Selenoribates elegans, Pfingstl, Tobias, 2013

Pfingstl, Tobias, 2013, Revealing the diversity of a once small taxon: the genus Selenoribates (Acari, Oribatida, Selenoribatidae), ZooKeys 312, pp. 39-63 : 50-52

Selenoribates elegans sp. n.

Type locality.

Bermuda, Whalebone Bay, 32°21'55"N, 64°42'49"W, lower intertidal area, red algae on rocks, 22 November 2011.

Type specimen.

Holotype: female, preserved in pure ethanol, deposition: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, collection nr. NHMW 21886.

Diagnosis.

Red-brown sclerotized mites. Average length 202 µm, mean width 115 µm. Notogaster oval in dorsal view, slightly concave in lateral view. Lamellar ridges absent. Interlamellar setae normal and minute. Two X-shaped ridges on anterior part of notogaster. Fourteen pairs of simple long notogastral setae. Two median epimeral cavities. Claw with two proximoventral and one proximodorsal tooth.

Description.

Adult: Males (N=2), length: 200-203 μm (mean 201.5 μm), width: 108-122 µm (mean 115 µm).

Integument. Colour light brown. Cuticle showing dotted pattern. Cerotegument of notogaster granular, larger granules in centre of gastronotic plate. Cerotegument of lateral parts granular, with larger granulation in areas surrounding acetabula. Ventral region finely granular, denser granulation laterad of anal orifice.

Prodorsum. Cerotegument strongly granular. Rostrum rounded in dorsal view, but slightly projecting anteroventrally in lateral view. Rostral (ro) and lamellar setae (le) simple and short, interlamellar setae (in) very short. One pair of minute exobothridial setae (ex). Lamellar ridges absent. Bothridium large cup without posterior ridge. Sensillus long (ca. 48 µm), flagelliform.

Gnathosoma. Pedipalp pentamerous 0-2-1-3-9 (solenidion included). Solenidion erect, not fused with eupathidium acm. Chelicera chelate, forceps-like in lateral view, each digit with two teeth, whereas from frontal view most distal teeth split into two symmetrical teeth. Distal part of rutellum a thin triangular slightly inward curved membrane. Setae a and m long and smooth. Mentum regular, setae h simple, thin and long.

Notogaster (Figs 11A, 12A). Rounded in dorsal view, slightly concave in lateral view. Anterior margin of notogaster complete. On anterior part of notogaster a pair of small X-shaped ridges, close to seta c1. Fourteen pairs of simple notogastral setae, c1-2, da, dm, dp, la, lm, lp, h1-3, p1-3 (approximate length 17-20 µm), setae c3 absent. Porose areas or distinct pores absent. Five pairs of notogastral lyrifissures present; ia anterior to seta c2; im posterior and laterad of seta la; lyrifissures ih, ip and ips laterally close to lateroventral border of notogastral plate. Orifice of opisthonotal gland (gla) posterior to seta c2.

Lateral aspect. Pedotectum I small but robust, pedotectum II absent. Enantiophyse consisting of two strong triangular and pointed teeth orientated against each other. Discidium developed as strong triangular projection between acetabulum III and IV.

Ventral region of idiosoma (Figs 11B, 12B). Epimeral setation 1-0-1-1, seta 1b long reaching trochanter III, setae 3b and 4a of normal length and simple. Internal borders of all epimera well visible, sternal apodemes III and IV well developed. Median sternal cavity on epimeron I divided into two anterior symmetric parts and one unpaired posterior part, all parts strongly granulated. A second triangular median cavity on epimeron III on a level with apodeme 3. Three pairs of short and fine genital setae, arranged in longitudinal rows, anterior pairs close to each other. Insertion of tendon β adjacent to anterior corners of genital orifice. Aggenital setae absent. Anal plates triangular. Preanal organ triangular. Two pairs of short anal setae, an1-2. Two pairs of short and simple adanal setae ad1-2, ad3 absent. Lyrifissure iad obliquely, next to anterior corners of anal valves.

Legs. Monodactylous. Long acute hook-like claw with two obvious proximoventral teeth, one close to the base of claw and one proximodorsal tooth. Cuticle finely granular. Femora with projecting ventral carinae. All tarsi with one proximal lyrifissure. Porose areas absent. Solenidia φ 1 on tibia I long, orientated backwards. Chaetome and solenidia see Table 1.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin word elegans meaning elegant and refers to the slender and delicate shape of the whole body. The name is given as adjective in the nominative singular.