Muliercula curvilineata Ermilov and Kontschán, 2023

ErmilovK, Sergey G., KontschánK, Jenő, Kolesnikov K, Vasiliy B., KlimovK, Pavel B. & SharapovK, Denis V., 2023, Faunistic and taxonomic additions to the oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Cuba, Acarologia 63 (3), pp. 770-782 : 778-781

Muliercula curvilineata Ermilov and Kontschán n. sp.

Zoobank: A11A77C2-A76B-4756-A230-D986A5E476CB

( Figures 3 , 4 )

Material — Holotype (female) and three paratypes (two males and one female): Cuba, 22°1′N, 80°7′W, Cienfuegos Province, Sierra del Escambray, El Nicho, leaf litter in mixed forest. The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz , Germany ; three paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology , Tyumen, Russia ; all specimens are preserved in 70% solution of ethanol with a drop of glycerol.

Diagnosis — Body length: 525–555. Notogaster and ventral plate striate. Rostrum slightly protruding, narrowly rounded. Translamella concave, shortly interrupted medially; lateral keel-shaped ridge and prolamella absent; tutorium medium-sized. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae long, setiform, barbed; ro inserted dorsally on distinct tubercle; le inserted behind lamellar end; bothridial seta clavate, barbed. All notogastral setae short, setiform, smooth. Epimeral formula: 3–1–3–2; setae short, setiform, slightly barbed. Discidium and circumpedal carina well developed. Anogenital setae short, setiform, smooth. Heterotridactylous.

Description of adult — Measurements – Body length: 555 (holotype: female), 525–540 (three paratypes: two males and one female); body width: 330 (holotype), 330–345 (paratypes).

No difference between males and female in body size.

Integument – Body color brown, partially covered by thin layer of gel-like cerotegument; lateral side of body with densely microgranulate cerotegument. Notogaster, subcapitular mentum, anogenital region (including anal plates), partially epimeral region, antiaxial side of leg femora I–IV and trochanters III, IV striate (striae medium-sized or long); central part of notogaster in one paratype with small indistinct foveolae (diameter up to 2); interlamellar region with indistinct thickenings.

Prodorsum – Rostrum slightly protruding, narrowly rounded (nearly pointed in one paratype). Lamella about 1/2 length of prodorsum; translamella linear, concave, shortly interrupted medially; lateral keel-shaped ridge absent; prolamella absent; tutorium well developed, medium-sized; sublamella poorly visible. Sublamellar porose area (7–11) rounded. Rostral (60–67), lamellar (116–124) and interlamellar (120–127) setae setiform, barbed; ro inserted dorsally on distinct tubercle; le inserted behind lamellar end; exobothridial seta (34–45) setiform, thin, slightly barbed; bothridial seta (64–71) clavate, barbed; length of bothridial stalk approximately equal to head. Dorsosejugal porose area present, diffuse.

Notogaster – Anterior notogastral margin convex medially. Pteromorph broadly rounded laterally. All setae (c: 6–7) setiform, thin, smooth. All sacculi with small opening and short, slightly elongate channel. Lyrifissures im, ip, ih, and ips distinct, ia poorly visible.

Gnathosoma – Subcapitulum size: 112–116 × 79–82; subcapitular (a: 19–22; m: 13–15; h: 22–30) and adoral (19–22) setae setiform, slightly barbed; m thinner than a and h. Palp length: 79–82; postpalpal seta (7) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera length: 124–129; setae (cha: 43–45;

chb: 26–30) setiform, barbed.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions – Epimeral formula: 3–1–3–2; setae (1b, 3b:

34–37; others: 19–26) setiform, slightly barbed. Discidium and circumpedal carina well developed.

Anogenital region – Genital (13), aggenital (13), anal (17–19), and adanal (17–19) setae setiform, thin, smooth. Adanal lyrifissure distinct. Marginal porose area present, complete.

Legs – Heterotridactylous; all claws barbed on dorsal side; both lateral claws with small tooth distoventrally. Dorsoparaxial porose area on femora I–IV and on trochanters III, IV, ventrodistal porose area on tibia I–IV and proximoventral porose area on tarsi I–IV present. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–5–3–4–20) [1–2–2], II (1–5–2–4–15) [1–1–2], III (2–3–1–3–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–2–3–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 2 ; famulus of tarsus I short, erect, slightly swollen distally, inserted posterior to solenidion ω 2 ; solenidia ω 1 on tarsus I, ω 1 and ω 2 on tarsus II and σ on genu III bacilliform, other solenidia setiform.

Remarks — Muliercula curvilineata Ermilov and Kontschán n. sp. differs from all other representatives of the genus in the presence (versus absence) of striae on the notogaster and in the anogenital region.

Etymology — The specific epithet curvilineata is from Latin curva (“curve”) and linea (“line”) and refers to the curved translamellar line.

Figures

Figure 3 Muliercula curvilineataErmilov and Kontschánn. sp., adult: a – dorsal view (legs omitted); b – ventral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted); c – right lateral view (gnathosoma and legs omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.

Figure 4 Muliercula curvilineataErmilov and Kontschánn. sp., adult: a – posterior view; b – subcapitulum, ventral view; c – palp, right, antiaxial view; d – chelicera, left, paraxial view; e – leg I, right, antiaxial view; f – leg II (tarsus omitted), right, antiaxial view; g – leg III (tarsus omitted), left, antiaxial view; h – leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bars 100 μm (a), 50 μm (b, d–h), 20 μm (c).