Hygrobates (Hygrobates) pseudoniloticus, Smit, 2021

Smit, Harry, 2021, Water mites from West Africa (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 61 (3), pp. 700-746 : 714-715

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.24349/5d6U-DX5N
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1B5B87E5-C82C-7669-FE03-F9B73219F8F4
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Hygrobates (Hygrobates) pseudoniloticus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hygrobates (Hygrobates) pseudoniloticus n. sp.

Zoobank: 0F6BBBE8-EF76-4B8C-88C6-17D4A7EE3754

( Figure 8 View Figure 8 A-C)

Material examined. Holotype female, Ankasa Exploration Base stream, Ankasa NP, Ghana, 5°16.413′ N 2°38.810′ W, 81 m a.s.l., 14 Feb. 2013 ( RMNH) GoogleMaps . Paratype: One female,

same data as holotype ( RMNH).

Diagnosis. Female: Anterior coxae tapering, extending far posteriorly; P2 with an anteroventral extension, with several denticles, P2 with a few, relatively large denticles; first leg segments slender.

Description. Female: Integument finely lineated, only visible at higher magnification. Idiosoma dorsally 612 long and 462 wide, ventrally 608 long. Dorsum without platelets. = 50 µm.

Gnathosoma fused with Cx-I. Cx-I fused medially, extending far posteriorly, reaching middle of Cx-IV. Suture line of Cx-III/IV incomplete; Cxgl-4 located near suture line Cx-III/IV. Genital field 114 long and 196 wide, with three pairs of acetabula in a triangle. Pre-genital sclerite 82 wide. Length of P1–5: 28, 82, 62, 116, 48. P2 with a short anteroventral extension, covered with a few denticles. Ventral margin of P3 with about five denticles. P4 slender, near ventral margin two fine setae. Length of I-leg-4–6: 118, 140, 136 (till tip of segments). First leg segments slender. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 168, 190, 172 (till tip of segment). Legs without swimming setae.

Male: Unknown.

Etymlogy. Named for its similarity with H. niloticus .

Remarks. Hygrobates pseudoniloticus n. sp. is similar to H. niloticus in long and tapering anterior coxae. Unfortunately, H. niloticus is insufficiently described. The figures provided by Walter (1922) are sketchy and lack details, and only one male was known to Walter. The holotype is apparently lost. It is, therefore, difficult to decide which of the two species with long and tapering anterior coxae of this study belongs to H. niloticus . The latter species is quite large (the male is 700 long), and the anterior coxae are extremely tapering. Therefore, I assigned the largest of the two species, with the longest and most tapering anterior coxae H. to niloticus .