Armascirus denheyeri, Kalúz, Stanislav, Ermilov, Sergey G. & Vrabec, Michal, 2014

Kalúz, Stanislav, Ermilov, Sergey G. & Vrabec, Michal, 2014, Two new species of the genus Armascirus (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae) from India and Vietnam, with a description of the preimaginal stage of Armascirus fendai, Zootaxa 3835 (2), pp. 237-250 : 238-243

Armascirus denheyeri sp. nov.

Diagnosis (female). Armascirus denheyeri sp. nov. resembles the species A. cerris Kalúz , A. fendai Kalúz & Vrabec , A. gimpeli Smiley and A. ozarkensis Skvarla & Dowling by having a small hysterosomal median shield that is not complemented with dorsal setae and has lateral platelets. It can be differentiated from A. fendai by 1 ap and 2 spls on the palpal telofemur and the chaetotaxy of sts on tarsi I–IV 17–17–15 –14 (2 ap and 1 spls in A. fendai and chaetotaxy of sts on tarsi I–IV 15–12–11 –11), from A. cerris by telofemoral 1 ap, 1 spls and 1 sts (1 ap and 1 sts on palpal telofemur in A. cerris ). The differences between A. denheyeri sp. nov. and A. gimpeli are: median hysterosomal shield in A. denheyeri sp. nov. is bigger, subquadrangular (length = width) and hysterosomal platelets are six times longer than c1, while the hysterosomal shield of A. gimpeli is small, oval (two times wider than long) and platelets are small, approximately as long as the length of c1 (or little more). The last similar species, A. ozarkensis , differs from A. denheyeri sp. nov in having the hysterosomal median shield two times wider than long with its anterior margin separated caudally from the line of c1–c1, while the hysterosomal median shield in A. denheyeri sp. nov. is as long as wide with its anterior margin close to the line of c1– c1.

Description. Female [holotype, paratype]—body length [406, 624], width [307, 435], respectively, 2 specimens measured.

Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ): Propodosoma with punctate subrectangular shield with reticulation, cone-shaped distally. Propodosomal shield reaching to anterior region of hysterosoma, bearing a pair of anterior (vi) and posterior (sce) setose trichobothria and also two pairs of tactile setae. Anterior trichobothrium [396, 442], posterior trichobothrium [441, 524 long], distance between bases of vi–vi and sce–sce [26, 28] and [220, 239], respectively. Propodosoma separated from hysterosoma by fine striae. Hysterosoma with hysterosomal median shield and a pair of lateral reticulate platelets. Hysterosomal shield subquadrangular [92, 100 long], anterior margin wider [94,100] than posterior [46,48]. Hysterosomal platelets narrow and longer [63, 62] than wide [12, 12]. Six pairs of tactile dorsal setae present on hysterosoma; c2, c1–h1. Short setae c1 and c2 about equal in length [8,11]; following setae longer and increasing in length: d1 [9,12], e1 [13,15], f1 [17,20] and h1 [29,31]. Distance between bases of setae c1–c1 about twelve times length of c1; d1–d1 about ten times length of d1; e1– e1 about five–six times longer e1; f1– f 1, about four times length of f1; h1–h1 nearly one and half length of h1.

