Torrenticola (Torrenticola) kyrgyzica, Pešić & Smit, 2018

Pešić, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2018, A checklist of the water mites of Central Asia with description of six new species (Acari, Hydrachnidia) from Kyrgyzstan, Acarologia 58 (1), pp. 165-185 : 171

Torrenticola (Torrenticola) kyrgyzica n. sp. ( Figure 2 )

Zoobank: 9CE2E5A0-B7CA-453B-A6D5-8F17A2F6BD0B

Type material — Holotype female ( RMNH), Kyrgyzstan, KR8 Chon-Kemin NP, upper part of stream near Ashu resort, Kalman Ashu village, 42°42.276’N, 76°05.101’E, 1644 m asl., 10.vii.2013, leg. Pešić & Smit, dissected and slide mounted.

Diagnosis — Female (Male unknown). Idiosoma elongated (dorsal shield L/W ratio 1.6); Cxgl-4 subapical; medial suture line of Cx-II+III long (> 100 μm); P-2 with a laterally compressed, longish (> 30% of ventral margin), anteriorly directed ventrodistal extension; P-4 L/H ratio 4.6.

Description — Female — Idiosoma elongated; dorsal shield without colour pattern; gnathosomal bay U-shaped, proximally rounded; Cxgl-4 subapical, only slightly posterior to Cx-I tips; medial suture line of Cx-II+III relatively long; suture lines of Cx-IV extending posteriorly beyond posterior margin of genital field, laterally curved; genital field pentagonal in shape; excretory pore on the level with Vgl-2, both slightly away from the line of primary sclerotization; gnathosomal rostrum long ( Figure 2E ), ventral margin in lateral view curved; P-2 nearly equal in length as P-4, ventral margin of P-2 distally with a laterally compressed, longish (>30% of ventral margin), anteriorly directed and apically serrated hyaline extension and a very short seta laterally at base of projection; P-3 with a shorter, subrectangular, apically serrated ventrodistal projection, and a moderately long seta laterally at base of projection; P-4 slender, with ventral tubercles pointed and separated, bearing one long and three short setae ( Figure 2D ).

Measurements — Idiosoma (ventral view: Figure 2C ) L 846, W 463; dorsal shield ( Figure 2B ) L 659, W 408, L/W ratio 1.6; dorsal plate L 619; frontal plate L 141-150, W 50, L/W ratio 2.8-3.0; shoulder plate L 191-192, W 66, L/W ratio 2.9; shoulder/frontal plate L 1.28-1.36. Gnathosomal bay L 150, Cx-I total L 294, Cx-I mL 142, Cx-II+III mL 116; ratio Cx-I L/Cx- II+III mL 2.54; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.23. Genital field L/W 169/149, ratio; distance genital field-excretory pore 184, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 242.

Gnathosoma — palp total L 350; dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 35/30, 1.17; P-2, 112/53, 2.1; P-3, 72/47, 1.53; P-4, 114/25, 4.56; P-5, 17/-, -; L ratio P-2/P-4 0.98. Gnathosomal base vL 378; chelicera total L 416.

Discussion — The combination of a flanged palp with subapical Cxgl-4, only slightly posterior of Cx-I tips, makes the new species similar to Torrenticola malaisei (Lundblad, 1941) , T. prionipalpis (Lundblad, 1941) , and T. lamellifera (Lundblad, 1941) , all known from Burma ( Lundblad 1969). The latter species has been synonymized by Wiles (1997) with T. malaisei , but recently this synonymization has been rejected by Pešić et al. (2012). Females of T. malaisei and T. lamellifera can be distinguished from those of T. kyrgyzica by their more roundish idiosoma, a short medial suture line of Cx-II+III, and a longer ventral seta on P-3 (see Wiles 1997). Moreover T. malaisei has a stouter P-4. Torrenticola prionipalpis (Lundblad, 1941) , known from a single male, has a roundish idiosoma, a more slender P-4, a smaller ventral seta on P-2, and P-4 ventral tubercle, ending in two tips separated by a concavity, with four short setae (see Wiles 1997).

Etymology — Named after the country where the new species was found.

Distribution — Kyrgyzstan; known only from the locus typicus ( Figure 10D ).

Figures

Figure 2 Torrenticola kyrgyzican. sp., female holotype: A – frontal margin of idiosoma, dorsal view; B – dorsal shield; C – ventral shield; D – palp, medial view; E – gnathosomal base and chelicera. Scale = 100 μm.

Figure 10 Photographs of sampling sites: A – KR3, Ala Archa NP, spring outlet (locus typicusof Atractides alaarchaensis n. sp.); B – KR32, stream near Son Kul lake (locus typicusof Atractides sonkulensisn. sp.); C – KR10, spring in Grigorievka canyon (locus typicusof Atractides grigorievkan. sp.); D – KR8, Chon-Kemin NP, upper part of stream near Ashu resort (locus typicusof Torrenticola kyrgyzican. sp.); E – KR15, river on the road to May Saz Pass (locus typicusof Wandesia albertii n. sp.); F – KR22, stream in Karakal region (locus typicusof Atractides manasi n. sp.); G – KR23, rheohelocrenic spring in Karakal region (sampling site of Atractides grigorievkan. sp.); H – KR31, river near Son Kol Lake (sampling site of Atractides sonkulensisn. sp.).