Torrenticola ululata Fisher & Dowling

Fisher, J. Ray, Fisher, Danielle M., Skvarla, Michael J., Nelson, Whitney A. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2017, Revision of torrent mites (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae, Torrenticola) of the United States and Canada: 90 descriptions, molecular phylogenetics, and a key to species, ZooKeys 701, pp. 1-496 : 1

Torrenticola ululata Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, Mississippi, Attala County, Hurricane Creek (33°4'N, 89°32'W), 13 Oct 1999, by IM Smith, IMS990071.

PARATYPES (2 ♀; 4 ♂): Alabama, USA: 1 ♀ from Lauderdale County, off Natchez Trace parkway, 7 km south of Tennessee state line (34°56'32"N, 87°49'43"W), 24 Sep 2009, by IM Smith, IMS090122 • 2 ♂ from Lauderdale County, off Natchez Trace parkway, 7 km south of Tennessee state line (34°56'32"N, 87°49'43"W), 27 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100163 • Mississippi, USA: 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Attala County, Hurricane Creek (33°4'58"N, 89°31'31"W), 30 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100168 • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Attala County, Hurricane Creek (33°4'58"N, 89°31'31"W), 30 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100168.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and most paratypes (1 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (1 ♀; 1 ♂) deposited in ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola ululata are similar to other members of the Rusetria "Eastern 2-Plates" group ( T. biscutella , T. caerulea , T. delicatexa , T. indistincta , T. malarkeyorum , T. pendula , T. sellersorum , T. tysoni , T. whitneyae , T. microbiscutella , and T. feminellai ) in having anterio-lateral platelets fused to the dorsal plate, and being distributed in the east. T. ululata can be differentiated from most Torrenticola , including other Eastern 2-Plates, by having a distinct dorsal pattern with a single dark spot posteriorly and an orange spot posterior to the dark spot. The only other species with this pattern is T. unimaculata and T. kringi , which both have anterio-lateral platelets free from the dorsal plate.

Description.

Female (Figure 262) (n = 3) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (540-580 (570) long; 400-450 (450) wide) circular or occasionally ovoid with coloration restricted to a single dark spot anteriorly, often with an orange spot posterior to the dark spot. Anterio-medial platelets (130-137.5 (130) long; 50-55 (55) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (150-180 (150) long; 72.5-77.5 (72.5) wide) fused to dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approaching midway between muscle scars and dorsum edge (distance between Dgl-4 265-295 (265)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.27-1.41 (1.27); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.36-1.70 (1.70); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.36-2.70 (2.36); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.07-2.32 (2.07); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.15-1.31 (1.15).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (290-305 (290) long (ventral); 216-235 (216) long (dorsal); 130-140 (130) tall) colorless. Rostrum (125-125 (125) long; 42.5-45 (42.5) wide). Chelicerae (289-317 (289) long) with curved fangs (59-64 (64) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.18-2.23 (2.23); rostrum length/width 2.78-2.94 (2.94). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (42.5-45 (45) long); femur (117.5-122.5 (117.5) long); genu (67.5-75 (67.5) long); tibia (97.5-105 (97.5) long; 21.25-25 (21.25) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (17.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.63-1.74 (1.74); tibia/femur 0.83-0.86 (0.83); tibia length/width 4.20-4.59 (4.59).

Venter - (595-670 (670) long; 517-540 (518) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (152.5-160 (152.5) long; 85-102.5 (85) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (15-15 (15) long). Genital plates (155-170 (155) long; 147.5-157.5 (147.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (276-282 (281) long (total); 115-126 (120) long (medial)); Cx-3 (357-382 (358) wide); anterior venter 155-160 (160) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.56-1.79 (1.79); anterior venter/genital field length 0.93-1.03 (1.03); anterior venter length/genital field width 0.98-1.08 (1.08); anterior venter/medial suture 10.33-10.67 (10.67).

Male (Figure 263) (n = 4) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (460-510 (500) long; 355-380 (380) wide) circular or occasionally ovoid with coloration restricted to a single dark spot anteriorly, often with an orange spot posterior to the dark spot. Anterio-medial platelets (107.5-117.5 (110) long; 42.5-50 (42.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (145-155 (155) long; 55-60 (60) wide) fused to dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approaching midway between muscle scars and dorsum edge (distance between Dgl-4 235-250 (250)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.30-1.38 (1.32); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.45-1.57 (1.52); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.26-2.59 (2.59); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.52-2.77 (2.58); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.32-1.41 (1.41).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (227.5-255 (247.5) long (ventral); 165-190 (176) long (dorsal); 90-100 (100) tall) colorless. Rostrum (90-102.5 (100) long; 32.5-38.75 (37.5) wide). Chelicerae (225-254 (225) long) with curved fangs (34-49 (46) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.48-2.55 (2.48); rostrum length/width 2.61-2.77 (2.67). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (37.5-40 long); femur (92.5-100 (100) long); genu (57.5-65 (60) long); tibia (77.5-92.5 (85) long; 20-22.5 (20) wide); tarsus (15-17.5 (15) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.54-1.67 (1.67); tibia/femur 0.84-0.93 (0.85); tibia length/width 3.88-4.25 (4.25).

Venter - (580-620 (580) long; 425-487 (426) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (110-125 (110) long; 67.5-75 (67.5) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (80-100 (100) long). Genital plates (117.5-122.5 (120) long; 102.5-110 (107.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (246-257 (257) long (total); 124-129 (125) long (medial)); Cx-3 (283-326 (290) wide); anterior venter (220-257.5 (252.5) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.63-1.67 (1.63); anterior venter/genital field length 1.87-2.17 (2.10); anterior venter length/genital field width 2.05-2.49 (2.35); anterior venter/medial suture 2.53-3.19 (2.53).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( ululata ) refers to the dorsal coloration resembling a wailing mouth, where the dark anterior spot is the oral cavity and the posterior red spot is the tongue (ululatus, L. shriek, wail).

Distribution.

Southeastern, Mississippi and Alabama (Figure 261).

Remarks.

Torrenticola ululata groups with other members of the Rusetria Complex with high support. The two specimens included in our molecular analyses were less than 1% different in COI sequence from each other and 11-12% different from sister species.

Based upon overall similarity, lateral platelets fused with the dorsal shield, and distribution, we were able to place this species within the Eastern 2-Plate Identification Group.

This species hypothesis is supported by low COI divergence within the species (0-2%) and high divergence between species (3-15%), and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.