Hygrobates (Hygrobates) acutidens K. Viets, 1956

Smit, Harry, 2005, Water mites of the family Hygrobatidae Koch from southern Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Journal of Natural History 39 (38), pp. 3369-3405 : 3374

Hygrobates (Hygrobates) acutidens K. Viets, 1956

( Figures 1–4 )

Material examined

South Africa, Western Cape Province: four females, one nymph, Rondgat River at Algeria, Cederberg Wilderness Area , alt. 491 m above sea level (a.s.l.), 32 ° 22.491 9 S, 19 ° 03.742 9 E, 1 November 2004 ; one male, four females, one nymph, tributary of Rondgat River near Algeria, Cederberg Wilderness Area , 32 ° 22.411 9 S, 19 ° 03.863 9 E, 1 November 2004 ; four males, five females, one nymph, Rondgat River at Bos Herberge, Cederberg Wilderness Area , alt. 655 m a.s.l., 32 ° 24.044 9 S, 19 ° 05.264 9 E, 2 November 2004 ; one male, one female, one nymph, Wolwekloof River at Tweede Tol, Limietberg NR, alt. 285 m a.s.l., 33 ° 34.115 9 S, 19 ° 08.255 9 E, 3 November 2004 ; three males, three nymphs, Wit River at Tweede Tol, Limietberg Nature Reserve , alt. 296 m a.s.l., 33 ° 34.210 9 S, 19 ° 08.356 9 E, 3 November 2004 ; one male, one female, unnamed creek north of Swartberg Pass, Swartberg Nature Reserve , altitude not measured, 33 ° 18.080 9 S, 22 ° 02.958 9 E, 12 November 2004 .

Description

Male. Idiosoma 600 (510–575) long and 405 (421–478) wide, integument finely striated. Capitulum fused with first coxal plates. Pharynx ventrally with small papillae. Suture line between third and fourth coxal plates incomplete. Glandularia of fourth coxal plates located just posterior of medial end of suture line of third and fourth coxal plates. Fourth coxal plates rounded posteromedially. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula, which are lying in a triangle. Gonopore 78 long. Excretory pore without sclerotization. Lengths of PI– PV: 24, 82, 77, 131, 42. PII with a long extension, which is pointed to somewhat rounded, with distally some minute papillae. PIII slightly to strongly convex, with large, pointed papillae; ventrally, 14–16 teeth are visible. Ventral setae of PIV well distanced. Lengths of I-leg-4–6: 156, 166, 124; IV-leg-5 distally with two heavy, pointed setae of equal length (but appear of different length in illustration). Lengths of IV-leg-4–6: 236, 224, 170. Legs without swimming setae.

Female. See K. Viets (1956). Idiosoma 624–778 long and 526–648 wide.

Remarks

Until now, only the holotype female was known, which was collected in the Great Berg River, Western Cape Province. According to K. Viets (1956) this was a teneral female. PIII of this female is less convex than in my specimens, but specimens show some variation in this character. K. Viets (1956, p 25) mentioned that two specimens were collected, but his description is very likely based on the holotype only. Also, in the Viets collection of the Senckenberg Museum only the holotype is present.

Figures

Figure 1. Hygrobates acutidens K. Viets, ventral view male. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 2. Hygrobates acutidens K. Viets, I-leg-5–6. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 3. Hygrobates acutidens K. Viets, palp. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 4. Hygrobates acutidens K. Viets, palp. Scale bar: 50 mm.