Pennarhodeus turris Karg

Castilho, Raphael C., De, Gilberto J. & Halliday, Bruce, 2012, Revision of the genera Interrhodeus, Pennarhodeus and Poropodalius (Acari: Rhodacaridae), Zootaxa 3335, pp. 1-28 : 12-14

Pennarhodeus turris Karg

Pennarhodeus turris Karg, 2000a: 257 .

Pennarhodeus turris .— Karg, 2000b: 211.

Specimens examined. Holotype male: 6963 T, Kleine Antillen (indicated as Pinar del Rio, Cuba in the original description), 1980 (indicated as 1976 in the original description), Boden – Streu Pr. (litter sample) 19, leg. Mahunka, ZMB Kat. Nr. 45976. (in MNHB).

Diagnosis (adult male). Arthrodial process of chelicera with a short coronet-like fringe; epistome with smooth margin, and with antero-medial projection about twice as long as antero-lateral projections; podonotal shield mostly with roundish markings except for reticulate antero-lateral region, without scleronoduli; with a narrow band projecting posteriorly from region lateral to seta r3, bearing seta r4; dorsal idiosomal setae pilose, except setae z1, z2, s1 and R1-R4, smooth; opisthonotal shield with polygons outlined by aligned granules; seta R5 absent; sternogenital shield smooth; unsclerotised integument between sternogenital and ventrianal shields without accessory platelet; peritreme extending anteriorly to mid-level of coxa II; with a spur-like ventral seta on each of femur, genu and tibia II.

Adult male ( Fig. 7 A–G) (holotype). Dorsal idiosomal setae (except z1, z2, s1 and R1–R4), Jv5, para-anal and post-anal setae pilose; setae z1, z2, s1, R1–R4, hypostomal, subcapitular, ventral idiosomal (except Jv5, para-anal and post-anal) and leg setae smooth.

Gnathosoma. Fixed cheliceral digit 52 long, with three teeth in addition to apical tooth and a setiform pilus dentilis ( Fig. 7 A); movable cheliceral digit 51 long, with one tooth in addition to apical tooth. Spermatodactyl 110 long, abruptly bent dorsally, distal portion approximately parallel to proximal portion, and almost twice as long. Arthrodial process of chelicera with a short coronet-like fringe. Epistome with a smooth antero-medial projection, narrowed in anterior one-third, with four apical denticles; flanked on each side by shorter, smooth projection with five apical denticles ( Fig. 7 B); margin of epistome smooth between antero-medial and antero-lateral projections and laterad to antero-lateral projections. Deutosternal denticles in eight rows, each with 10–15 denticles; most anterior row shallow U-shaped, seventh row convex, other rows straight and transverse ( Fig. 7 C). Measurements of setae: h 1 18, h 2 11, h 3 15, sc 15.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 7 D). Podonotal shield mostly with roundish markings, except for reticulate antero-lateral region, and a punctate band along its posterior margin, between setae s6; 188 long and 222 wide at widest point; with 23 pairs of setae (seta r1 absent); without scleronoduli and with four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures; with a narrow band projecting posteriorly from region lateral to seta r3, bearing seta r4. Opisthonotal shield with polygons defined by aligned granules, except for a punctate band along anterior margin; 177 long and 154 wide at widest point; with 15 pairs of setae and four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Unsclerotised integument laterad to opisthonotal shield with four pairs of setae (R1-R4); seta R5 absent. Measurements of setae: j1 20, j2 17, j3 16, j4 15, j5 15, j6 16, z1 15, z2 14, z3 15, z4 16, z5 20, z6 16, s1 12, s2 17, s3 17, s4 16, s5 18, s6 19, r2 18, r3 28, r4 12, r5 20, r6 20, J1 21, J2 20, J3 18, J4 20, J5 13, Z1 21, Z2 21, Z3 20, Z4 20, Z5 25, S1 22, S2 21, S3 22, S4 22, S5 21, R1 10, R2 10, R3 11, R4 10.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 7 E). Base of tritosternum 20 long and 14 wide proximally ( Fig. 7 F); laciniae 63 long, separated for about 90% of their total length, pilose. Sternogenital shield smooth and with indistinct anterior margin; region anterior to the first pair of lyrifissures (iv 1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; posterior margin straight; approximately 148 long, including the lightly sclerotised and punctate region, 74 wide at widest point; with five pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures; distance between st 5- st 5 34; genital opening on anterior margin of shield. Ventrianal shield reticulate, except for a punctate band along anterior margin, its anterior margin with a rounded protrusion, shield 125 long and 157 wide at widest point, not fused to dorsal shield; with seven pairs of setae (Jv1, Jv3, Jv5 and Zv1-Zv3) in addition to circum-anal setae and four pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures; post-anal seta longer than para-anal setae. Peritreme extending anteriorly to mid-level of coxa II. Peritrematal shield narrow, not extending beyond peritreme. Measurements of setae: st1 15, st2 15, st3 15, st4 13, st5 12, Jv1 16, Jv2 15, Jv3 16, Jv5 23, Zv1 14, Zv2 15, Zv3 15, para-anal 16, post-anal 22.

Legs. Lengths: I: 331; II: 267; III: 225; IV: 320. Genu IV with nine setae and tibia IV with ten setae. With a spur-like ventral seta on each of femur, genu and tibia II ( Fig. 7 G). Pretarsus I, a single, sessile, curved claw; pretarsi II–IV, an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strong claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes.

Remarks. This species is known only from the adult male holotype. The following characteristics appear in the original description and illustrations of the species, but do not agree with our observations of the holotype: podonotal shield ornamented only with roundish markings, with 24 pairs of setae and structures resembling scleronoduli (illustrated by Karg, 2000a but not mentioned in the text). No information was provided about the hypostome, tritosternum, ventral idiosoma, lyrifissures and leg setal counts. The measurements provided in the original description referred to the length of the idiosoma (350), width of idiosoma (200), length of setae j1 (cited as i1) (18), j5 (cited as i4) (15), z6 (cited as i5) (16), J1 (cited as I1) (20), J2 (cited as I2) (20), J4 (cited as I4) (20), Z5 (25), S5 (20), length of legs I (320), II (250), III (220) and IV (300).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Pennarhodeus turris Karg. Male. A. Lateral (antiaxial) view of chelicera; B. Epistome; C. Hypostome; D. Dorsal idiosoma; E. Ventral idiosoma; F. Tritosternum; G. Anterolateral view of femur, genu and tibia of leg II. Lyrifissures enlarged for improved visibility.