Jedediella hoffmani, Kontschán, 2017

Kontschán, Jenő, 2017, New species and new records of Uropodina from Virginia, USA (Acari: Mesostigmata), Zootaxa 4347 (2) : -

Jedediella hoffmani sp. nov.

( Figs 1–16 )

Material examined. Holotype. Female, USA, Virginia, Conte de Halifax, mixed woods along Brandon Creek , ca 8 km from SW of Turbeville , 18. March 1995, collected by R.L. Hoffmann . Paratypes. Three males and one deutonymph; same data as for holotype.

Description. Female. Length of idiosoma 1110, width 840 (n=1). Shape oval, idiosoma dorsally domed and strongly sclerotised.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal and marginal shields fused anteriorly, all dorsal setae short (ca 29–35), smooth and needle-like. Caudal area of dorsal shield bearing a marginally strongly sclerotised, large quadrangular depression (length 91, width 240). Eleven setae on margins of depression longer (ca 71–75) and wider than dorsal setae. Central area of dorsal shield with some oval pits. Marginal shield bearing smooth needle-like setae (ca. 35– 39), majority of marginal setae associated with pit-like sensory organs. Inner margin of marginal shield undulate. Undulated part on caudal area forming finger-like processes (length: 95–100).

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Surface of sternal shield smooth. Five pairs of smooth and needle-like sternal setae present, St1 (ca 12–14) placed near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 (ca 16–18) at level of central area of coxae II, St3 (ca 23–25) at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St4 (ca 25–26) at level of posterior margin of coxae III, St5 (ca 24–27) close to basal edges of genital shield, but situated on membranous cuticle between genital shield and sternal shield. Ventral shield without sculptural pattern and bearing smooth and needle-like setae (ca 53– 65), adanal setae similar in shape and length to ventral setae, postanal seta absent. First pair of ventral setae associated with numerous pore-like sensory organs. Pedofossae deep and their surface smooth, without separate furrows for tarsi IV. Metapodal lines well developed with short and needle-like setae near them (ca 18-23). Majority of ventral setae associated with pit-like organs, one pair of lyriform fissures situated close to metapodal line and one pair posterior to anal opening. Genital shield linguiform, anteriorly rounded and bearing a peaked process, its surface with some oval pits on central region. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III, peritremes Lshaped, prestigmatid part hook-shaped ( Fig. 8 ). Tritosternum with vase-shaped base, laciniae divided into two pilose lateral branches and one pilose central branch ( Fig. 3 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 4 ). Hypostomal setae h1 pilose and long (ca 130), h2 short (ca 14) and apically serrate, h3 long (ca 70) and marginally serrate, h4 short (ca 16) apically pilose. Ventral surface of hypostome covered by small, spine-like structures in deutosternal groove. Palp trochanter with one long, pilose and one short and serrate seta, other ventral and lateral setae on palp smooth, dorsal setae Palp genu and tibia with robust and marginally serrate setae ( Fig. 6 ). Corniculi short and horn-like, internal malae longer than corniculi and marginally pilose. Epistome marginally serrate ( Fig. 5 ). Chelicerae long (ca 170), movable digit as long as fixed digit. Both digits bearing a lateral tooth on apical area, but medially smooth, without teeth, internal sclerotised node absent ( Fig. 8 ).

Legs. Length of legs I = 620, leg II =450, leg III = 465, leg IV = 560. Leg I with a small ambulacral claw ( Fig. 9 ), coxa of leg I covered by small, oval pits, most setae on leg I smooth and needle-like, but several setae robust. Other legs with larger claws ( Figs 10–12 ) and without pits. Femora of legs I, III, IV bearing ventral flap-like appendices, femur II with a robust ventral process. Each segment of legs with smooth setae.

