Copidognathus matemwensis, Chatterjee, Tapas, Troch, Marleen De & Chan, Benny K. K., 2008

Chatterjee, Tapas, Troch, Marleen De & Chan, Benny K. K., 2008, Descriptions of two Copidognathus halacarid mites (Acari, Halacaridae) from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Zootaxa 1809, pp. 49-60 : 50-55

Copidognathus matemwensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1, 2)

Material examined: Holotype: ď, among coral rubble of Fungia, Matemwe (5 ° 52 ’ S, 39 ° 21 ’ E), east coast of Unguja, Zanzibar, 17 Aug. 2004 (colls. M. Raes & H. Gheerardyn), will be deposited in the museum of Biological Oceanography Division, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India. Paratypes: 1 Ψ (collection data same as for holotype) will be deposited in the museum of Biological Oceanography Division, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India; 1 Ψ (collection data same as for holotype) will be deposited in the Acari collection of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science, Brussels.

Description of holotype male: Idiosoma ( Fig. 1 A) 343 Μm long, 213 Μm wide. All dorsal plates separate. Areolae and costae on dorsal plates with rosette pores, remainder of plates foveate. AD 106 Μm long and 92 Μm wide; anterior areola on AD little oblong; paired oblong middle areolae with 7–10 rosette pores each. Paired ds 1 anterior to middle areolae on AD, pair of gland pores near anterolateral margin of AD anterior to ds 1, posterior margin of AD arched, area near posterior margin raised, ridge-like. OC 86 Μm long, 53 Μm wide (length to width ratio about 1.6); each with 2 corneae; areola with about 13 rosette pores between corneae ventromedially; gland pore lateral to posterior cornea; pore canaliculus present nearly on lateral margin of OC posterior to gland pore; ds 2 located at anteromedial corner of OC. Small brownish pigment (eye spot) found near corneal zone. An elevated bar laterally from middle to posterior side of OC. PD 207 Μm long, 136 Μm wide (length to width ratio about 1.5); pair of costae 2 to 3 rosette pores wide; anterior end of costa reaching beyond ds 3; anterior margin of PD rounded; ds 3 -ds 5 on PD lateral to porose costae; gland pore lateral to costae between ds 4 and ds 5 ( Fig. 1 A); ds 6 near the anterior margin of anal plate dorsally.

All ventral plates separate ( Fig. 1 B). AE 122 Μm long, 197 Μm wide; with 3 pairs of setae and a pair of epimeral pores. Epimeral processes I–II well developed, coxal origin. Paired marginal areolae containing rosette pores posterior to insertion of leg I; pair of ventromedial areolae between lateral and posterior setae on AE; remainder of plate with delicate canaliculi arranged within polygons. Each PE with 3 ventral setae and 1 dorsal seta. GA 166 Μm long, 113 Μm wide. GO 56 Μm long. Distance between anterior end of GO and that of GA 65 Μm, about 1.2 times of GO length; distance between posterior margin of GO and that of GA 45 Μm. Spermatopositor large, reaching close to anterior margin of GA. Areolae present on lateral side of anterior half of GA, tending to join with areolae present lateral to GO; 16 PGS present; each genital sclerite with 4 SGS, arranged 2 - 2.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 1 D) 159 Μm long, 75 Μm wide, about 2.1 times longer than wide. Palp consisting of 4 segments. Rostrum about 1.5 times longer than gnathosomal base; rostrum tip extending to basal part of P 4. P 1 and P 3 without any seta. P 2 with 1 dorsal seta distally. P 4 with 3 long proximal setae, 1 -minute distal seta. P 4 little longer than P 2. Proto- and deutorostral setae situated at tip of rostrum, tritorostral setae (long maxillary setae of rostrum) at about middle of rostrum, gnathosomal base with a pair of setae. Gnathosomal base ventrolaterally with rosette pores, dorsally foveate. Rostral sulcus long, extending near tritorostral setae. Tectum triangular.

