Feltria indica, Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2008

Pesic, Vladimir & Panesar, Arne, 2008, Studies on water mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from the Himalayas, I. The water mite genus Feltria Koenike, with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 1758, pp. 1-28 : 2-4

Feltria indica sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 )

Type series. Holotype: male, dissected and slide-mounted in Hoyer's fluid. India: Himachal Pradesh State, IND' 95/154 Kullu-Valley, Hermeli/spring area, Kunoi-Nala, 8 h trek, spring region, mosses/lotic, 3800m, 11.vii.1995. Paratypes: five males, nine females, same collecting site and data as holotype, one male and one female dissected and slide-mounted in Hoyer's fluid.

New records. IND' 95/1 (0/3/0); IND' 95/20 (0/1/0); IND' 95/36 (4/0/0); IND' 95/43 (0/5/0); IND' 95/82 (0/1/0); IND' 95/85 (0/2/0); IND' 95/97 (0/1/0); IND' 95/99 (0/2/0); IND' 95/150 (1/0/0); IND' 95/152 (1/8/0); IND' 95/167 (1/1/0); IND' 95/168 (1/0/0); IND' 95/169 (1/0/0); IND' 95/170 (0/2/0); IND' 95/182 (0/1/0); IND' 95/186 (0/1/0); IND' 95/198 (0/1/0); IND' 95/210 (0/1/0); IND' 95/231 (0/3/0); IND' 95/232 (0/1/0); IND' 95/233 (0/2/0); IND' 95/236 (0/3/0); IND' 96/8 (0/3/0); IND' 96/9 (0/12/0); IND' 96/10 (0/1/0); IND' 96/ 20 (0/1/0); IND' 96/22 (0/4/0); IND' 96/24 (0/2/0); IND' 96/26 (0/2/0); IND' 96/29 (0/7/0); IND' 96/41 (0/1/0).

Diagnosis. The tarsus of male leg III with a long and pointed ventrolateral projection, bearing 5–6 long setae.

Description. Male (holotype, in parentheses some measurements of paratype): Idiosoma L/W 400 (400)/ 313 (319). Dorsal shield large, L/W 294/222, supplied with 4 pairs of setae: Postoc, Dgl-3, Dgl-5, Dgl-6 ( Fig. 1 ). In the posterior part of the body one central pair of plates present, bearing setae and glandularia Dgl-7.

Leg coxae are incorporated into 4 groups, close to each other, and occupy more than half of the ventral body surface ( Fig. 2 ). Anterior coxae with well developed posterior apodemes; Cxgl-2 located at posterior margin edge of Cx-2. Posterior groups of coxae with secondary sclerotization, which extends to lateral and posterior margins of Cx-4. Genital plate transverse, its anterior margin a straight line, L 116 (97), W 234 (203), with 95–97 (65–68) genital acetabula on each side of genital opening ( Figs. 2 , 5 ). Excretory pore terminal on a plate. Shape and chaetotaxy of palp as in Fig. 4 ; P-2 with weakly convex ventrodistal projection; P-4 ventral margin slightly convex; palp total L 235, dL and %L (in parentheses, given as % of total L): P-1 20 (8.5), P-2 62 (26.4), P-3 33 (14.0), P-4 76 (32.3), P-5 44 (18.7); L P-2/P-4 ratio 0.82.

Tarsus of leg III with a long and pointed ventrolateral projection ( Fig. 3 ), bearing 5–6 long setae. L of III- L-2-6: 46, 53 (50), 77 (71), 86 (79), 99 (97); IV-L-6 with one slender, in the distal part slightly enlarged dorsal seta ( Fig. 6 ), L of IV-L-2-6: 38 (35), 61 (63), 87 (80), 104 (96), 99 (99).

Female: Idiosoma L/W 469/375, dorsal shield L/W 272/203. Morphology is similar to that of the male. It differs in the integument sclerotization ( Fig. 7 ), genital field, and III-L-6. Posterior part of dorsum having 3 pairs of plates: 2 pairs of small anterior ones, which are more or less parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, posterior plates large and almost at right angles to the longitudinal axis. The leg coxae occupy more than half of the ventral body surface. Apodemes of anterior coxae short. Genital plates ( Fig. 8 ) shorter than the genital opening, their median margins straight. Genital plate L 103, W 117, with about 95 genital acetabula. Palp total L 225, dL and %L (in parentheses, given as % of total L): P-1 18 (8.0), P-2 56 (24.9), P-3 33 (14.7), P-4 73 (32.4), P-5 45 (20.0); L P-2/P-4 ratio 0.77. Tarsus of legs III without ventrolateral projection.

Discussion. The long and pointed ventrolateral projection on the tarsus of leg III of the male, bearing 5-6 long setae, is a unique character of the new species and will separate the present species from all known members of the genus.

Etymology. The species is named after the country where it was collected.

Habitat. Discovered in mosses in mountain streams and springs.

Distribution. Himachal Pradesh ( India).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Feltria indica sp. nov., male holotype: 1 = idiosoma, dorsal view; 2 = idiosoma, dorsal view; 3 = III-L- 5 / 6; 4 = palp, medial view. Scale Bars = 100 µm.

FIGURES 5 – 6. Feltria indica sp. nov., male paratype: 5 = posterior part of idiosoma, ventral view; 6 = IV-L- 5 / 6. Scale Bars = 100 µm.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Feltria indica sp. nov., female: 7 = idiosoma, dorsal view; 8 = idiosoma, ventral view. Scale Bar = 100 µm.