Sterkspruitia comorosensis, Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Mary, Nathalie, 2015

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Mary, Nathalie, 2015, Third contribution to the knowledge of water mites from the Comoros, with the description of two new species (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 3964 (4), pp. 445-459 : 456-457

Sterkspruitia comorosensis n. sp.

( Figs. 8A–B , 9A–D )

Type series. Holotype male ( MNHN), dissected and slide mounted, Comoros , Mayotte, River Djalimou, 12°57'13,8"S, 45°06'52,7"E, 14-iv-2009, N. Mary.

Diagnosis (Female unknown). P-2 with a spatula-shaped ventrodistal protrusion, P-3 with a central thickening; S-1 and -2 heteromorphic and distanced, S-1 ending in a fine pointed tip, S-2 with well developed dorsal projection, apically rounded; IV-L-3–5 with strongly serrated setae.

Description. Ventral and dorsal shield present; dorsal shield occupying large part of dorsum, consisting of three pairs of platelets ( Fig. 8A ); contour lines of coxal plates visible, dividing them into 3 groups, separated by strips of porose sclerotization, Cx-I extending beyond frontal idiosoma margin; gnathosoma broadly fused with Cx-I; area of ventral shield posterior to Cx-IV separated by a narrow strip of soft integument surrounding a large plate bearing genital field, Ac in a curved line; excretory pore and Vgl-1 and -2 lying in soft integument posterior to genital plate, excretory pore sclerotized, Vgl-1: fused to Vgl-2 ( Fig. 8B ). Palp: P-2 with a spatula-shaped ventrodistal protrusion, P-3 with a central protrusion; P-4 with ventral setae and a short, fine sword seta, inserted far proximally ( Figs. 9B–C ). I-L-5 strongly thickened, with ventral and dorsal margins diverging from base to S-1 insertion, in the extended area between S-1 and -2 subparallel, S-1 and -2 heteromorphic and distanced, S-1 ending in a fine pointed tip, S-2 with well developed dorsal projection, apically rounded; I-L-6 long and slender, only slightly narrowed from the base to the tip ( Fig. 9A ). Legs comparatively long and slender, IV-L-3–5 with strongly serrated setae ( Fig. 9D ).

Measurements. Male—Idiosoma L/W 472/366; dorsal shield L/W 245/281; coxal field: Cx-I+II L/W 234/297, Cx-III+IV L 187; genital plate L/W 202/250, genital field L/W 95/102, gonopore L 52, L Ac 1–3: 20–22, 25–26, 22.

Palp: Total L 293, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 24/28, 0.85; P-2, 68/35, 1.96; P-3, 82/29, 2.79; P-4, 82/25, 3.2; P-5, 37/14, 2.6; L P-2/P-4 ratio 0.83.

Legs: I-L-5 dL 161, vL 75, dL/vL ratio 2.13, maximum H 59, dL/maximum H ratio 2.7, S-1 length 69, L/W ratio 5.0, S-2 length 38, L/W ratio 3.1, distance 43, length ratio S-1/2, 1.8; I-L-6 L 146, central H 18.5, length/ central height ratio 7.9; L I-L-5/6 ratio 1.1. dL of IV-L-2-6: 84, 120, 139, 168, 165.

Female: unknown.

Etymology. Named after the archipelogo ( Comoros ) where the new species was found.

Remarks. This is the second Sterkspruitia species, the first one ( S. ovalis Cook, 2003 ) was described by Cook (2003) from a tributary of the Sterkspruit River, Eastern Transvaal, South Africa. The species from South Africa, known from a single male, differs from Sterkspruitia comorosensis n. sp. in: 1) P-2 ventrodistal protrusion bluntly pointed, 2) ventral margin of P-3 strongly concave, 3) S-2 curved, apically bluntly pointed, with comparatively larger dorsal projection. Moreover, Sterkspruitia comorosensis n. sp. differs in a smaller dimensions of idiosoma and IV-L-3–5 having strongly serrated setae.

Distribution. Comoros ( Mayotte) , known only from the locus typicus.

Figures

FIGURES 8 A – B. Sterkspruitia comorosensis n. sp., male holotype, River Djalimou: A = idiosoma, dorsal view; B = idiosoma, ventral view. Scale bars = 100 Μm.

FIGURES 9 A – D. Sterkspruitia comorosensis n. sp., male holotype, River Djalimou: A = I-L- 2 – 6; B – C = palp, medial view; C = palp, lateral view; D = IV-L- 5 and - 6. Scale bars = 100 Μm.