Wuria

Pešić, Vladimir, Chatterjee, Tapas & Bordoloi, Sabitry, 2010, A checklist of the water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) of India, with new records and description of one new species, Zootaxa 2617, pp. 1-54 : 41-43

Wuria cf. sumatrensis ( K. Viets, 1935)

(Figs. 5 – 8)

New records: India, Assam State: Kamrup district, SW of Guwahati city, Deeper Beel wetland, between the water hyacinth Eichhornia corniculata, 26.10903N 91.68359E, 37 m asl., 8. xii. 2009, leg. Das & Bordoloi, 0/ 3/0 (0/1/0 mounted); stream near Hajo, 06.iii.2010, leg. Bordoloi, 2/1/0 (1/0/0 mounted).

FIGURE 5A–B. Wuria sumatrensis K. Viets, 1935, male: A—idiosoma, dorsal view; B—idiosoma, ventral view. Scale Bar = 100 μm.

Morphology. Male (in parentheses some measurements of two conserved specimens): Idiosoma L/W 516/ 472; surface of coxae and appendages with a fine regular porosity, surface of idiosoma shield (Fig. 5A) covered by group of these pores, each joined to a larger subcutaneous cavern by fine channels; dorsal furrow incomplete (dorsal shield posteriorly fused with ventral shield), dorsal shield maximum W 350; a stripe of idiosoma surface with large pores lying between the medial nargins of Cx-III/IV as well between the margins of Cx-II and -III; capitular bay shallow; distinct, nose-shaped projections associated with the insertions of IV- Leg; genital field completely lacking surface porosity, but many acetabula in the genital field linked in a similar manner as the idiosomal pores in groups of two to four each to subcutaneous cavern; gonopore short and narrow, L 57, acetabular plates L/W, 155 – 158/112, ratio 1.4; palp (Fig. 7A – B): total L 182, L and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 22 (12.1); P-2, 51 (28.0); P-3, 34 (18.7); P-4, 56 (30.1); P-5, 19 (10.4); palp with eight stout setae on the medial surface of P-2, P-4 with slender seta inserted at the base of the ventrodistal extension of the segment, P-5 relatively short and directed medially; gnathosoma L 118; chelicera total L 108. Legs: L of I- L-5 – 6 (Fig. 7C): 90, 99.

Female (in parentheses some measurements of two conserved specimens): Similar to male except in the shape of dorsal shield, genital field ( Fig. 8 ) and IV-L-6. Idiosoma L/W (544 – 547)/(469 – 475); dorsal furrow complete, dorsal shield L/W 447/398; gonopore large L/W 115 (113 – 116)/76 (108 – 109), acetabular plates L/ W ratio 1.2; palp (Fig. 7D): total L 171, L and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 23 (13.5); P-2, 43 (25.2); P-3, 29 (17.0); P-4, 55 (32.2); P-5, 21 (12.3); gnathosoma L 112; chelicera total L 108, claw L 32. Legs: L of I-L-4 – 6: 74, 91, 98; L of IV-L (Fig. 7E): 115, 79, 80, 103, 114, 105.

Remarks. Four species of Wuria so far has been described: Wuria falciseta K. Viets, 1916 from continental Africa, W. sumatriensis K. Viets, 1935 from Sumatra ( K.Viets 1935), Wuria boutit Harvey, 1989 from Northern Teritorry, Australia ( Harvey 1989) and W. millioti Gerecke, 2004 from Madagacar ( Gerecke 2004b). Each of these species is represented by a few specimens and the male of W. sumatrensis was unknown so far.

Due to the presence of a stripe of sclerite surface with larger pores lying between the medial margins of Cx-III/IV as well between the margins of Cx-II and -III, relatively wider acetabular plates (L/W ratio 1.2) and a slender palp, the specimens from India show general conformity with Wuria sumatrensis, a species described from a lake in Sumatra and later reported from New Guinea by Wiles (1997b). The illustrated female specimen differs in slightly more elongated gonopore, but two other conserved specimens have a more roundish gonopore and agree perfectly with the original description. However, this is only a tentative assignment and a more certain designation requires males from Sumatra ( Wiles 1997b). New for the fauna of India.

Habitat: Ponds and slowly flowing streams.

Distribution. Indonesia (Sumatra), New Guinea, India.

FIGURE 7A–F. Wuria sumatrensis K. Viets, 1935, (A – C = male, E – F = female): A—gnathosoma, chelicera and palp, medial view; B, D—palp, lateral view; C = I – L-5 and -6; E = IV-L; F = IV-L-1 and -2. Scale Bars = 100 μm.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Wuria sumatrensis K. Viets, 1935, female: idiosoma, ventral view. Scale Bar = 100 μm.