Cosmochthonius ugamaensis Gordeeva, 1980

Seniczak, Stanisław, Penttinen, Ritva & Seniczak, Anna, 2011, The ontogeny of morphological traits in three European species of Cosmochthonius Berlese, 1910 (Acari: Oribatida: Cosmochthoniidae), Zootaxa 3034, pp. 1-31 : 22-23

Cosmochthonius ugamaensis Gordeeva, 1980 (Figs 9C, 10C, 13B, 17–21, 22A)

Diagnosis: Adult small (290–304 µm), light brown, with characters of Cosmochthonius . Seta c 3 reaching seta cp, and distinctly removed from lateral border of plate Na ( Fig. 17 ). Setae of e -series with 16–18 pairs of cilia, setae of f -series with 13–14 pairs ( Table 2 ). In SEM micrographs structure of cerotegument of pygidium resembles lichen thallus ( Figs 18 A–C), in light microscope as small circles and semicircles ( Fig. 17 ). Genital plate with 10 pair of setae, with seven pairs inserted on inner border ( Fig. 13 B). Formulae of leg setae and solenidia, and number of claws as in C. reticulatus .

Morphology of juveniles as in C. reticulatus , but hypertrophied setae with distinctly more cilia on setae of e - and f -series (larva 11–16 pairs of cilia, nymphs 11–15 pairs). With more cilia on larval setae of e -series than in C. foliatus , but fewer on nymphal setae of e - and f -series.

Description of larva and tritonymph: Shape of larva ( Figs 19 , 20 A), prodorsal setae, bothridium, sensillus, and gastronotal setae as in C. reticulatus , but hypertrophied seta with more cilia (e -series with 15–16 pairs of cilia, f -series with 11–12 pairs). Cupules ia, im, ip and ih located as in C. reticulatus .

Shape of body, setae, bothridium and sensillus of tritonymph of C. ugamaensis ( Figs 20 B, 21) as in C. reticulatus , but setae of e -series with 14–15 pairs of cilia, and setae of f -series with 11–13 pairs ( Figs 21 , 22 ). Basal cilia of setae of f -series longer than those of e -series, and setae p 1 and h 1 thicker than h 2 and h 3 ( Figs 10 C, 20B). Cupules ia, im, ip, ih, ips and iad located as in C. reticulatus . Ontogenetic transformations of C. ugamaensis , and shape of tibia and tarsus I, solenidia φ and ω, and famulus ε as in C. ponticus (see Seniczak & Seniczak 2009a).

Distribution and ecology: Cosmochthonius ugamaensis is considered an Asian centro-occidental species ( Subías 2004, 2011), but this species was also found by Penttinen and Gordeeva (2009) to be rather abundant in litter of olive woodland ( Olea europea L.) in Greece (Lesvos Island, N39°21.32, E 26°17.95, 520 m a. s. l.).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Posterior margin of gastronotum, scale bar 20 μm. (A) Cosmochthonius reticulatus; (B) C. foliatus; (C) C. ugamaensis; (D) C. ponticus.

FIGURE 13. Anogenital region of adult, scale bars 50 μm, legs partially drawn. (A) Cosmochthonius foliatus; (B) C. ugamaensis.

FIGURE 17. Cosmochthonius ugamaensis, notogaster of adult, scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURE 18. Cosmochthonius ugamaensis, SEM micrographs. (A) Adult, dorsal aspect; (B) anterior part of notogaster, lateral aspect; (C) pygidium, dorsal aspect.

FIGURE 19. Cosmochthonius ugamaensis, larva, dorsal aspect, legs partially drawn, scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURE 20. Cosmochthonius ugamaensis, legs partially drawn, scale bars 50 μm. (A) Anal region of larva; (B) anogenital region of tritonymph.

FIGURE 21. Cosmochthonius ugamaensis, gastronotum of tritonymph, scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURE 22. Hypertrophied setae of tritonymph, scale bars 50 μm: (A) Cosmochthonius ugamaensis; (B) C. ponticus.