Venter ( Fig. 2 ). Coxal plates weakly sclerotized, coxae I–II and III–IV contiguous and finely punctate, punctuation like to those of dorsal shields. Setal formula of coxae I–IV: 3–2–3–3 sts. Venter of hysterosoma ( Fig. 2 ) with a pair of simple centro-medial setae [14, 14], on longitudinally striated integument between coxae IV, and with four pairs of hysterogastral setae [28, 29], on transversally striated integument arranged anteriorly to genital plates. Four pairs of simple setae on weakly sclerotized genital plates, setae nearly equal in length [24, 23–25, 25–29, 31–28, 31] (anterior to posterior in holotype and paratype), respectively. One pair of simple setae [9, 8] on anal plate and two pairs of adjacent setae [28, 29] close to anal plates.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 3 ). Five segmented palp [445, 455 long], with palpal tibiotarsus apically curved. Palp with gently punctate surface and bare tibiotarsus. Palpal chaetotaxy as follows: trochanter—bare; basifemur—1 dorsomedial sts [11, 11 long]; inner surface of telofemur with 1 ventro-distal apophysis [89, 85], stout dorso-distal spls [23, 28]; inner surface of genu with 1 long and simple latero-medial seta [46, 38], 1 elongate ventro-distal apophysis [100, 97], genual outer surface ventrally with 1 short distal sts [11,12], dorsally with 1 distal spls [21, 21], 1 latero-distal spls [29, 26], palpgenual apophysis five times longer as adjacent spls; tibiotarsus inner surface with 1 proximal sts [42, 46], and medially with 1 stout spls [21, 21], outer surface with 1 dorso-medial sts [8, 8], 1 dorso-distal sts [8, 9], 1 dorso-distal solenidion [14, 14] and terminating with a small short claw [14, 14].

Chelicera slender and long [258, 262], cheliceral segment I as well as the proximal part of segment II punctate with randomly placed papillae, a single distal seta [18, 20] present.

Subcapitulum ( Fig. 4 ) subrectangular, distally cone-shaped, with two pairs of short adoral setae and four pairs of hypognathal setae (hg). Setae hg4 [62, 65] two times longer than hg2 [31, 34], three times longer than hg1 [21] and nearly six times longer than hg3 [11, 12]. Coxal region of subcapitulum with randomly placed fine papillae, latero-proximal part finely punctate.

Legs ( Fig. 5 ). All legs with fine reticulation, well visible mainly on proximal segments. Legs I–III shorter than leg IV. Chaetotaxy I–IV as follows: coxae 3–2–3–3 sts; trochanters 1–1–2–1 sts; basifemora 5–5-4-3 sts; telofemora 4–4–4–4 sts; genu I—3 asl, 1 mst, 5 sts; genu II—1 asl, 6 sts; genu III—6 sts; genu IV—6 sts; tibia I—1 asl, 1 mst, 5 sts; tibia II—1 asl, 1 sts, 4 sts; tibia III—(1 bsl, 1 sts), 4 sts; tibia IV, 1 smooth T, 4 sts; tarsus I—1 fam, 4 asl, 1 tsl, 17 sts; tarsus II—1 bsl, 1 tsl, 17 sts; tarsus III—1 tsl, 15 sts; tarsus IV—1 tsl, 14 sts.

Length of leg segments I–IV (coxa and trochanter not measured): Basifemur [108, 117]–[98, 105]–[85, 92]–[131, 138]; Telofemur [77, 77]–[74, 77]–[46, 55]–[62, 66]; Genu [31, 31]–[31, 31]–[43, 45]–[48, 51]; Tibia [39, 39]–[39, 39]–[68, 68]–[82, 86]; Tarsus [185, 189]–[162, 170]–[189, 204]–[206, 224].

Male and developmental stages. Unknown.

Material studied. Holotype: female on slide, SE—India, Arunachal Pradesh, Hunli env., 1300 m a.s.l., N–28˚19′32″, E–95˚57′31″, 26 May–1 June 2012, 1 female from litter. Paratype: 1 female on slide; SE—India, Arunachal Pradesh, Hunli env., 1300 m a.s.l. (N–28˚19′32″, E–95˚57′31″), 1300 m a.s.l., 26 May–1 June 2012, 1 female from litter. Material collected by L. Dembický and O. Šauša. Holotype and paratype will be deposited in Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Prof. Dr. Jacob Den Heyer for his many outstanding contributions to the taxonomy of the Cunaxidae .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Armascirus denheyeri sp. nov. — female; idiosoma (dorsal view).

FIGURE 2. Armascirus denheyeri sp. nov. — female; idiosoma (ventral view).

FIGURE 5. Armascirus denheyeri sp. nov. — female; legs I – IV (from left, dorsal view).

FIGURES 3 – 4. Armascirus denheyeri sp. nov. — female; 3, palp (dorsal view) 4, subcapitulum (ventral view).