Cavernocepheus (Paracavernocepheus) hlavaci, Ermilov & Starý, 2022

Ermilov, Sergey G. & Starý, Josef, 2022, Two new species of Cavernocepheus (Acari, Oribatida, Otocepheidae) from Malawi, Acarologia 62 (2), pp. 396-403 : 397-400

Cavernocepheus (Paracavernocepheus) hlavaci n. sp.

Zoobank: D4EF017C-EF51-4699-BFC6-A7012C72A447

( Figures 1 a-c, 2a-d)

Diagnosis — Body length: 730–813. Rostral and lamellar setae long, setiform, barbed; interlamellar seta long, rod-like, barbed; bothridial seta spindleform, with long setiform apex, slightly barbed; exobothridial seta present. Lateral and medial prodorsal condyles present; lateral notogastral condyle quadrangular, top slightly oblique. All notogastral setae long, rod-like, barbed. Epimeral setae setiform, slightly barbed. Genital setae setiform, roughened; other anogenital setae setiform, barbed.

Description of adult — Measurements – Body length: 813 (holotype, male), 730, 796 (two paratype males); body width: 365 (holotype), 315, 348 (two paratypes). Length/width ratio of body: 2.2–2.3.

Integument – Body color light brown. Body surface densely microgranulate and partially sparsely foveolate (diameter of foveola up to 8, poorly visible). Lateral part of body between bothridium and acetabula I–III densely tuberculate (diameter of tubercle up to 8).

Prodorsum – Rostrum broadly rounded. Costula long, reaching bothridium basally and insertion of lamellar seta distally. Rostral (102–106) and lamellar (110–114) setae setiform, barbed. Interlamellar seta (106–114) rod-like, barbed. Bothridial seta (135–147) spindleform, with long setiform apex, slightly barbed. Exobothridial seta (32–41) setiform, thin, slightly barbed. Tutorium absent. Paired lateral and medial prodorsal condyles tubercle-like, located separately.

Notogaster – Concavity of dorsosejugal region large. Lateral notogastral condyle broadly quadrangular, top slightly oblique. Crista (extending from inner part of cnl) long, almost reaching the level of insertions of setae lm. Ten pairs of rod-like, barbed setae (86–98). Lyrifissures distinct, ia located lateral to c, im lateral to lm, ip between p 2 and p 3, ips between

h 3 and p 3, ih anterior to h 3. Opisthonotal gland opening located close to im.

Gnathosoma – Morphology of subcapitulum, palp and chelicera similar to the other representatives of Cavernocepheus (Paracavernocepheus) (see Ermilov and Starý 2018). Subcapitulum size: 147–159 × 102–114. Subcapitular setae (a: 20; m: 49–53; h: 57–61) setiform, barbed. Palp (102–110) setation: 0–2–1–3–8(+ω). Solenidion of palptarsus connected with setae ul′ and ul″ mediodistally. Postpalpal seta (6) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera (159–168) with two setiform, barbed setae cha (: 61; chb: 28).

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions – Apodemes I, II and sejugal apodeme welldeveloped; apodeme III also present, but poorly visible. Epimeral formula: 3-1-3-3. All setae

(1a, 2a, 3a, 4b: 24–32; 1b: 73–82; 3b: 61–69; 3c: 32–41; others: 57–65) setiform, slightly barbed. Pedotectum I represented by large lamina. Discidium subtriangular.

Anogenital region – Aggenital lyrifissure located close and anterior to genital aperture. Genital setae (20–24) setiform, roughened. Aggenital (49–53), adanal (61–69) and anal

(41–49) setae setiform, barbed. Distance ad 3 – ad 3 larger than ad 2 – ad 2 and ag–ag. Adanal lyrifissure located close and parallel to anal plate. Circumventral ridge slightly developed.

Legs – Claw of each leg strong, barbed on dorsal side. Dorsal side of all tarsi without teeth. Genua III, IV and femora I, II with one pair of teeth ventrodistally versus genua I, II and femora III, IV without teeth. Porose areas on all femora and on trochanters III, IV well visible. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–4–3–4–16) [1–2–2], II (1–4–3–3–15) [1–1–2], III (2–3–1–2–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–2–2–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1. Seta u setiform on tarsus I versus thorn-like on tarsi II-IV. Seta l′ on genu II and pv″

on tibia IV phylliform.

Material examined — Holotype (male) and two paratypes (all males): sample #12, Malawi, Zomba, Mt. Zomba, 15°20′37.2″S, 35°16′40.2″E, 1846 m a.s.l., sifting forest litter, Winkler extraction, 27.XI.2012 (leg. P. Baňař & P. Hlaváč).

Type deposition — The holotype and two paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.

Etymology — The species name is dedicated to our colleague, Dr. Peter Hlaváč (Prague, Czech Republic) renowned entomologist, specialist on Coleoptera, collector of large material of soil samples from Malawi.

Remarks — The new species clearly differs from all species of the subgenus in the presence of spindleform (versus clavate/fusiform) bothridial seta having long, setiform apex (versus without long, setiform apex).

Figures

Figure 1 Cavernocepheus (Paracavernocepheus) hlavaci n. sp., adult: a – dorsal view (legs omitted); b – ventral view (legs omitted); c – lateral view (legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.