Albaxona wanjakliensis, Smit, Harry, 2016

Smit, Harry, 2016, The water mite family Aturidae Thor (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Ghana, with the description of twelve new species, Zootaxa 4158 (4), pp. 523-543 : 530-531

Albaxona wanjakliensis n. sp.

( Figs. 5A–C )

Material examined. Holotype female, Stream downstream of Wanjakli Falls, Lipke Todome, Ghana, 7 0 9.976 N 0 36.456 E, alt. 478 m a.s.l., 23-ii-2013 . Paratype: one female, Apkonu stream downstream of falls, Logba Tota, Ghana, 6 53.054 N 0 28.024 E, alt. 362 m a.s.l., 21-ii-2013 .

Diagnosis. Vgl–2 fused with acetabular plates, the latter fused with postgenital sclerite.

Description. Female: Idiosoma dorsally 344 (397) long and 297 (316) wide, ventrally 348 (398) long. Dorsal shield 324 (381) long and 219 (243) wide, with postocularia, three pairs of glandularia and a pair of setae without glands; postocularia anteriorly of dgl-1. Dorsal furrow with A2 and three pairs of glandularia platelets. First coxae slightly extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Suture lines of coxae obliterated. Cxgl-2 lying halfway between fourth leg sockets and genital field. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula; gonopore 104 long. Acetabular plates fused with vgl-2 and postgenital sclerite. Excretory pore lying free, posterior to genital field. Length of P1–5: 21, 36, 36, 52, 32. Gnathosoma with a stout anterior seta. Length of I-leg-4–6: 58, 58, 58. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 62, 73, 58.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Remarks. Albaxona motasi ( Cook, 1966) from Liberia has a shorter coxal field, not extending beyond the frontal margin, the postocularia are located more anterior, the pair of posterior setae of the dorsal shield are lacking and P4 is more slender. Moreover, vgl-2 are only lightly fused, while they are completely fused in the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 5 A – C. Albaxona wanjakliensis n. sp., holotype female. A = dorsum; B = venter; C = palp + capitulum. Scale bars = 50 µm.