Male. Length of idiosoma 1100–1060, width 870–850 µm (n=3). Shape and dorsal aspect of idiosoma as in female.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 13 ). Surface of sternal shield covered by oval pits, five pairs of needle-like sternal setae present. St1 shorter than other sternal setae (ca 12–14), placed near anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 (ca 23– 25) at level of posterior margin of coxae II, St3 (ca 23–26) at level of central area of coxae III, St4 (ca 23–24) at level of posterior margin of coxae III and St5 (ca 23–25) at level of posterior margin of coxae IV. One pair of large and rounded pit-like sensory organs situated near St5, some small pit-like sensory organs posterior to St5, one pair of lyriform fissures between St1 and St2. Position and shape of ventral setae and ornamentation of ventral shield as in female. Genital shield oval, without sculptural pattern and situated between coxae IV.

Gnathosoma. Same as in female.

Deutonymph. Length of idiosoma 980, width 780 (n=1). Shape oval, posterior margin rounded.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 14 ). Dorsal shields oval (755×575) and fused anteriorly to marginal shield. Surface of dorsal shield smooth, only some muscle scars present. Dorsal shield neotrichous, all dorsal setae smooth and needle-like (ca 39–40). Two pairs of lyriform fissures situated at anterior margin of dorsal shield, two pairs at level of central part, one of close to margins, second one in central region. Surface of marginal shield smooth, marginal setae similar in shape and length to dorsal setae, but associated with pit-like sensory organs. Three pairs of lyriform fissures situated on marginal shield, first pair at level of coxae II, second pair at level of coxae IV, and third pair close to caudal margin of marginal shield. Numerous short (ca 12–14) and needle-like setae situated on membranous cuticle around marginal shield.

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 15 ). Sternal shield vase-like, covered by oval pits and bearing five pairs smooth and needle-like (ca 17–20) setae. Surface of peritrematal, metapodal and anal shields smooth. Anal shield pentagonal (length: 225, width: 365), anterior margin concave, bearing numerous smooth and needle-like (ca 23–27) setae. One pair of larger and one pair of smaller pit-like sensory organs situated close to lateral margins of anal shield. Presigtmatid part of peritreme long, with two small bends. Some smooth and needle-like setae situated around anal shield. Tritosternum with vase-shaped base, laciniae divided into two pilose lateral branches and one pilose central branch ( Fig. 16 ).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 18 ). Corniculi horn-like, internal malae longer than corniculi and marginally pilose. All hypostomal setae marginally serrate, h1 ca 90 long, situated near the anterior margin of gnathosoma, h2–h4 short (ca 50–65).

Etymology. I dedicate the new species to R.L. Hoffman, who collected these specimens in Virginia.

Notes. The genus Jedediella was established by Kontschán & Starý (2012) for the J. sellnicki ( Zirngiebl-Nicol & Hirschmann, 1969) (in Hirschmann & Zirngiebl-Nicol, 1969) and J. horneri Kontschán & Starý, 2012 . All three Jedediella species are found in North America, suggesting that this is an endemic Nearctic genus. The new species differs from its congeners in the character states which are presented in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Jedediella hoffmani sp. nov., holotype, female. 1. Body in dorsal view. 2. Body in ventral view. 3. Tritosternum. 4. Ventral view of gnathosoma. 5. Apical end of epistome. 6. Lateral view of palp. 7. Lateral view of chelicera.

FIGURES 8 – 13. Jedediella hoffmani sp. nov., holotype, female. 8. Peritreme. 9. Lateral view of leg I. 10. Ventral view of leg II. 11. Ventral view of leg III. 12. Ventral view of leg IV. 13. Intercoxal area of male paraype.

FIGURES 14 – 16. Jedediella hoffmani sp. nov., paratype, deutonymph. 14. Body in dorsal view. 15. Body in ventral view. 16. Ventral view of tritosternum, gnathosoma and palp.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Trachytes virginiana sp. nov., holotype, female. 17. Body in dorsal view. 18. Body in ventral view. 19. Caudal area of dorsal idiosoma in male paratype. 37. Intercoxal area of male paratype.