Torrenticola leviathan 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 leviathan Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, California, Mendocino County, beside Rt. 128 at Paul M. Dimmick Recreation Area, (39°10'10"N, 123°38'38"W), 4 August 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870127A

PARATYPES (3 ♀; 1 ♂): California, USA: 1 ♂(ALLOTYPE) from Mendocino, beside Rt. 128 at Paul M. Dimmick Recreation Area, (39°10'10"N, 123°38'38"W), 4 August 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870127A • 3 ♀ from Mendocino County, beside Rt. 128 at Paul M. Dimmick Recreation Area, (39°10'10"N, 123°38'38"W), 4 August 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870127A

Type deposition.

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

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola leviathan are similar to other members of the Ellipsoidalis Group ( T. multiforma , T. occidentalis , and T. ellipsoidalis ), in being among the largest Torrenticola in the west (dorsum length ♀ = 700-885; ♂ = 665-850), although T. sierrensis are also large (dorsum length ♀ = 700-880; ♂ = 590-735) but can easily be distinguished from the Ellipsoidalis Group by being circular instead of ellipsoid or rectangular (dorsum length/width = 1.17-1.28 in T. sierrensis , 1.30-1.67 in Ellipsoidalis Group). T. leviathan can be differentiated from all other Ellipsoidalis Group by having more elongate pedipalpal tibiae (length/width = 3.43-4.20 in T. leviathan , 2.64-3.33 in others).

Description.

Female (Figure 130) (n = 4) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (845-870 (870) long; 570-610 (580) wide) ellipsoid with faint orange coloration without a distinct pattern or colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (150-155 (155) long; 70-80 (75) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (240-260 (245) long; 95-105 (95) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 420-460 (425)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.40-1.51 (1.50); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.33-1.36 (1.36); anterio-medial platelet length/width 1.94-2.14 (2.07); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.40-2.58 (2.58); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.55-1.70 (1.58).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (330-350 (330) long (ventral); 230-230 (230) long (dorsal); 165-170 (170) tall) colorless. Rostrum (125-130 (125) long; 55-60 (55) wide) short and conical. Chelicerae (335-340 (340) long) with curved fangs (80-85 (80) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.00-2.06 (2.00); rostrum length/width 2.17-2.27 (2.27). Pedipalps with short, tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (50-52.5 (52.5) long); femur (130-130 (130) long); genu (75-77.5 (77.5) long); tibia (105-107.5 (107.5) long; 25-27.5 (27.5) wide); tarsus (20-22.5 (22.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.68-1.73 (1.68); tibia/femur 0.81-0.83 (0.83); tibia length/width 3.91-4.20 (3.91).

Venter - (970-1035 (1035) long; 640-680 (640) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (190-215 (190) long; 85-100 (100) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (25-30 (30) long). Genital plates (210-215 (210) long; 180-195 (180) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (390-400 (390) long (total); 180-205 (205) long (medial)); Cx-3 (440-460 (440) wide); anterior venter (220-245 (245) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.90-2.53 (1.90); anterior venter/genital field length 1.05-1.17 (1.17); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.13-1.36 (1.36); anterior venter/medial suture 7.50-8.80 (8.17).

Male (Figure 131) (n = 1) (allotype only) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (770 long; 510 wide) ellipsoid with faint orange coloration without a distinct pattern or colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (140 long; 65 wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (230 long; 85 wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 closer to the edge of the dorsum than to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 400). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.51; dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.28; anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.15; anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.71; anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.64.

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (285 long (ventral); 200 long (dorsal); 137.5 tall) colorless. Rostrum (95 long; 52.5 wide) short and conical. Chelicerae (275 long) with curved fangs (75 long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.07; rostrum length/width 1.81. Pedipalps with short, tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter (47.5 long); femur (112.5 long); genu (70 long); tibia (90 long; 26.25 wide); tarsus (20 long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.61; tibia/femur 0.80; tibia length/width 3.43.

Venter - (860 long; 570 wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (180 long; 90 wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (110 long). Genital plates (160 long; 120 wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (360 long (total); 185 long (medial)); Cx-3 (420 wide); anterior venter (305 long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.00; anterior venter/genital field length 1.91; anterior venter length/genital field width 2.54; anterior venter/medial suture 2.77.

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( leviathan ) refers to the large body size of this species, surpassed by few other Torrenticola ( liwyātān, Hebrew, a large aquatic animal; noun in apposition). The Leviathan (modern spelling) is depicted in Jewish mythology (as written in the Tanakh) as one of two huge beasts-the Leviathan in the ocean and the Behemoth on land.

Distribution.

Northwestern California (Figure 129).

Remarks.

Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire fresh material of Torrenticola leviathan and therefore this species is not included in our phylogenetic analyses. However, we were able to examine morphology with material preserved in GAW. The overall appearance, large size, and western distribution, places this species in the Miniforma Complex and the Ellipsoidalis Identification Group.