Zambedania Mahunka, 1972

Camerik, Anne M. & Magowski, Wojciech Ł., 2014, The genus Zambedania Mahunka 1972 (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Pygmephoridae) — redescription of the type species Z. africana and descriptions of two new species from Africa and South America, Zootaxa 3793 (1), pp. 71-98 : 72-73

Genus Zambedania Mahunka, 1972

Zambedania Mahunka, 1972 , p. 151

Diagnosis. Adult females of Zambedania are comparable to those of other pygmephorid genera: Pseudobakerdania Kaliszewski 1988b and Diroptes Kaliszewski 1988a by the following characters: troughlike peritremes, obliquely placed; presence of prodorsal seta v2, opisthosomal setae e, f; seta 4b on fused posterior sternal plate (StPo) and having 2 setae on genu II.

They differ however by the following: absence of prodorsal seta v 1 in Zambedania and Pseudobakerdania only; first leg having 5 segments and a terminal simple claw in Diroptes and Pseudobakerdania 1, 4 and a robust claw in Zambedania ; coxisternal seta 4a present in Zambedania and Diroptes only, while seta 4c is absent only in Diroptes ; the number of eupathidia of leg I in Zambedania is 5 (p’ is missing), while the other two genera have 6; the number of solenidia in Zambedania is 3 (ω2 is missing), 4 in the other two genera; and in Zambedania k is setiform and slightly barbed but characteristically a famulus in the other two.

Description (based on phoretic female, the only instar known to date). Gnathosoma. Orientation hypognathous, ovoid in shape; dorsally with pair of slender, cheliceral setae ch1, ch2 and palpal d Fe, d Ge; supracoxals pp may be present. Pharyngeal system tripartite, difficult to discern in old mounts.

Idiosomal dorsum. Exoskeleton strongly sclerotized, punctate. PdS anteriorly not expanded. One pair of short, single-chambered, slit-like stigmata, extend anteriorly obliquely towards gnathosoma, placed anteriad of only one vertical pair (v2) and two pairs of scapulars (sc1-2). Tracheal trunks lead posteriorly towards unsclerotized atria. Bothridial sensilla sc1 globose barbed; placed laterad of sc2. Opisthosoma shape elliptical. Six opisthosomal segments present: dorsal C, D, E and F coalesced to EF, and H; sixth segment Ps situated caudo-ventrally. All plates entire. Setation complete, all dorsal setae setiform, long and barbed.

Idiosomal venter. Anterior edges of CX I and CX II form apodemes (ap) 1 and 2. CX I and CX II fused medially and internally thickened ( Lindquist, 1986), form prosternal apodeme (appr). Ap 1 link Y-shaped with appr, ap 2 rectangularly with latter; extending from anterior edge of bases of legs I and II and attach to appr. Setal distribution on coxisternal plates I–IV: 2–2–3–3 respectively. Ventral setae shorter than dorsal, smooth to barbed. Ag uninterrupted, carrying no setae.

Legs. Legs I–IV present and well developed. Legs I four-segmented, as first two segments (tibia and tarsus) merge into single tibiotarsus (TiTa). Legs II–IV: five-segmented. Leg I has one long, stout claw on an outgrowth here called a “turret", explanation follows. Legs II–III with terminal pair of claws and empodium. Leg IV with either one or two terminal claws. Empodia II–III distally semi-circular, empodium IV may be small or missing. Legs IV longer and more slender than others. Standard leg chaeto- and solenidiotaxy homologies given in Table 1.

SEGMENT LEG I LEG II

Nr SIGLA Nr SIGLA TROCHANTER 1 v' 1 v' FEMUR 3 d,l',v" 3 d,l',v" GENU 4 l',l",v', v" 3 l',l",v" TIBIOTARSUS Leg I only 13 d,l',l",v',v",k,pl',pl",pv',pv",u',u",s TIBIA 4 d,l',v',v" Eupathidia 5 tc',tc",p",ft',ft" 0

Solenidia 3 ω1, φ1,φ2 1 φ TARSUS 1 Claws 2

Tactile setae 6 pl",tc',tc",pv',pv",u

Solenidia 1 ω

SEGMENT LEG III LEG IV Nr SIGLA Nr SIGLA TROCHANTER 1 v' 1 v' FEMUR 2 d,v' 2 d,v" GENU 2 l',v." 1 v' TIBIOTARSUS Leg I only 4 d,l',v',v" 4 d,l',v',v" Eupathidia 0 0

Solenidia 1 φ 1 φ TARSUS 2 1 or 2

6 pl",tc',tc",pv',pv",u 6 pl",tc',tc",pv',pv",u 0 0

Setae ornamentation smooth, barbed or feathered (very long barbs). Tarsal ω and tibial φ solenidia typically baculiform, cylindrical or reduced to peg-like remnant. On TiTa I all eupathidia smooth; barbed k setiform. Tectals inserted dorsad on apical-most pinnaculum and separated by a relatively deep cleft from contraption on which claw is implanted. Base of claw flanked by two unguinals (we suggest calling this contraption the “turret” which will be discussed in more detail under the heading “Morphology” at the end of this paper). Eupathid p' missing; seta s setiform, with very few barbs. Out of two tarsal solenidia usually present, only one (most probably ω 1) is retained; solenidia striated, baculate, almost constant in diameter. Genual seta l' distinctively very long.

Type species: Zambedania africana Mahunka, 1972 ; by monotypy and original designation.

Other species included: Z. madagascariana sp. n.; Z. argentiniana sp. n.