Chaetotaxy of legs ( Fig. 2 A–D): trochanters I–IV, 1 - 1 - 1 -0; basifemora I–IV, 2 - 2 - 2 - 2; telofemora I–IV, 5 - 5 - 2-3; patella I–IV, 4 - 4 - 3 - 3; tibiae I–IV, 7 - 7 - 5 - 5; tarsi (PAS excluded) I–IV, 7 - 4 - 4 - 4. Trochanters III and IV each with a dorsomedial spiniform process. Telofemora sculptured with foveae. Telofemur III with two dorsal setae, devoid of any ventral seta. Telofemur IV with two dorsal, one ventral seta. Telofemora, patella and tibiae with distoventral and distal pararthrodial lamellae. Length to width ratios of telofemora I–IV about 1.9, 1.6, 1.6, 1.8, respectively; those of tibiae I–IV about 2.2, 1.9, 2.6, 2.8, respectively. Tibiae I–IV with 2 - 2 - 1 -0 bipectinate setae. Tibiae I and II each with 1 denticulate process (lamella) proximoventrally ( Fig. 2 A, B). Proximal bipectinate ventromedial seta of tibia II inserted at almost the same level as the ventral smooth long seta. Tarsus I with 3 dorsal setae, 1 solenidion (16 Μm long), 3 ventral setae, 2 doublets eupathid PAS. Tarsus II with 3 dorsal setae, 1 solenidion (17 Μm long), 2 single eupathid PAS. Tarsi III and IV each with 4 dorsal setae (distance between 2 basal setae slightly lesser than height of tarsus) and 2 PAS (1 spur-like and 1 eupathid). All legs with 2 lateral claws and a bidentate median claw. Lateral claws with accessory process dorsally and fine pecten ventrally.

Female: Idiosoma 312–350 Μm long. Structure and armature of body parts resembles the male except GA region. GA 179 Μm long, 128 Μm wide ( Fig. 1 C), anterior end slightly arched. GO 75 Μm long; areolae present on lateral side of anterior half of GA, tending to join with areolae present lateral to GO. Interval between anterior margin of GA and that of GA 70 Μm, almost as long as GO length. Three pairs PGS present; anterior pair 39 Μm away from anterior end of GO; middle pair near the level of anterior margin of GO, 7 Μm away from lateral margin of GA; third pair near posterior side of GO. Pair of SGS located at anterior one-sixth of GO.

Remarks: The present new species is allied with C. amaurus Bartsch, 1999 , C. australensis ( Lohmann, 1909) , C. bavayi ( Trouessart, 1896) , C. corallorum ( Trouessart, 1899) , C. floridensis Newell, 1947 , C. peregrinus Bartsch, 1977 , C. pontellus Bartsch, 1981 , C. rostratellus Bartsch, 1986 , C. scuna Otto, 1994 , C. tenuirostris Bartsch, 1977 , C. tuberipes Bartsch, 1977 , and C. waltairensis Chatterjee & Annapurna, 2002 ( Trouessart, 1896, 1899; Lohmann 1909; André 1937, 1938a; Newell 1947; Bartsch 1977, 1981, 1986, 1993, 1999; Otto 1994; Chatterjee & Annapurna 2002, 2003; Pepato & Tiago 2005) in having the combination of following characteristics: AD with 1 anterior and two roundish or oblong middle areolae, in some species two middle areolae fused to form a single median areola; ds 1 anterior to middle areolae; pair of gland pores located anterolateraly on AD; ds 2 located at anteromedial corner of OC; PD with 2 costae containing rosette pores; ds 3 -ds 5 on PD; gland pores situated lateral to costae between ds 4 and ds 5; epimeral process I well developed and coxal in origin; telofemora, patella and tibia with pararthrodial lamellae; basifemora III–IV devoid of ventral lamella, telofemora III–IV with 0–1 ventral seta; patella I–IV with 4 - 4 - 3 - 3 setae; tibiae I–IV with 2 - 2 - 1 -0 pectinate setae; tarsi III and IV each with 4 dorsal setae, 2 basidorsal setae on tarsi III–IV apart from each other. C. bermudensis Bartsch & Iliffe, 1985 and C. guttatus Bartsch, 1977 have many characteristics in common and can also be related to the present species. C. asperatus Newell, 1984 , C. lamellosus ( Lohmann, 1893) , C. simonis (Lohmann, 1907) and C. transversus Newell, 1984 ( Lohmann 1893, 1907a, b; Newell 1984; Bartsch 2000) lack some information on gland pores, details of leg-morphology etc but also have some similarities to the present species.

