Torrenticola feminellai 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 feminellai Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, Georgia, Chattooga County, Cloudland; beside Rt. 48 just east of Alabama state line, (34°31'31"N, 85°30'30"W), 29 September 2005, by IM Smith, IMS050110A.

PARATYPES (4 ♀; 6 ♂): Georgia, USA: 2 ♀ and 4 ♂ from Chattooga County, Cloudland; beside Rt. 48 just east of Alabama State line, (34°31'31"N, 85°30'30"W), 28 September 1992, by IM Smith, IMS920056A • 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Chattooga County, Cloudland; beside Rt. 48 just east of Alabama state line, (34°31'31"N, 85°30'30"W), 29 September 2005, by IM Smith, IMS050110A • 2 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Chattooga County, Cloudland; beside Rt. 48 just east of Alabama state line, (34°31'31"N, 85°30'30"W), 29 September 2005, by IM Smith, IMS050110A.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and some paratypes (2 ♀; 3 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola feminellai are similar to other members of the Rusetria "Eastern 2-Plates" group ( T. biscutella , T. caerulea , T. delicatexa , T. indistincta , T. malarkeyorum , T. pendula , T. sellersorum , T. tysoni , T. ululata , T. whitneyae , and T. microbiscutella ) in having anterio-lateral platelets fused to the dorsal plate, having dorsal coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions (except T. ululata and T. indistincta ), and being distributed in the east. T. feminellai can be differentiated from all other Eastern 2-Plates by having a more elongate rostrum (length/width ♀ = 3.05-3.38 in T. feminellai , 2.33-3.00 in others; ♂ = 3.14-3.38 in T. feminellai , 2.50-3.05 in others), except T. tysoni (3.06-3.50). Additionally, T. feminellai can be differentiated from all other Eastern 2-Plates by having a distinct dorsal pattern.

Description.

Female (Figure 76) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (590-690 (640) long; 470-540 (500) wide) circular with reddish-purple coloration in the shape of an hourglass. Anterio-medial platelets (137.5-150 (150) long; 52.5-55 (55) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (185-202.5 (202.5) long; 75-80 (75) wide) partially fused to dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approximately halfway between the edge of the dorsum and the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 290-310 (290)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.24-1.33 (1.28); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.59-1.74 (1.72); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.62-2.76 (2.73); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.34-2.70 (2.70); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.25-1.36 (1.35).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (320-357.5 (352.5) long (ventral); 245-275 (267.5) long (dorsal); 140-160 (160) tall) colorless. Rostrum (135-157.5 (145) long; 40-47.5 (47.5) wide). Chelicerae (335-375 (375) long) with curved fangs (65-75 (70) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.17-2.30 (2.20); rostrum length/width 3.05-3.38 (3.05). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (46.25-52.5 (52.5) long); femur (117.5-140 (140) long); genu (65-77.5 (75) long); tibia (90-100 (100) long; 22.5-25 (25) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (20) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.73-1.87 (1.87); tibia/femur 0.71-0.77 (0.71); tibia length/width 3.85-4.11 (4.00).

Venter - (670-760 (700) long; 550-690 (550) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (177.5-195 (195) long; 80-115 (80) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture absent. Genital plates (185-195 (195) long; 167.5-180 (170) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (310-320 (320) long (total); 120-140 (125) long (medial)); Cx-3 (340-410 (360) wide); anterior venter (130-140 (130) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.61-2.44 (2.44); anterior venter/genital field length 0.67-0.76 (0.67); anterior venter length/genital field width 0.74-0.82 (0.76).

Male (Figure 77) (n = 5) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (520-565 (545) long; 370-410 (390) wide) circular with reddish-purple coloration in the shape of an hourglass. Anterio-medial platelets (115-126.25 (122.5) long; 42.5-50 (45) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (150-180 (155) long; 55-67.5 (60) wide) partially fused to dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approximately halfway between the edge of the dorsum and the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 215-250 (245)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.36-1.42 (1.40); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.54-1.72 (1.59); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.42-2.82 (2.72); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.58-2.77 (2.58); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.27-1.43 (1.27).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (270-300 (290) long (ventral); 200-227.5 (215) long (dorsal); 105-120 (115) tall) colorless. Rostrum (110-120 (120) long; 32.5-37.5 (37.5) wide). Chelicerae (270-310 (295) long) with curved fangs (50-60 (55) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.50-2.59 (2.52); rostrum length/width 3.14-3.38 (3.20). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (35-45 (42.5) long); femur (95-112.5 (105) long); genu (60-65 (62.5) long); tibia (77.5-86.25 (85) long; 20-23.75 (21.25) wide); tarsus (15-17.5 (17.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.58-1.75 (1.68); tibia/femur 0.76-0.82 (0.81); tibia length/width 3.63-4.00 (4.00).

Venter - (610-685 (640) long; 415-470 (470) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (135-160 (155) long; 62.5-70 (62.5) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (65-75 (70) long). Genital plates (130-140 (140) long; 115-125 (120) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (245-290 (270) long (total); 105-130 (120) long (medial)); Cx-3 (285-315 (315) wide); anterior venter (190-205 (195) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.00-2.48 (2.48); anterior venter/genital field length 1.39-1.49 (1.39); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.58-1.72 (1.63); anterior venter/medial suture 2.60-2.93 (2.79).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( feminellai ) named in honor of Jack Feminella, professor of biology at Auburn University, who believed in me (JRF) enough to employ me as a lab technician in stream ecology, write a winning recommendation letter for graduate school, and was the first to teach me how to conduct self-directed research.

Distribution.

Southern Appalachians, Georgia (Figure 75).

Remarks.

Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire fresh material of Torrenticola feminellai and therefore this species is not included in our phylogenetic analyses. However, we were able to examine morphology with material preserved in GAW. The overall similarity, distribution in the east, and fusion of the dorso-lateral platelets to the dorsal plate, are consistent with placing this species in the Rusetria Complex and the Eastern 2-Plate Identification Group.