Arrenurus (Truncaturus) flavus, Smit, 2012

Smit, H., 2012, New records of the water mite family Arrenuridae from the Afrotropical region, with the description of 11 new species and two new subspecies (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 3187, pp. 1-31 : 28

Arrenurus (Truncaturus) flavus n. sp.

( Figs. 72–75)

Material examined. Holotype male, River Gouloué , Mayotte, Comoros, 12° 47’ 27,2 S 45° 11’ 22,9 E, 15.iv.2009, leg. N. Mary ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Male: Dorsal shield covering large part of dorsum, genital plates reversed wing-shaped.

Description. Male: Idiosoma yellowish (but fixed in ethanol), 599 long and 405 wide, in the middle widened laterally. Dorsal shield incomplete, 344 wide, covering a large part of the dorsum. D2 and D3 lying close to each other, D4 lying in a small concavity. Anterior and posterior idiosoma margin straight. Cauda short, truncated, not set off from anterior idiosoma. First coxae extending to anterior idiosoma margin. Third and fourth coxae large, medial margin of fourth coxae larger than medial margin of third coxae. Genital plates reversed wing-shaped, extending to lateral idiosoma margin. Lengths of PI-PV: 26, 76, 58, 68, 40; PII anteromedially with four setae and more dorsally another seta. Lengths of I-leg-4-6: 72, 90, 82. Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 120, 142, 140; IV-leg-4 with a spur.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named for its yellow colour.

Remarks. Few species of the subgenus Truncaturus have been described from the Afrotropical region. Arrenurus schizopetiolatus Cook, 1966 from Liberia, Arrenurus uncus K.O. Viets, 1972 from Zimbabwe, A. bowmakeri Jansen van Rensburg, 1974 from Zimbabwe and A. rivalis K.O. Viets, 1974 from Zaire, all have the posterior margin with a median cleft. The following species are assigned to Megaluracarus, but are in fact intermediate between Megaluracarus and Truncaturus : Arrenurus liberiensis Cook, 1966 differs from the new species in having a smaller dorsal shield and a posterior margin with three extensions. Arrenurus longigenitalis K. O. Viets, 1965 , A. l. triseticus K.O. Viets, 1968, A. brevigenitalis K.O. Viets, 1965 and A. b. permutatus K.O. Viets, 1973 have a smaller dorsal shield, and the genital field is not reversed wing-shaped.