Subalbia elongata, 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 : 527

Subalbia elongata n. sp.

( Figs. 3A–E )

Material examined. Holotype female, Ankasa River , Ankasa NP, Ghana, 5º 13.011 N 2º 39.126 W, alt. 60 m a.s.l., 13-ii-2013 .

Diagnosis. Midline of coxae absent; idiosoma relatively elongated.

Description. Female: Idiosoma dorsally 382 long and 338 wide, ventrally 437 long. Dorsal shield complete, 356 long and 316 wide, with 12 pairs of glandularia and anteriorly and posteriorly a purple coloured patch. First coxae extending far beyond anterior idiosoma margin, capitular bay deep. Suture lines of coxae indistinct. A projection present associated with fourth leg sockets. A ridge present anterolateral to IV- leg sockets. Between fourth leg sockets and genital field two pairs of glandularia present. Genital field with two long genital plates with numerous acetabula, arranged in 2–3 rows; one pair close to gonopore larger than others. Gonopore relatively large, margins of gonopore indistinct. P1–5: 40, 62, 62, 158, 30; palp very long, especially P4. Length of I-leg-4–6: 60, 84, 90; I-leg-5 with a rudimentary swimming seta. Length of III-leg-4–6: 60, 88, 86; III-leg-5 anteroventrally with two slightly modified setae. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 86, 104, 80. Leg claws large, simple, with a minute dorsal clawlet. Numbers of swimming setae: III-leg-5 two, IV-leg-5 one. I-leg-5 and II-leg-5 with one and two rudimentary swimming setae, respectively.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. Named for the elongated idiosoma.

Remarks. The new species differs from the three known species from Liberia ( S. longipalpis Cook,1966 , S. walteri Cook, 1966 , S. distincta Cook, 1966 ) in the configuration of the glandularia of the dorsal shield and the absence of a midline. Subalbia longipalpis has the middle anterior pair lying anterior to the lateral anterior pairs (posterior to the lateral anterior pairs in the new species), S. walteri has the dorsal glandularia grouped more together and the anterior two pairs lying in a line while in S. distincta the are two posterior located pairs lying in a line. From the two species from Cameroon ( S. proceripalpis Viets, 1914 and S. punctata (Viets, 1925)) the new species differs in a more elongated idiosoma and the absence of a midline of the coxae.

Figures

FIGURE 3 A – E. Subalbia elongata n. sp., male. A = dorsum; B = venter; C = palp; D = I-leg- 4 – 6; E = III-leg- 4 – 6. Scale bars = 50 µm.