies.

Figures

FIGURES 6–13. Torrenticola irana sp. nov. male: 6 = dorsal shield; 7 = idiosoma, ventral view; 8 = palp, lateral view; 9 = palp, medial view; 10 = chelicera; 11 = ghanthosoma, lateral view; 12 = ejaculatory complex, anterior view; 13 = ejaculatory complex, lateral view. Scale bars = 100µm.

FIGURES 14–15. Torrenticola irana sp. nov., female: 14 = idiosoma, ventral view; 15 = palp, medial view. Scale bars = 100µm.

FIGURES 16–17. Torrenticola irana sp. nov. (16 male; 17 female): 16 = idiosoma, ventral view; 17 = idiosoma, ventral view. Scale bar = 100µm.