Alycus augrabiensis, Uusitalo & Ueckermann & Theron, 2020

Uusitalo, Matti, Ueckermann, Edward A. & Theron, Pieter D., 2020, A review of the family Alycidae (Acari, Acariformes) from South Africa, Zootaxa 4858 (3), pp. 301-340 : 305

Alycus augrabiensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–15 )

Description. Dorsum ( Figs. 1–3 ). Length 440 μm; parallel ridges on soft integument meandering, mostly continu- ous; on prodorsum: naso absent, strip of hard integument (crista) between nasal area and sensillar area absent (i.e. integument between counterparts of setae vi is soft), distance between counterparts of setae in and sensilla ve subequal to distance between counterparts of setae vi, hard integument forms a transverse arch anterior to sensilla ve, setae exp less ciliated than setae sce, thin strip of hard integument connecting the eye area, setae sce and main body of the prodorsal sclerite.

Venter ( Figs. 4, 5 ). Genital setae 16–20 per valve; anal setae 5 per valve.

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 6–8 ). Rutella with broad shaft, three ventrodistal projections, and an apical point; three pairs of adoral setae; one pair of dorsal cheliceral setae; three pairs of pseudacanthoid palpal eupathids apically.

Legs ( Figs. 10–13 ). Solenidial formula for tarsi, tibiae, genua and femora on legs I, II, III and IV, respectively: 2-1-0-0, 1-2-2-0, 4-2-2-1, 1-0-0-0, famulus I (ε) abaxially on distal part of tarsus I.

Life stages:

Deutonymph (n=3; Fig. 15 ), 7 genital setae per valve.

Tritonymph (n=2; Fig. 14 ), 12 genital setae per valve.

Adult male (n=1; Fig. 9 ), 16−20 genital setae per valve, 7 pairs of eugenitals.

Adult female (n=4; Figs. 4, 5 ), 16−20 genital setae per valve, 1 pair of eugenitals.

Type material. Holotype female, 3 paratype females, 1 paratype male, 2 paratype tritonymphs and 3 paratype deutonymphs from pasture, near Augrabies Falls , NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE, January 1972, D.M. Kroon. Deposited at ARC-Plant Health and Protection, Pretoria, South Africa.

Differential diagnosis. This species is closely related to Alycus denasutus (Grandjean, 1937) from the Northern Hemisphere but can be segregated from that species by the smaller prodorsal sclerite: its concave anterior rim is closer to sensilla ve than setae vi ( Fig. 1 ), and the femora I has only one solenidion (instead of two).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the collection site, namely Augrabies Falls, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 1−5. Alycus augrabiensis sp. nov. 1—Prodorsum, integument mostly soft on crista, i.e. the area from naso to sensilla (from vi to ve), exp subequal in size with sce; 2—Dorsal habitus; 3—Integument and setal microplates; 4—Ventral habitus, 18–19 genital setae per valve, 2 eugenitals (female), 5 anal setae per valve on PA (cf. Fig. 2); 5—Genital valve of female, 19 genital setae, 1 pair of eugenital setae.

FIGURES 6−13. Alycus augrabiensis sp. nov. 6—Rutellum, broad shaft, ventrodistal lobes, and apical point; 7—Subcapitulum, 3 pairs of adorals; 8—Palpal tarsi with 3 pairs of pseudacanthoid eupathids; 9—Genital valve of male, 16 genital setae per valve, 7 (pairs of) eugenitals; 10—Tarsus I (2 solenidia), famulus I (arrow); 11—Tibia I (1 solenidion), Genu I (4 solenidia), Femur I (1 solenidion); 12—Tarsus II (1 solenidion), Tibia II (2 solenidia), Genu II (2 solenidia); 13—Two claws with barbed shafts and a claw-like, oligosetulate empodium.

FIGURES 14−15. Alycus augrabiensis sp. nov. 14—Tritonymph, genital area, 12 genital setae per valve; 15—Deutonymph, genital area, 7 genital setae per valve. 1–15 from RSA, near Augrabies Falls.