Ceratozetes baleensis, Ermilov & Sidorchuk & Rybalov, 2011

Ermilov, Sergey G., Sidorchuk, Ekaterina A. & Rybalov, Leonid B., 2011, New oribatid mites of the superfamily Ceratozetoidea (Acari: Oribatida) from Ethiopia, African Invertebrates 52 (2), pp. 311-311 : 324-328

Ceratozetes baleensis sp. n.

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Etymology: The new species is named after the Ethiopian Bale Mountains National Park.

Diagnosis: The new species is distinguished by the following combination of character states: body size 464–481 × 298–332; rostrum rounded medially, with two lateral indentations (one on each side) and two blunt-ended teeth (one on each side); notogastral surface smooth, rostrum punctate and weakly striated, pteromorphae weakly punctate, epimeral region with very short striae laterally; lamellar cusps long (half the length of lamellae), close medially; rostral setae (ro) setiform, densely ciliate, with thinner smooth tips; lamellar setae (le) setiform, with cilia; interlamellar setae (in) setiform, with small barbs; sensilli (ss) short, clavate, with round head distally; pteromorphae short.

Description:

Measurements. Body length 464 (holotype, male), 464–481 (3 female paratypes); body width 298 (holotype, male), 298–332 (3 female paratypes).

Integument. Body brown. Notogaster and anogenital surface smooth. Rostrum punctate and with four to six short longitudinal striae. Pteromorphae weakly punctate. Epimeral region with very short striae laterally.

)LJ. l. Ceratozetes baleensis sp. n.: (A) dorsal view, legs not shown; (B) ventral view, legs, palps and subcapitular setae not shown; (C) lateral view of prodorsum, gnathosoma not shown; (D) rostrum, GRUVR‒DQWHULRU YLHZ. 6FDOH EDUV: $, % = ƻoo ȝP; & = loo ȝP; ' = lo ȝP.

Prodorsum ()LJV l$, l&, l'; ƻ$±'). 5RVWUXP URXQGHG PHGLDOO\, ZLWK WZR ODWHUDO indentations (one on each side) and two blunt-ended teeth (one on each side). Lamellae narrow, half the length of prodorsum. Lamellar cusps long (half as long as lamellae), truncate or weakly slanting distally. Distance between cusps shorter than length of cusp. Rostral setae 53–61, setiform, densely ciliate, with thinner smooth tips. Lamellar setae 45–49, setiform, with sparse cilia. Interlamellar setae 61–65, setiform, with small barbs. Sensilli short, 32–36, with oval, smooth head. A pair of oval areae porosae Ad visible posterior to interlamellar setae.

Notogaster ()LJ. l$). $QWHULRU QRWRJDVWUDO PDUJLQ FRQYH[PHGLDOO\. 3WHURPRUSKDH VKRUW. 7HQ SDLUV RI QRWRJDVWUDO VHWDH ƻ4±ƻ8, WKLQ DQG VPRRWK.)RXU SDLUV RI URXQG DUHDH SRURVDH SUHVHQW (GLDPHWHU RI DOO lo±l4). $OO O\UL¿VVXUHV DQG RSLVWKRQRWDO JODQG RSHQLQJ (gla) located typically as for Ceratozetes .

)LJ. ƻ. Ceratozetes baleensis sp. n.: (A) rostral seta; (B) lamellar seta and distal part of lamellar cusp; (C) LQWHUODPHOODU VHWD;(') VHQVLOOXP; (() WXWRULXP; ()) JHQLWDO SODWH,ULJKW DQG HSLPHUDO VHWDH 3a, 4b; (G) DQDO SODWH, ULJKW DQG DGDQDO VHWDH; (+) RYLSRVLWRU. 6FDOH EDUV $±(= ƻo ȝP;)±+ = ƽo ȝP.

Lateral part of body ()LJV l&; ƻ(). ([RERWKULGLDO VHWDH (ex, 28) setiform, barbed. Tutorium (tu) long, thin, with thin cusp distally.

Anogenital region ()LJV l%; ƻ)±+). Two pairs of anal (an 1, an 2, 24), three pairs of adanal (ad 1 – ad 3, 28–32), one pair of aggenital (ag, 16–24) and six pairs of genital (g 1 – g 3, 28–32; g 4 – g 6, 12–16) setae setiform, thin, slightly barbed. Anterior margins of genital plates with three pairs of genital setae (g 1 – g 3). Distance between ad 1 and ad 2 little shorter than distance between ad 2 and ad 3. Ovipositor 134 × 41. Length of lobes 65, length of F\OLQGULFDO GLVWDO SDUW (E'S) Ϭ9.$OO VHWDH VHWLIRUP,VPRRWK. /REH VHWDH ȥ 1 § IJ 1 (41) longer than ȥ 2 § IJ a § IJ b § IJ c (20). Six short (8) coronal setae k present.

)LJ. ³. Ceratozetes baleensis sp. n.: (A) subcapitulum; (B) palp; (C) chelicera; (D) leg I, right, antiaxial YLHZ; (() OHJ ,,, ZLWKRXW WURFKDQWHU DQG IHPXU, ULJKW,DQWLD[LDO YLHZ; ()) JHQX DQG WLELD RI OHJ ,,,, ULJKW, DQWLD[LDO YLHZ; (*) OHJ,9, OHIW, SDUD[LDO YLHZ. 6FDOH EDUV $, &±* = ƽo ȝP; % = ƻo ȝP.

