Neodiscopoma fabiani, Kontschán & Starý, 2013

Kontschán, Jenő & Starý, Josef, 2013, Two new Uropodina species from Ethiopia (Acari: Mesostigmata), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 49-56 : 50-53

Neodiscopoma fabiani sp. n.

Figs 1–13

Etymology: We dedicate the new species to the memory of Dr Tamás Fábián, geographer in the Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics of the University of Szeged, who was shot by terrorists in January 2012 in the northern part of Ethiopia.

Description:

Female.

Idiosoma: Length 920–940 μm, width 630–640 μm (n=3). Body shape oval, colour reddish brown.

Dorsal aspect ( Fig. 1 ): Dorsal and marginal shields completely separated, margin of dorsal shield undulate. Central area of dorsal shield elevated from the other parts, margin of elevated area strongly sclerotized. Dorsal setae smooth and needle-like (ca 45–60μm) except row j, where three pairs of apically pilose setae are situated (ca 55– 75 μm). Dorsal shield without sculptured pattern, only some oval pits at level of coxae IV. Pygidial shield present, its margin undulate and bearing one pair of smooth and needle-like setae (ca 50–60 μm), surface of this plate covered by oval pits. Marginal shield reduced on caudal part, its surface covered by reticulate sculptured pattern and bearing smooth and needle-like setae (ca 70–80 μm) ( Fig. 2 ). Caudal area covered by membranous cuticle, where six pairs of setae are situated on small platelets, two pairs of setae apically pilose (ca 70–80 μm), other caudal setae similar in shape and length to setae on marginal shield ( Fig. 3 ).

Ventral aspect ( Fig. 4 ): Ornamentation of sternal shield lacking, but U-shaped, strongly sclerotized band situated anterior to genital shield and two rounded depressions anterior to coxae II ( Fig. 5 ). Six pairs of sternal setae present, all smooth and needle-like, St1, St2, St3 and St6 very short (ca 6–8 μm), St4 longer (ca 15 μm), St5 very long (ca 45– 50μm). St1–St3 situated near anterior process of genital shield, St4 at level of central area of coxae III, St5 at level of anterior margin of coxae IV, St6 placed near basal edges of genital shield ( Fig. 5 ). Ventral shield centrally smooth, several oval pits situated in lateral and caudal areas. Ventral setae in central area short (ca 10–14μm), smooth and needle-like, other setae in lateral and caudal areas long (ca 60–70 μm), smooth and needle-like; ad similar in shape and length to long ventral setae, pa absent. Pedofossae present, but very shallow and without ornamentation, and separate furrows on tarsi IV absent. Margin of pedofossae IV strongly sclerotized, formed a ring posterior to coxae IV. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III. Peritremes with long L-shaped prestigmatid and long L-shaped poststigmatid parts. Genital shield of female linguliform, anterior margin rounded and bearing a robust and anteriorly peaked process. Genital shield placed between coxae II and IV, without sculptured pattern, but several short spines can be seen under this shield ( Fig. 5 ). Base of tritosternum narrow, its laciniae smooth and apically divided into four short lateral branches and one long central branch ( Fig. 6 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 7 ): Corniculi horn-like, internal malae marginally serrate and longer than corniculi. Hypostomal setae: h1 long (ca 55 μm), smooth and setiform; h2, h3 and h4 short (ca 20–25 μm), marginally serrate. Epistome basally serrate and apically pilose. Chelicerae without internal sclerotized nodes, fixed digit with apical sensory organ and longer than movable digit, both digits bearing a single tooth ( Fig. 8 ). Trochanter of palp with one short smooth seta (not illustrated in Fig. 7 , because it was covered by corniculus) and one long basally serrate seta placed on small protuberance. Other setae of palp smooth and needle-like.

Legs ( Figs 9–12 ): First leg without claws, needle-like setae present on all segments.

Male.

Idiosoma: Length 940–1020 μm, width 650–670 μm (n=10). Shape, ornamentation and chaetotaxy of dorsal parts as in female. Sternal setae short (ca 5–8 μm) and needle-like, St1 situated at level of anterior margin of coxae II, St2 at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St3 at level of central area of coxae III, St4 near anterior margin of genital shield, St5 near posterior margin of genital shield. Sternal shield smooth, only some oval pits situated in central area, between St1 and St3. Genital shield oval and placed between coxae IV and bearing one pair of smooth and needle-like (ca 30 μm) eg ( Fig. 13 ). Ventral setae and ornamentation similar to those of female.

Comparison: The new species differs from the other Neodiscopoma species in the presence of a pygidial shield. The differences between the two African species are summarized in Table 1 .

Holotype: ♀ ETHIOPIA: 10 km S Ginchi city, 8 53'N 38 09'E, 2900 m, Cholomu forest , sample of mosses on trees, 15.xi.2009, L.B. Rybalov ( HNHM).

Paratypes: 2♀ 10♂ same data as for holotype (1♀ 5♂ ISB, 1♀ 5♂ HNHM) .

Figures

Figs 1–4. Neodiscopoma fabiani sp. n., female, holotype: (1) body, dorsal view; (2) marginal setae; (3) caudal setae; (4) body, ventral view.

Figs 5–13. Neodiscopoma fabiani sp. n.: (5–12) female, holotype: (5) intercoxal area; (6) tritosternum; (7) ventral view of gnathosoma and palps; (8) chelicerae; (9–12) legs I–IV, lateral view; (13) intercoxal area of male.

Tables

TABLE 1 Distinguishing characters of the African Neodiscopoma species (N. franzi and N. fabiani).

Characters	N. franzi	N. fabiani
Dorsal idiosoma
Pilose setae	absent	present
Pygidial shield	absent	present
Oval pits in anterior area of dorsal shield	present	absent
Ventral idiosoma
Sternal setae	all setae short	two pairs of them longer
Short setae on ventral shield	one pair	three pairs
Poststigmatid part of peritremes	absent	present