Papillocepheus banari, Ermilov & Starý, 2022

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Starý, Josef, 2022, Papillocepheus banari sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Otocepheidae) from Malawi, Ecologica Montenegrina 50, pp. 17-22 : 18-21

Papillocepheus banari sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:03624BED-96F0-4E82-AF2E-AD8C64305A8A

( Figs 1–10 )

Diagnosis. Body length: 830–1326. Cuticle densely microgranulate; prodorsum, notogaster and ventral side foveolate. Rostral seta long, setiform, barbed. Lamellar seta long, hardly phylliform, barbed. Interlamellar seta long, narrowly phylliform, barbed. Bothridial seta short, clavate, barbed. Paired lateral prodorsal and lateral notogastral condyles tubercle-like; medial prodorsal and medial notogastral condyles absent. Nine pairs of notogastral setae: la, lm, lp, h 1, h 2 narrowly phylliform, barbed, inserted in two longitudinal rows; h 3, p 1, p 2, p 3 setiform, barbed; c absent. Epimeral and anogenital setae setiform, barbed. Adanal lyrifissure obliquely oriented. Leg seta u of all tarsi setiform.

Description of adult. Measurements. Large and elongate species. Body length: 996 (holotype, male), 830–1079 (eight males), 1211–1326 (nine females); notogaster width: 415 (holotype), 332–464 (eight males), 547–614 (nine females).

Integument. Colour yellowish brown. Body partially covered by thick layer of gel-like cerotegument. Cuticle densely microgranulate. Prodorsum, notogaster, ventral side and anal plate with sparse foveolae (diameter up to 10). Lateral part of body between bothridium and acetabula I–III with dense tubercles (up to 8).

Prodorsum. Rostrum broadly rounded. Costula long, reaching bothridium basally and insertion of lamellar seta distally. Rostral seta (90–102) setiform, barbed. Lamellar seta (90–102) hardly phylliform, barbed. Interlamellar seta (106–123) narrowly phylliform, barbed. Bothridial seta (length outside bothridium: 45–49) clavate, barbed. Exobothridial seta absent. Tutorium strong. Paired lateral prodorsal condyles tubercle-like; medial prodorsal condyles absent. Interbothridial region with two unclear longitudinal ribs.

Notogaster. With circummarginal depression. Paired lateral notogastral condyles tubercle-like; medial notogastral condyles absent. Notogaster with nine pairs of setae (h 3, p 1, p 2, p 3: 69–82; others: 106– 123); dorsal setae (la, lm, lp, h 1, h 2) narrowly phylliform, barbed, inserted in two longitudinal rows; posterior setae (h 3, p 1, p 2, p 3) setiform, barbed; c absent. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures distinct: gla located lateral to lm; ia between co.nl and la; im posterolateral to lm; ip between p 2 and p 3; ips lateral to h 3; ih anterior to h 3.

Gnathosoma. Subcapitulum size: 184–192 × 123–143. Subcapitular setae (a: 28–32; m: 36–41; h: 49–53) setiform, barbed. Palp (94–102) setation: 0–2–1–3–8(+ω). Postpalpal seta (8) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera (184–192) with two (cha: 61–65; chb: 28–32) setiform, barbed setae.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions. Apodemes I, II, III and sejugal apodeme well developed. Epimeral formula: 3–1–3–3. Setae (1a, 2a, 3a: 12–16; 1b: 57–69; others: 45–57) setiform, barbed. Pedotectum I represented by large lamina. Discidium subtriangular, rounded distally.

Anogenital region. Genital (41–53), aggenital (53–57), adanal (53–65), and anal (24–28) setae setiform, barbed. Distance ad 3 – ad 3 larger than ad 2 – ad 2 and ag–ag. Adanal lyrifissure oblique, located between anterior part of anal aperture and insertion of ad 3. Circumventral ridge developed.

Legs. Claw of each leg strong, slightly barbed on dorsal side. Dorsoparaxial porose area present on femora I-IV; porose area on trochanters III, IV not visible. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–4–3– 4–16) [1–2–2], II (1–4–3–3–15) [1–1–2], III (1–3–0–2–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–1–2–14) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Seta u of all tarsi setiform.

Note: Roman letters refer to normal setae, Greek letters to solenidia (except ɛ = famulus); single quotation mark (’) designates setae on the anterior and double quotation mark (”) setae on the posterior side of a given leg segment; parentheses refer to a pair of setae.

Material examined. Holotype (male) and 17 paratypes (eight males and nine females): sample #9, Malawi, Maloza, Mulanje Mts., Maloza stream valley, 16º01'3.9"S, 35º32'36.6"E, 972 m a.s.l., sifting litter, Winkler extraction, 24.XI.2012 (leg. P. Baňař).

Type deposition. The holotype is deposited in the collection of the SMNH; 17 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the TSUMZ. All specimens are preserved in 70% solution of ethanol with a drop of glycerol.

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to our colleague, Dr. Petr Baňař (Brno, Czech Republic) renowned entomologist, specialist on soil Heteroptera, collector of large material of soil samples from Malawi.

Remarks. Papillocepheus banari sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to Papillocepheus deficiens Balogh & Balogh, 1983 from Australia in having five pairs of narrowly phylliform notogastral setae, but the new species differs from the latter by the larger body size (length: 830–1326 versus 503), the localization of dorsal notogastral setae (inserted in two longitudinal rows versus widely placed on notogaster), and the direction of posterior notogastral setae (erect versus pressed to notogastral surface).

Figures

Figures 1–3. Papillocepheus banari sp. nov., adult: 1—dorsal view (legs omitted); 2—ventral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted); 3—lateral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.

Figures 4–10. Papillocepheus banari sp. nov., adult: 4—subcapitulum, ventral view; 5—palp, right, antiaxial view; 6—chelicera, right, antiaxial view; 7—leg I, right, antiaxial view; 8—leg II (tarsus omitted), right, antiaxial view; 9— leg III (tarsus omitted), left, antiaxial view; 10—leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bars 50 μm (4, 6–10), 20 μm (5).