Poropodalius medioflagelli Karg & Schorlemmer

Castilho, Raphael C., De, Gilberto J. & Halliday, Bruce, 2012, Revision of the genera Interrhodeus, Pennarhodeus and Poropodalius (Acari: Rhodacaridae), Zootaxa 3335, pp. 1-28 : 24-26

Poropodalius medioflagelli Karg & Schorlemmer

Poropodalius medioflagelli Karg & Schorlemmer, 2009: 66 .

Specimens examined. Holotype female: 70161 T, Caracas, Venezuela, 1973, litter, soil, ZMB Kat. Nr. 46165. (in MNHB) .

Diagnosis (adult female). Epistome with smooth antero-lateral projections of about uniform width; dorsal idiosomal setae smooth; podonotal shield with indistinct roundish markings and four crescent-shaped scleronoduli between setae j5 and j6; opisthonotal shield lightly imbricate; sternal shield with light reticulation along antero-lateral margin; no accessory platelet between sternal and ventrianal shields; ventrianal shield with six pairs of setae (Jv2, Jv3, Jv5, Zv2 and Zv3) in addition to circum-anal setae; peritrematal shield narrow, not extending beyond peritreme; pretarsi I–IV similar in shape, an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strong claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes; pretarsus I about half as long as other pretarsi.

Adult female ( Fig. 14 A–C) (holotype). Dorsal and ventral idiosomal, hypostomal, subcapitular and leg setae smooth.

Gnathosoma. Fixed cheliceral digit 31 long; movable cheliceral digit 32 long; teeth and pilus dentilis not visible because of position of chelicera. Arthrodial process of chelicera with a short coronet-like fringe. Epistome with a smooth antero-medial projection of about uniform width, with two apical denticles, flanked on each side by shorter, smooth projection with three apical denticles ( Fig. 14 A); margin of epistome smooth between anteromedial and antero-lateral projections and serrate laterad to antero-lateral projections. Deutosternum, hypostomal and subcapitular setae not visible.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 14 B): Podonotal shield with indistinct roundish markings, except for a punctate band along posterior margin; 130 long and 119 wide at widest point; with 22 pairs of setae (seta r1 absent); with four crescent-shaped scleronoduli between setae j5 and j6 and five pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Unsclerotised integument laterad to podonotal shield with a pair of setae (r4). Opisthonotal shield lightly imbricate, except for a punctate band along anterior margin; 132 long and 125 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 17, j2 not seen (broken), j3 20, j4 not seen (broken), j5 20, j6 not seen (broken), z1 16, z2 18, z3 21, z4 not seen (broken), z5 18, z6 23, s1 12, s2 not seen (broken), s3 22, s4 22, s5 21, s6 23, r2 21, r3 29, r4 12, r5 21, r6 24, J1 25, J2 not seen (broken), J3 not seen (broken), J4 25, J5 22, Z1 25, Z2 not seen (broken), Z3 24, Z4 25, Z5 27, S1 25, S2 24, S3 25, S4 25, S5 25, R1 10, R2 10, R3 14, R4 16.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 14 C). Tritosternum not seen (broken). Sternal shield with light reticulation along antero-lateral margin and with indistinct anterior margin; region anterior to the first pair of lyrifissures (iv 1) lightly sclerotised and punctate; posterior margin slightly concave; approximately 77 long, including the lightly sclerotised and punctate region, and 61 wide at widest point; with four pairs of setae and three pairs of lyrifissures. Genital shield with scanty reticulation and a punctate band along straight posterior margin; longer than wide; extending posteriorly behind coxae IV; distance between st 5- st 5 38. Unsclerotised integument between genital and ventrianal shields with setae Jv1 and Zv1. Metapodal plates kidney-shaped, with narrow posterior end, containing a circular marking. Ventrianal shield reticulate; 87 long and 101 wide at widest point, not fused to dorsal shield; with five pairs of setae (Jv2, Jv3, Jv5, Zv2 and Zv3) in addition to circum-anal setae and three pairs of distinguishable lyrifissures. Peritreme extending anteriorly to mid-level of coxa II. Peritrematal shield narrow, not extending beyond peritreme. Measurements of setae: st1 not seen (broken), st2 not seen (broken), st3 not seen (broken), st4 not seen (broken), st5 not seen (broken), Jv1 not seen (broken), Jv2 not seen (broken), Jv3 not seen (broken), Jv5 24, Zv1 not seen (broken), Zv2 not seen (broken), Zv3 not seen (broken), para-anal not seen (broken), post-anal not seen (broken).

Legs. Lengths: I: 197; II: 152; III: 140; IV: 181. Pretarsi I–IV similar in shape, an elongate ambulacral stalk, a pair of strong claws and three rounded pulvillar lobes; pretarsus I about half as long as other pretarsi.

Remarks. This species is known only from the adult female holotype. The following characteristics appear in the original description and illustrations of the species, but do not agree with our observations of the holotype: epistome with serrate anterior margin, a long flagellum-like antero-medial projection and without antero-lateral projections; podonotal shield reticulate; unsclerotised integument laterad to podonotal shield with two pairs of setae; opisthonotal shield ornamented with transverse lines; genital shield smooth; ventrianal shield with only a few weak transverse lines; lyrifissures present only on sternal shield (two pairs). No information was provided about the chelicera, hypostome, tritosternum and leg setal counts. The measurements provided in the original description referred to the length of the idiosoma (249), width of idiosoma (140), length of setae j1 (cited as i1) (17), j2 (cited as z1) (20), j3 (cited as i2) (19), j5 (cited as i4) (20), z1 (cited as s1) (15), z2 (17), z5 (cited as z4) (17), s2 (cited as r2) (10), r2 (cited as r3) (20), r6 (cited as r5) (25), J1 (cited as I1) (22), J4 (cited as I4) (25), J5 (cited as I5) (22), Z1-Z5 (24), S1 (23), S5 (25), length of all st (17), para-anal (10), Jv5 (cited as lateral caudal setae) (22), length of other ventrianal idiosomal setae (17), length of the ventrianal shield (81), width of ventrianal shield (102), length of legs I (203), II (182), III (133) and IV (193).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Poropodalius medioflagelli Karg. Female. A. Epistome; B. Dorsal idiosoma; C. Ventral idiosoma. Lyrifissures enlarged for improved visibility.