Of these species C. matemwensis sp. nov. resembles C. asperatus , C. australensis , C. bavayi , C. bermudensis , C. floridensis , C. lamellosus , C. peregrinus , C. scuna , and C. tuberipes due to the presence of the two median porose areolae on AD but differs from them in having areolae containing rosette pores on the lateral side of anterior half of GA which tend to join with areolae laterally to GO area, while areolae are present lateral to GO area only in other species ( Table 1). Additionally, a pair of ventromedial areolae are present between lateral and posterior setae of AE in C. matemwensis sp. nov but are absent in others ( Table 1). Further comparison of characteristics between C. matemwensis sp. nov. and its related 9 species are given in Table 1.

C. matemwensis C. asperatus C. australensis C. bavayi C. bermudensis

Idiosomal length (µm) ♂: 343 About 335 ♂: 328–353 &: 332 &: 306 &: 312–350 &: 325–383

C. floridensis C. lamellosus C. peregrinus C. scuna C. tuberipes Copidognathus brevipus Viets, 1940 , C. quadriporosus Chatterjee & Chang, 2006 , C. spinifer Macquitty, 1984 , C. tabellio ( Trouessart, 1894) ( Trouessart 1894, 1901; Viets 1940; André 1946; Bartsch 1975, 2001; Macquitty 1984; Chatterjee & Chang 2006) have similarities with above mentioned species but readily differ from them in having 3 dorsal setae on tarsus IV.

Copidognathus corallicolus Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang, 2006 was reported from Zanzibar (Chatterjee et al. 2006) and differs from C. matemwensis in having ds 2 on membranous cuticle between AD and OC, costae on PD single rosette pore wide, tibia IV with 1 pectinate ventral seta, tarsus IV with 3 dorsal setae.

Etymology. The specific epithet matemwensis alludes to the type locality of this new species, Matemwe ( Zanzibar, Tanzania).

Tables

TABLE 1. Comparison of characteristics between C. matemwensis sp. nov. and its related 9 species.

Area near posterior mar- gin on AD	Transversely raised, ridge-like	Devoid of typi- cal areolae or ridge; a pair of heavy callosi- ties present	With two small marginal areolae	Devoid of are- olae or ridge	2 lamellar pro- jection present
Posterior end of OC	Pointed	Pointed	Pointed	Pointed	Pointed
Anterior margin of PD	Rounded	Truncate	Arched	Rounded	Almost truncate
Special pigmentation on dorsal plates	Absent	Absent	Absent	Brownish pig- ments on posterior of OC and anterior on PD	Absent
Ventromedial areolae between lateral and pos- terior setae on AE	Present	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
Anterolateral areolae on GA	Present	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
Rostrum tip Extension (to) Proximoventral process (lamella) on tibiae I–II	Basal part of P4 Denticulate pro- cess (lamella) present	– Absent	Proximal setae of P4 Denticulate pro- cess (lamella) present	Basal part of P4 Rudimentary lamella present, devoid of denticulate extension	Beyond P2 Absent
Locality	Zanzibar, Tanza- nia	Chile	Australia	Vietnam, Malay- sia	Bermuda
continued.