Lepidocunaxoides robustus Kalúz & Ermilov, 2019

Kalúz, Stanislav & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2019, A new genus of Pulaeini (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae) from South-East Asia, Zootaxa 4619 (2), pp. 382-390 : 383-388

Lepidocunaxoides robustus Kalúz & Ermilov sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Sternal shield undivided; median unpaired platelet bearing a seta between coxae IV; all setae on palps of normal length, none extremely long; basal subcapitular polygonal pattern well developed, elongated. Other characters include: oval subcuticular structure on genital plates with reticulate pattern; basifemora I with 3 sts and basifemora IV with 2 sts; genua II 2 asl + 5 sts; genua I–IV {1 asl, 1 ms}, 2 asl, 5 sts—2asl, 5sts—1asl, 5sts— 2asl, 5sts; and tibiae I–IV with 2asl, 5sts—1asl, 5sts—1bsl, 5 sts—1T, 4sts; tarsus I with unusual sinuate structure (probably famulus); tarsus IV with 10 sts.

Description. Measurements (five specimens measured, all female). Body length 384 [320–460], body width 280 [200–355].

Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ). Large dorsal shield with fine punctation, shield 351 [295–405] long and 256 [180–300] wide. Dorsal shield reaching from anterior part of propodosoma to posterior region of hysterosoma, bearing a pair of anterior (at) and posterior (pt) setose trichobothria and also two pairs of tactile setae (lps) and (mps). Anterior trichobothrium 107 [100–117], posterior trichobothrium 113 [105–124] long, distance between bases of at–at and pt–pt 30 [27–32] and 136 [118–158], respectively. Six pairs of tactile dorsal setae present on hysterosoma; c 1 –h 1, c 2, h 2. Setae c 1 –e 1 and c 2, situated on shield, f 1 on platelet, and h 1 and h 2 together on one platelet. Setal lengths as follows: c 1 and c 2 about equal length 13 [12–15], and c 2, 12 [11–13], respectively; following setae differ in lengths: d 1 12 [11–13], e 1 29 [24–36], f 1 15 [13–18], h 1 14 [13–15] and h 2 12 [10–13]. Distance between bases of setae c 1 –c 1 65 [56–75], about five times length of c 1; d 1 –d 1 77 [62–92] about 6–7 times length of d 1; e 1 –e 1 56 [47–58], about two times longer e 1; f 1 –f 1 57 [53–67], but variable and depends on how squeezed individual is under the coverslide; the same is true of the distance between h 1 –h 1 and h 2 –h 2 (the latter unmeasurable and can be visible both from dorsal and ventral sides of bodies of individuals studied). Cupulae im situated between setae e 1 –f 1.

Venter ( Figs. 2 , 5). Coxal plates strongly sclerotized, coxae I–II and III–IV contiguous and forming well developed sternal shields. Coxae I–II with dots and reticulations, coxae III–IV with strong puncta. Sternal shield anterior to coxae I with large reticulate pattern closed to trochanters.

Setal formula of coxae I–IV: 3 (1a–c)-3(2a–c)-2(3b–c)-2(4a–b) sts (4c absent); lengths of setae: 1a–c 13 [12–15], 2a–c 15 [12–22], 3b–c 17 [15–22] (3a behind suture, situated on lateral plate), 4a–b 12 [9–15]. Venter of hysterosoma ( Fig. 2 ) with two large triangular mediolateral plates, each with fine punctations and with three hysterogastral setae ag 1 –ag 3 12 [11–13], and also seta 3a 12 [11–13]. Triangular lateral plates distinctly separated from both sternal shield and coxae III–IV by long sutures. Cuticular oval structures (resembling eyes) situated laterally near coxae II, III and IV. Lateral parts of cuticle neighbouring coxae I–II and III–IV with strong punctation.

Small rounded median platelet 9 [8–11] long, 8 [7–9] wide, with an unpaired seta 13[11–15] long situated anteriad from genital plates. Venter also bears three pairs of small oval platelets (anterolateral, mediolateral and posterolateral) 8 [7–9] long and 3 [2–3] wide, situated laterally from genital plates.

Four pairs of simple setae (g 1 –g 4) and two pairs of genital papillae on weakly sclerotized genital plates, lengths of setae very slightly arising from anterior to posterior— g 1 12 [9–15], g 2 12 [9–13], g 3 13 [10–15], g 4 14 [13–15]. Genital plates with oblong pattern laterally, medial part dotted, each bears two genital papillae. Each plate also bears subcuticular oval structure 26 [24–28] long and 21 [21–22] wide, with reticulate pattern. A pair of adjacent ps setae present, ps 2 11 [11–12] (ps 1 invisible), close to anal plate. Cupule ih present and visible ventrally together with setae h 1 and h 2.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 3 ). Three segmented palp 122 [107–130] long, palps mostly smooth. Palpal chaetotaxy as follows: trochanter—0; femurogenu dorsally with one proximal sts 19 [19–20] long, two medial sts about equal length 18 [15–22] long and with one distal sts 18 [14–20] long; femurogenu ventrally with one lateroproximal sts 17 [16–18] long and one medial sts 15 [14–15] long. Tibiotarsus dorsally with one mediodistal seta ( Fig. 3a ) 12 [11–12] long, and with one distal ventrolateral sts 12 [11–13] long, one medioventral spls (unmeasurable) and two medioventral sts of equal length 8 [7–10] in longitudinal row ( Fig. 3b ). Tibiotarsus terminates in tricuspid claw. Chelicera slender and 109 [97–117] long, 17 [13–19] wide at the widest part, chelicera gently punctate, distal cheliceral setae short and weakly visible.

