Trichouropoda arjunai, Kontschán, JenŐ, 2012

Kontschán, JenŐ, 2012, New Uropodina mites from India (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 3518, pp. 25-44 : 29-31

Trichouropoda arjunai sp. nov.

( Figs 10–21 )

Material examined. Holotype. Female. India, Ngarkanda, Hugli District, West Bengal , sifted from garbage-heap in village, 0 3 January 1980, Gy. Topál coll. ( HNHM) . Paratypes. One female, one male deposited in MHNG , six males in HNHM . Locality and date as in holotype.

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 420–440 µm, width 290–310 µm (n=2). Shape oval, posterior margin rounded.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 10 ). Dorsal and marginal shields fused anteriorly, all dorsal setae short (ca. 12–15 µm), smooth and needle-like, situated in small, rounded depressions ( Fig. 11 ). Dorsal shield with reticulate sculptural pattern between the depressions associated with setae. Marginal shield bearing smooth and needle-like setae (ca. 12–14 µm) without basal depressions, with oval pits and and undulate inner margin.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 12 ). Surface of sternal shield smooth. Four pairs of smooth and needle-like sternal setae present, St1 (ca. 6 µm) inserted near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 (ca. 8 µm) between coxae II, St3 (ca. 10 µm) at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St4 (ca. 13 µm) at central level of coxae III. Ventral shield bearing numerous smooth needle-like setae associated with rounded depressions (ca. 12–16 µm), adanal setae and postanal seta similar in shape to ventral setae, but shorter (ad1 ca. 7 µm, ad2 ca. 9 µm and ps ca. 9 µm). Anal opening oval, elevated from surface of ventral shield. Metapodal lines present. Pedofossae deep, their surface smooth, with separated furrows for tarsi IV. Surface between pedofossae IV and metapodal lines with reticulate ornamenttaion. Genital shield scutiform, anteriorly pointed, its surface smooth. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III, poststigmatal part of peritremes short, pre-stigmatal area long, with three curves ( Fig. 13 ). Tritosternum with narrow base, laciniae basally pilose, apically divided into two long and smooth lateral branches ( Fig. 14 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 15 ). Hypostomal setae h1 placed on small protuberances, smooth and needle-like (ca. 27 µm), h2 short (ca. 22 µm), smooth and needle-like, h3 long (ca. 37 µm) and needle-like, with one pair of lateral spines, h4 long (ca. 36 µm) and marginally serrate. Palp trochanter with two marginally serrate setae, other setae on palp smooth. Corniculi short and horn-like, apically with one tooth, internal malae longer than corniculi, smooth. Epistome marginally serrate. Chelicerae short and robust, movable digit as long as fixed digit, both digits bearing three teeth, internal sclerotised node present ( Fig. 16 ).

Legs. Each leg with ambulacral claws (not illustrated on leg I), all setae on legs smooth and needle-like ( Figs 17–20 ).

Male. Length of idiosoma 390–410 µm, width 250–280 µm (n=7). Shape and dorsal idiosoma as in female.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 21 ). Surface of sternal shield smooth, four pairs of needle-like sternal setae (ca. 8–10 µm) present. St1 placed near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St3 at central level of coxae III, St4 at level of posterior margin of coxae IV. Two pairs of lyriform fissures present, one pair situated near St1, second pair near St4. Genital shield circular, without sculptural pattern, situated between coxae IV.

Gnathosoma. As in female.

Etymology. The new species is named for Arjuna, son of Pandu and Kunti in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. Arjuna belongs to Pandawa, the fight of Kuarawas and Pandawas is the main act of the Mahabharata.

Notes. The new species belongs to the Trichouropoda ovalis -group ( Hirschmann & WiŠniewski 1986). Within this group the common character is the presence of oval pits on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body. The new species can be easily separated from the other species of this group on the basis of the association of the needle-like setae with the oval pits, and on the basis of the absence of setae St4. These character states have not been found before in this species group.

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 13. Trichouropoda arjunai sp. nov., holotype, female. 10. Body in dorsal view; 11. Dorsal setae and ornamentation; 12. Body in ventral view; 13. Peritreme.

FIGURES 14 – 21. Trichouropoda arjunai sp. nov., holotype, female. 14. Tritosternum; 15. Ventral view of gnathosoma and palp; 16. Chelicera; 17. Leg I; 8. Leg II; 19. Leg III; 20. Leg IV (all legs in ventral view); 21. Intercoxal area of male paratype.