Microtritia diaphoros, Niedbała & Starý, 2014

Niedbała, Wojciech & Starý, Josef, 2014, New species of the superfamily Euphthiracaroidea (Acari: Oribatida) from Madagascar and Tanzania, Journal of Natural History 49 (27), pp. 1689-1702 : 1697-1699

Microtritia diaphoros sp. nov.

( Figure 4 )

Material examined

Holotype and five paratypes deposited at DATE from the locus typicus: TAN-009, Tanzania, Nguru Mts , Turiani, 4 November 2010, 06°04 ′ 29 ″ S, 37°32 ′ 19 ″ E, 1277 m asl, deciduous forest on steep slope, leaf litter sifting, leg. V. Grebennikov, three paratypes deposited at ISB and three paratypes deposited at NHMG from the same locality.

Measurements of holotype

Prodorsum: length 215, width 159, height 86, sensillus 68, length of prodorsal setae: interlamellar (in) 15, lamellar (le) 23, rostral (ro) 33; notogaster: length 343, width 263, height 247, length of notogastral setae: c 1 56, c 1 / c 1 – d 1 = 0.6, h 1 40, p 1 35; genitoaggenital region 101 × 43, anoadanal region 139 × 30.

Description

Colour yellow. Surface of body punctuated, posterior part of prodorsum covered with feeble alveoli.

Prodorsum with sensilli narrowly spindle shaped, smooth. Prodorsal setae fine, short, distance between lamellar (le) setae considerably greater than between rostral (ro) setae; mutual length of prodorsal setae ro <le> in.

Notogastral setae fine, flexible, short, mutual length (c 1 <c 1 – d 1), setae c 1 – 3 remote from anterior margin of notogaster, setae c 2 slightly more than other; fissura terminalis absent.

Ventral region. Four pairs of genital setae, no one situated in progenital position, aggenital setae absent. Three pairs of adanal setae present, adanal setae ad 1 the longest. One paratype has one more adanal seta in left side ( Figure 4C ). Anal setae an 1 and an 2 shorter than adanal setae, anal setae an 3 vestigial. Lyrifissures iad situated anteriorly of adanal setae ad 3.

Chaetome of legs (without tarsi): I: 1-2-3(2)-5(1), II: 1-2-3(1)-2(1); III: 2-2-2(1)- 2(1), IV: 2-1-1-2(1).

Etymology

The specific name of the new species ‘ diaphoros ’ is Greek for ‘different’ and alludes to a significant difference between the mutual distance of the rostral and lamellar setae of the prodorsum.

Comparison

The new species differs from congeners by the presence of a very small distance between the rostral setae and a very large distance between the lamellar setae. It is similar to the South American species M. schusteri ( Märkel 1964) and M. incisa ( Märkel 1964) by the presence of a similar shape of sensilli and the presence of four pairs of genital setae. However, the new species is distinguishable by a significant difference between the mutual distance of the rostral and lamellar setae and the presence of well-developed anal setae an 1 and an 2 ( Märkel 1964).

Figures

Figure 4. Microtritia diaphoros sp. nov., holotype: (A) prodorsum, dorsal view; (B) lateral view of body; paratype: (C) ventral plates.