Subcapitulum ( Fig. 3 ). Subrectangular, 116 [96–126] long, 86 [81–90] wide. Cone–shaped subcapitulum distally with two pairs of short adoral setae and four pairs of hypognathal setae (hg 1 –hg 4). Setae hg 4 26 [21–34] less than two times longer than hg 2 18 [13–24], three times longer than hg 1 8 [5–9] and about half times longer than hg 3 18 [14–21]. The distances between the bases of hypognathal setae: hg 1 –hg 1 6 [6–7], hg 2 –hg 2 16 [15–17], hg 3 –hg 3 40 [38–43], hg 4 –hg 4 58 [51–62]. Basal subcapitular polygonal pattern elongate, well visible. Coxal region of subcapitulum gently punctate, basal medial part smooth.

Legs ( Fig. 4 ). All legs with fine punctation. Legs I–III shorter than leg IV. Chaetotaxy I–IV (excluding coxae) as follows: trochanters 1-1-2-1 sts; basifemora 3-5-3-2 sts; telofemora 5-5-4-3 sts; genu I—{1 asl, 1 ms}, 2 asl, 5 sts; genu II—2 asl, 5 sts; genu III—1 asl, 5 sts; genu IV—2 asl, 5 sts; tibia I—2 asl, 5 sts; tibia II—1 asl, 5 sts; tibia III—1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia IV—1 smooth T, 4 sts; tarsus I—1 sinuous famulus?, 4 asl, 1dt, 17 sts; tarsus II—1 asl, 1 bsl, 1dt, 16 sts; tarsus III—1 dt, 12 sts; tarsus IV—1 dt, 10sts.

Length of leg segments (coxae not measured): Trochanters I–IV 27 [18–28]—27 [18–30]—38 [36–41]—37 [34–38]; Basifemora I–IV 48 [43–56]—45 [38–51]—45 [41–53]—51 [45–58]; Telofemora I–IV 25 [23–28]—23 [19–25]—23 [21–30]—26 [24–32]; Genua I–IV 26 [24–28]—26 [23–30]—29 [28–32]—37 [34–43]; Tibiae I–IV 25 [23–28]—25 [23–30]—37 [34–41]—45 [41–51]; Tarsi I–IV 88 [81–100]—71 [68–85]—67 [62–81]—73 [66– 83]. Legs I–IV total lengths: 241 [219–275]—219 [196–250]—239 [218–271]—268 [254–301].

Width of leg segments (coxae not measured): Trochanters I–IV 34 [28–38]—33 [28–38]—34 [30–38]—34 [32–36]; Basifemora I–IV 28 [26–29]—27 [23–33]—27 [24–32]—31 [23–38]; Telofemora I–IV 24 [21–26]—25 [23–28]—25 [22–28]—29 [28–32]; Genua I–IV 24 [23–26]—22 [21–23]—22 [21–23]—25 [23–26]; Tibiae I–IV 21 [19–23]—21 [19–24]—23 [21–24]—23 [23–23]; Tarsi I–IV 20 [19–23]—20 [17–23]—19 [17–21]—18 [17–20].

Male and developmental stages. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype: southern Vietnam, Dong Nai Province, Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, 11°25’ N, 107°25’ E, Lagerstroemia forest, nest of Black-and-red Broadbill ( Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos ), 03 July 2013, one female on slide, collected by A.E. Anichkin and I.V. Palko.

Paratypes: (a) southern Vietnam, Dong Nai Province, Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, 11°25’ N, 107°25’ E, Lagerstroemia forest, nest of Black-and-red Broadbill ( Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos ), 03 July 2013, two females on slides, collected by A.E. Anichkin and I.V. Palko ; (b) southern Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Bi Dup–Nui Ba National Park, mixed pine dominated forest, 12º10’– 12º11’N, 108º40’– 108º41’E, soil and litter (sifter), 06–07 December 2013, one female on slide, collected by A.E. Anichkin and S.G. Ermilov ; (c) southern Vietnam, Binh Phuoc Province, Bu Gia Map National Park, mixed forest, 12º05’– 12º18’N, 107º03’– 107º14’E, soil and litter (sifter), 13–14 November 2013, one female on slide, collected by A.E. Anichkin and S.G. Ermilov.

Type deposition. Holotype and two paratypes will be deposited in the Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia ( SNMB). Remaining two paratypes will be deposited in Department of Zoology Museum of the Institute for Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam ( IEBR VAST).

Etymology. Resulting from the paired ventral plates (“butterfly shape”). The name of this new genus, Lepidocunaxoides , is combination of the first part of the name Lepidoptera, which refers to the paired ventral plates (“butterfly shape”), and the name Cunaxoides , while the specific name robustus reflects the robust body shape of the mite.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lepidocunaxoides robustus sp. nov. Female, idiosoma (dorsal view). Scale 100 µm.

FIGURE 2. Lepidocunaxoides robustus sp. nov. Female, idiosoma (ventral view). Scale 100 µm.

FIGURE 3. Lepidocunaxoides robustus sp. nov. Female, subcapitulum (A—dorsal view; B—ventral view). Scale 100 µm.

FIGURE 4. Lepidocunaxoides robustus sp. nov. Female, legs I–IV. Scale 100 µm.