Torrenticola elongata Fisher & Dowling

Fisher, J. Ray, Fisher, Danielle M., Skvarla, Michael J., Nelson, Whitney A. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2017, Revision of torrent mites (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae, Torrenticola) of the United States and Canada: 90 descriptions, molecular phylogenetics, and a key to species, ZooKeys 701, pp. 1-496 : 1

Torrenticola elongata Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, Mississippi, Tishomingo County, Tishomingo State Park, Rock Quarry Branch (34°36'N, 88°11'W), 18 Sep 1991, by IM Smith, IMS910049.

PARATYPES (1 ♀; 2 ♂): Mississippi, USA: 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Tishomingo County, Tishomingo State Park, Rock Quarry Branch (34°36'43"N, 88°12'4"W), 20 Sep 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090115, DNA 1593 • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Tishomingo County, Tishomingo State Park, Rock Quarry Branch (34°36'43"N, 88°12'4"W), 20 Sep 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090115.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (1 ♀; 1 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola elongata are similar to species with similar dorsal patterning, such as the Rusetria “4-Plate” group ( T. dunni , T. glomerabilis , T. kittatinniana , T. pollani , T. rufoalba and T. shubini ), Neoanomala Group ( T. interiorensis and T. neoanomala ), and T. bondi , T. erectirostra , T. robisoni , T. gorti , T. reduncarostra , T. irapalpa , T. racupalpa , T. skvarlai , and T. arktonyx . T. elongata can be differentiated from all other Torrenticola with similar dorsal patterning by having a more elongate dorsum (length/width ♀ = 1.92-2.08 in T. elongata , 1.17-1.58 in others; ♂ = 1.70-1.70 in T. elongata , 1.20-1.68 in others). Additionally, they can be differentiated from Rusetria 4-Plates and T. skvarlai by having distinct hind coxal margins, they can be differentiated from T. erectirostra and T. robisoni by having a straight, anteriorly-directed rostrum (upturned in others), and they can be differentiated from T. arktonyx by having an unmodified dorsal plate ( T. arktonyx has distinctive longitudinal dark markings on the anterior portion of the dorsal plate that fade posteriorly).

Description.

Female (Figure 68) (n = 2) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (540-565 (540) long; 260-295 (260) wide) ovoid and elongate with purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions. Anterio-medial platelets (105-105 (105) long; 47.5-50 (47.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (150-157.5 (150) long; 42.5-45 (45) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 180-200 (180)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.92-2.08 (1.92); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.44-1.48 (1.48); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.10-2.21 (2.21); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 3.33-3.71 (3.33); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.43-1.50 (1.43).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (285-295 (285) long (ventral); 210-222 (210) long (dorsal); 101.25-102.5 (101.25) tall) colorless. Rostrum (115-117.5 (117.5) long; 32.5-36.25 (32.5) wide) elongate. Chelicerae ((290) long) with curved fangs (45-47.5 (45) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.81-2.88 (2.81); rostrum length/width 3.24-3.54 (3.24). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and on genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (35-37.5 (37.5) long); femur (96.25-100 (96.25) long); genu (55-57.5 (55) long); tibia (61.25-62.5 (61.25) long; 20-21.25 (20) wide); tarsus (15-17.5 (17.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.74-1.75 (1.75); tibia/femur 0.63-0.64 (0.64); tibia length/width 2.94-3.06 (3.06).

Venter - (690-690 (690) long; 300-350 (300) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (130-135 (130) long; 56.25-60 (56.25) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (52.5-60 (60) long). Genital plates (142.5-145 (142.5) long; 120-122.5 (120) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (250-270 (250) long (total); 120-125 (120) long (medial)); Cx-3 (240-258 (240) wide); anterior venter (205-207.5 (205) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.25-2.31 (2.31); anterior venter/genital field length 1.43-1.44 (1.44); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.69-1.71 (1.71); anterior venter/medial suture 3.42-3.95 (3.42).

Male (Figure 69) (n = 2) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (450-460 (460) long; 265-270 (270) wide) ovoid and elongate with purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions. Anterio-medial platelets (92.5-100 (100) long; 45-47.5 (45) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (130-142.5 (130) long; 43.75-45 (43.75) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 175-180 (180)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.70-1.70 (1.70); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.50-1.51 (1.50); anterio-medial platelet length/width 1.95-2.22 (2.22); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.97-3.17 (2.97); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.30-1.54 (1.30).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (250-255 (255) long (ventral); 184-187 (184) long (dorsal); 85-87.5 (85) tall) colorless. Rostrum (97.5-102.5 (102.5) long; 30-30 (30) wide) elongate. Chelicerae (243-262 (243) long) with curved fangs (34-42 (42) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.83-3.00 (3.00); rostrum length/width 3.25-3.42 (3.42). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and on genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (31.25-37.5 (31.25) long); femur (83.75-85 (83.75) long); genu (47.5-47.5 (47.5) long); tibia (57.5-60 (57.5) long; 18.75-20 (20) wide); tarsus (15-15 (15) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.76-1.79 (1.76); tibia/femur 0.69-0.71 (0.69); tibia length/width 2.88-3.20 (2.88).

Venter - (565-570 (570) long; 325-329 (329) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (105-110 (105) long; 50-55 (55) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (55-80 (55) long). Genital plates (107.5-113.75 (113.75) long; 92.5-92.5 (92.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (207-232 (231) long (total); 82-98 (98) long (medial)); Cx-3 (257-266 (266) wide); anterior venter (215-220 (215) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.91-2.20 (1.91); anterior venter/genital field length 1.89-2.05 (1.89); anterior venter length/genital field width 2.32-2.38 (2.32); anterior venter/medial suture 2.75-3.91 (3.91).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( elongata ) refers to elongated bodies of this species, which is more pronounced than in all other North American Torrenticola (elongatus, L. prolonged).

Distribution.

Known only from Tishomingo County, Mississippi (Figure 67).

Remarks.

Torrenticola elongata groups with other members of the Raptor Complex with high support and specimens are less than 1% different in COI sequence from each other. In all analyses, T. elongata groups with two other species ( T. gorti and T. bondi ) which are 4% different from each other and have non-overlapping ranges.

Based upon overall similarity, an elongate body, and distribution, we place this species in the Elongata Identification Group.

This species hypothesis is supported by low COI divergence within the species (0-2%) and high divergence between species (3-15%), and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.