Rhinoppia exobothridialis, Toluk, Ayşe & Ayyildiz, Nusret, 2009

Toluk, Ayşe & Ayyildiz, Nusret, 2009, Three new species of Oppiidae from Turkey (Acari: Oribatida), Zootaxa 1988, pp. 33-47 : 34-36

Rhinoppia exobothridialis sp.nov.

Measurements [n= 6]. Body length: 352–388 (holotype: 360) μm, body width: 168–208 (holotype: 188) μm.

Prodorsum ( Figs. 1 A, 2). Rostrum rounded at tip, no incisions. Rostral setae (ro) barbed, 27 μm in length. Lamellar setae (le) thin, smooth, 12 μm in length. Bothridial costulae present on the basal part of prodorsum. Interlamellar setae (in) thick, with short bristles, 12 μm in length. Interbothridial tubercles present. Exobothridial setae (ex) bifurcated, with one branch barbed and one not. Distance between the setae le and in twotimes shorter than that between the setae ro and le. Bothridia round, with posterior lobe and small opening (about 6–7 µm). Sensilli (ss) long (67 μm in length), fusiform-clavate; its head covered with cilia. Lateral sides of prodorsum and bothridial area covered with tubercles.

Notogaster ( Figs. 1 A, 2A). Oval shaped, anterior border convex. Ten pairs of notogastral setae; smooth, lateral setae (c2, la, h1 and h3 about 20–30 µm) longer than others (about 16 µm).

Ventral side ( Fig. 1 B). Pedotectum I (pdI) sharpened. Prodorsum widest at pdI level. Epimeral borders distinctly visible and strongly sclerotized. Posterior margin of coxisternal region with a row of teeth. Epimeral setal formula 3-1-3-3, setae thin and smooth, mostly 4–5 µm, setae 1c, 3c and 4b slightly longer (ca. 16 µm). Genital plates 36 μm in length, 44 μm in width, with six pairs of setae, all of them equal in length and smooth. Anal plates 60 μm in length, 42 μm in width, with two pairs of setae. Distance between genital and anal plates 76 μm. One pair of aggenital and three pairs of adanal setae present. Adanal setae ad 1 in postanal, ad 2 in paraanal and ad 3 in preanal positions.

Legs. Formula of setae and solenidia on legs segments (trochanter to tarsus): I (1-5-2+1-4+2-21+2); II (1- 5-2+1-4+1-13+2); III (2-3-1+1-3+1-12); IV (1-2-2-3+1-10). Structure and setation of legs as shown in figures 3-5.

Material examined. Holotype and 4 paratypes collected from litter and soil under Corylus avellana , Turkey, Artvin, Arhavi, 41°19'47.37" N, 41°14'43.66" E, 10 m, 28 July 1993. Two paratypes collected from litter and soil under Pinus sp. in a mixed forest, Şavşat, 41°19'08.54" N, 42°15'07.25" E, 1240 m, 17 Oct. 1992.

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the characteristic bifurcate exobothridial setae.

Remarks. This new species resembles Rhinoppia hygrophila described by Mahunka (1987) by having bothridial costulae. However, it is distinguished from the latter species by the following features: 1) Exobothridial setae are barbed and bifurcate in the new species (exobothridial setae smooth not bifurcate in R. hygrophila ); 2) Notogastral setae are smooth, lateral setae (c2, la, h1 and h3) longer than the others in the new species (notogastral setae smooth, nearly equal in length in R. hygrophila ), 3) The genital setae are equal in length in the new species (setae g1 about four times longer than other genital setae in R. hygrophila ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Rhinoppia exobothridialis sp. nov. – A) Dorsal view, B) Ventral view (scale bar for all figures = 100 Μm).