Epimeral region ()LJ. l%). $SRGHPHV l, ƻ, VHMXJDO DSRGHPH DQG YHU\ VKRUW DSRGHPH ³ present. Epimeral setal formula 3–1–3–3. Setae 28–36, setiform, slightly barbed. Lateral setae ³ɫ and 4ɫ visible in lateral view. Custodium extending anteriorly to pedotectum II. Circumpedal carina well visible.

Gnathosoma ()LJV ³$±&). 6XEFDSLWXOXP ORQJHU WKDQ ZLGH: loϬ î 8ƻ. +\SRVWRPDO setae a, m, h 20–24, setiform, slightly barbed. Two pairs of setiform, curved distally, VOLJKWO\ EDUEHG DGRUDO VHWDH (lƻ±lϬ). 3DOS (OHQJWK Ϭ9±7³) ZLWK VHWDWLRQ o±ƻ±l±³±9(+lȦ). Chelicera (length 114) chelate-dentate. Cheliceral setae setiform, barbed; cha (36) slightly longer, than chb (34).

Legs ()LJV ³'±*).)RUPXODH RI OHJ VHWDWLRQ DQG VROHQLGLD:, (l±ƽ±³±4±ƻo)>l±ƻ±ƻ@, ,, (l±ƽ±³±4±lƽ)>l±l±ƻ@, ,,, (ƻ±³±l±³±lƽ)>l±l±o@,,9 (l±ƻ±ƻ±³±lƻ)>o±l±o@; KRPRORJ\ RI VHWDH DQG VROHQLGLD LQGLFDWHG LQ 7DEOH l. 6HWDH VHWLIRUP, VOLJKWO\ EDUEHG.)DPXOXV short, blunt-ended. Solenidia setiform.

+ RORW \ SH: ƃ (7+,23,$: %DOH 0RXQWDLQV 1DWLRQDO 3DUN,+ DUHQQD) RUHVW ( ZRRG VSHFLHV, LQ SDUWLFXODU, Hagenia abissinica forming the canopy), 6°38'N: 39°43'E, 1883 m, in soil, 23.xi.2009, L.B. Rybalov (ZISP).

3DUDW\SHV: ³Ƃ VDPH GDWD DV KRORW\SH (WZR SDUDW\SHV, 6=01; RQH SDUDW\SH, 3&)

Distribution: At present, this species is only known from Ethiopia.

Remarks: In having the combination of shape of rostrum (rounded medially, with two lateral indentations) and long cusps (as long as half the length of lamellae), C. baleensis sp. n. is morphologically similar only to C. nigrisetosus Hammer, 1958 from Bolivia and C. rostroundulatus Pavlichenko, 1991 from Ukraine. The new species differs from C. nigrisetosus by having blunt-ended lateral rostral tubercles (rostrum with lateral pointed teeth in C. nigrisetosus ), lamellar cusps closed medially, distance between cusps shorter than length of cusp (lamellar cusps removed medially, distance between cusps not shorter than length of cusp in C. nigrisetosus ); notogaster with 10 pairs of setae (11 pairs in C. nigrisetosus ), pteromorphae short (long in C. nigrisetosus ). The new species differs from C. rostroundulatus by the absence of notogaster lenticulus (present in C. rostroundulatus ), blunt-ended lateral rostral tubercles (rostrum with lateral pointed teeth in C. rostroundulatus ), sensilli rounded distally (sensilli oblong, with pointed tip in C. rostroundulatus ), lamellar cusps close medially, distance between cusps shorter than length of cusp (lamellar cusps removed medially, distance between cusps not shorter than length of cusp in C. rostroundulatus ); pteromorphae short (long in C. rostroundulatus ).

In having the combination of shape of rostrum, short pteromorhae, shape of notogastral anterior margin and morphology of ventral plate, C. baleensis sp. n. is morphologically similar to Austroceratobates endroedyi Mahunka, 1985 from South Africa, however it differs from the latter by having larger body size (464–481 × 298–332 in C. baleensis ; 385–426 × 262–295 in A. endroedyi ); short interlamellar setae (shorter than lamellae in C. baleensis ; longer than lamellae in A. endroedyi ); smooth lateral margin of lamellae (with tooth in A. endroedyi ); distinct notogastral areae porosae (indistinct in A. endroedyi ); prodorsum and epimeral region with short striae (striae long in A. endroedyi ).

Austroceratobates is a monotypical genus of the family Ceratozetidae that was proposed by Mahunka (1985) with Austroceratobates endroedyi Mahunka, 1985 as type species. It differs from other genera of family by the shape of tutoria (long, narrow, without cusps) (Mahunka 1985). In our opinion, only the shape of tutoria cannot be used for the separation of Austroceratobates from the other genera, therefore most likely this genus should be considered as a synonym of Ceratozetes . In turn, Austroceratobates is similar morphologically to the genus Limnozetella Willmann, 1931 (Limnozetidae) with the single (type) species Limnozetella lamellata Willmann, 1931 . We do not discuss placing Austroceratobates in Ceratozetidae and the taxonomic relations between Ceratozetes , Austroceratobates and Limnozetella herein, because it should be addressed by separate research.