Hogsbackia, Ermilov & Hugo-Coetzee & Behan-Pelletier, 2021

Ermilov, Sergey G., Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A. & Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M., 2021, Hogsbackia africaensis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Ceratozetoidea Punctoribatidae), from Afromontane forest of South Africa, Zootaxa 4963 (3), pp. 530-544 : 531-532

Genus Hogsbackia gen. nov.

Type species: Hogsbackia africaensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Adult. With character states of the Punctoribatidae ( Grandjean 1953; Behan-Pelletier & Eamer 2008). Size: Distinctly elongate; body size ratio (length/width) 2.0–2.2, notogaster size ratio (length/width) 1.7. Integu- ment: Without heavy sculpturing and ornamentation. Prodorsum: Rostrum with two incisions. Lamellae well separated, narrow, with short truncate apical cusp. Translamella lineate, weakly developed. Genal tooth fused to rostrum. Bothridium with large lateral and ventromedial scales. Dorsophragmata clearly removed from each other. Notogaster : Anterior margin of notogaster well developed, covering mediobasal part of bothridium. Pteromorph immovable, large, curved ventrally, without desclerotized linear region. Lenticulus absent. Posterior notogastral tectum present, complete. Octotaxic system as four pairs of porose areas. Notogastral setation 11 pairs, including setae dp. Gnathosoma . Subcapitulum diarthric, without tectum on mentum. Axillary saccule present. Palp setation 0-2-1-3-9(+ω). Solenidion bacilliform, attached to eupathidium along length. Lateral podosomal and epimeral regions: Pedotectum I as large lamina. Custodium short. Discidium triangular. Circumpedal carina present. Porose areas Ad, Am and Ah present, Al absent. Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-2-2; seta 1c similar in morphology to other epimeral setae. Anogenital region: Four pairs of genital, one pair of aggenital, two pairs of anal and three pairs of adanal setae. Postanal porose area present, rounded. Legs: All legs heterotridactylous. Tibia I with dorsodistal apophysis bearing solenidion φ 2. Lateral seta on all genua and tibiae setiform, thin. Porose area present on tarsi I-IV, femora I-IV and trochanters III, IV. Leg setation: femur 5-5-2-2; genu 3-3-0-1; tibia 4-4-2-2; tarsi 18-15-14-12. Juvenile instars. Unknown.

Remarks. The new genus differs from other genera of Punctoribatidae by the combination of character states: body distinctly elongate; 11 pairs of notogastral setae (including dp); Am and Ah as porose areas; genal tooth fused to rostrum; four pairs of genital setae; complete posterior notogastral tectum; well separated dorsophragmata; leg setation: femur 5-5-2-2; genu 3-3-0-1; tibia 4-4-2-2; tarsi 18-15-14-12. See “Discussion” section below.