Hygrobates (Inflatibates) inflatipes, Smit, 2005

Smit, Harry, 2005, Water mites of the family Hygrobatidae Koch from southern Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Journal of Natural History 39 (38), pp. 3369-3405 : 3391-3394

Hygrobates (Inflatibates) inflatipes sp. nov.

( Figures 26–32 )

Material examined

Holotype: male, Woodville River at crossing with George–Karatara road, Western Cape Province, South Africa, alt. 110 m a.s.l., 33 ° 56.207 9 S, 22 ° 39.857 9 E, 13 November 2004 ( BMSA) . Paratypes: two females ( BMSA) , three females ( ZMAN), same data as holotype . Other material: three nymphs, same data as holotype ( ZMAN) .

Description

Male. Idiosoma 656 long and 526 wide. Idiosoma soft, chitinized parts (especially chelicerae) red. Capitulum fused with first coxal plates, first coxal plates fused medially. Capitulum with long anchoral process which is fused with first coxal plates. Suture line of third and fourth coxal plates incomplete. Glandularia of fourth coxal plates well distanced from suture line of third and fourth coxal plates. Medial margin of fourth coxal plates with some secondary sclerotization. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula. Gonopore large, 108 long and 86 wide. Setae of posterior ventral idiosoma part long. Lengths of PI–PV: 38, 178, 116, 275, 52. PII with a long ventral extension, with a few minute papillae on its rounded top. Dorsal margin of PII with three stout setae, dorsal margin of PIII with two stout setae. Ventral setae of PIV close to each other, in one palp next to each other, in the other palp a little bit more distanced. Lengths of I-leg-4–6: 348, 365, 273. I-leg-5 swollen in distal half, with two long, heavy setae and many fine setae. Lengths of IV-leg-4–6: 413, 377, 316. Legs without swimming setae, but with stiff, long setae.

Female. Idiosoma 810 (608–802) long and 713 (462–672) wide. One female aberrant with two pairs of acetabula. Gonopore 188 long, pregenital sclerite 112 wide. Lengths of PI–PV: 42, 186, 120, 276, 57; palp as in male. Lengths of I-leg-4–6: 288, 324, 243. Lengths of IVleg-4–6: 377, 348, 304. Legs as in male.

Etymology

Named for the swollen I-leg-5 of the male.

Remarks

The male of the new species is easily identified by its unusual first legs. Apart from the first legs, the new species is very similar to H. sigthori K. Viets. The palp and genital field of both species are similar. However, besides the shape of I-leg-5, the distal setae of I-leg-5 are much larger in the new species, the longest being 194 long in H. inflatipes sp. nov. and 99 in H. sigthori . Moreover, the setae of the genital field are much longer in H. inflatipes sp. nov. In the female a similar difference concerning the leg setae (especially IV-leg-5) can be found (see Table II). Moreover, the acetabula of H. sigthori are in a more angular configuration and slightly larger than H. inflatipes sp. nov. (anterior acetabulum 45–47 long in sigthori and 36 in inflatipes ).

Figures

Figure 26. Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., holotype male, ventral view. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 27. Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., holotype male, palp. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 28 Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., holotype male, palp. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 29. Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., holotype male, I-leg-5–6. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 30. Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., holotype male, IV-leg-5–6. Scale bar: 50 mm.

Figure 31. Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., paratype female, ventral view. Scale bar: 200 mm.

Figure 32. Hygrobates inflatipes sp. nov., paratype female, genital field. Scale bar: 50 mm.