Acaromantis vespucioi, Tiago, Almir Rogério Pepato Cláudio Gonçalves, 2004

Tiago, Almir Rogério Pepato Cláudio Gonçalves, 2004, The genera Acaromantis and Simognathus (Simognathinae, Halacaridae) on the north coast of São Paulo State, Brazil, Zootaxa 615, pp. 1-16 : 3-7

Acaromantis vespucioi sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Holotype: Female ( MZUSP), from intertidal sand collected 20–30 cm below surface at São Francisco Beach (23°45’ S, 45°25’ W), 27 May 2002.

Paratypes: All Mites collected from intertidal sand at São Francisco Beach (23°45’ S, 45°25’W): One male ( MZUSP), 10–20 cm below surface, 15 March 2002; one deutonymph ( MZUSP), 10–20 cm below surface, 15 March 2002; one deutonymph (author's collection), 10–20 cm below surface, 15 March 2002; one deutonymph (author's collection), 14 January 2002; one protonymph (author's collection), 15 March 2002; two females (author's collection), 10–20 cm below surface, 15 March 2002; one male (author's collection), 14 January 2002; one male (author's collection) 40–50 cm below surface, 27 May 2002; one protonymph ( MZUSP), 10–20 cm below surface, 15 March 2002; one male (author's collection), 30–40 cm below surface, 27 May 2002; one larva (author's collection), 15–32 cm, below surface, 15 October 2001. All mites were collected during sampling activities of "Benthic marine biodiversity on the State of São Paulo" project ( BIOTA / FAPESP Program).

Description: Measurements are summarized in Table I.

TABLE I :: Measurements, in m, obtained from examined individuals of Acaromantis vespucioi sp. nov.

Female Male Deutonymph Protonymph Larva

Length Width. Length Width. Length Width. Length Width. Length Width.

Idiosoma 269–275 135–141 278–282 135–138 238–250 110–128 205–215 110–115 168 102

Gnathosoma 66–71 68–71 66–71 64–73 55–60 55–66 52–57 52–55 46 41

AD 111–113 94–99 110–115 94–96 88–93 72–83 80–85 71–72 66 57

PD 149–153 97–103 153–157 99–110 115–118 79–83 100 69–79 49 64

AE 105–113 127–128 115–126 119–124 96–119 99–110 90–96 97–100 59 86

GA 122–124 97–104 124–129 102–108 77–80 55–61 56–60 47–50 ­­­ ­­­

GO 19–22 22– 24 17–21 8–12 ­­­ ­­­ ­­­ ­­­ ­­­ ­­­ Female: Dorsal plates foveate throughout. AD bears pair of ds­1 at 0.47–0.54 of its total length, pair of gp­1 near the lateral edge of plate, posterior to the level of ds­1, and pair of ds­3 near the posterior edge of plate. Pair of ds­2 lies on striated cuticle behind insertion of leg II. Ocular plates absent, except small sclerites underneath striated cuticle.

Posterior dorsal plate bearing ds­4 and ds­5, the former near anterior edge of PD and the later at 0.50–0.56. PD also with a pair of adanal setae near its posterior edge. PD/AD ratio is 1.34–1.36.

Ventral plates foveate, with shallower and smaller foveae than the dorsal ones. AE bearing three pairs of setae and a pair of epimeral vesicles near insertion of leg II. GA with four pairs of perigenital setae. Distance between pgs­1 and GO 1.31–1.36 of GO length — taken into account measurements average when these setae are not aligned. Distance between the anterior edge of GA and GO 93–99 m; therefore, equalling 3.8–4.4 times the GO length.

Two­segmented palp with P2 with one ventral seta, one dorsal and two apical ones. The tectum bearing a single projection as shown in fig. 1­D. Rostrum the same as 0.23– 0.24 of overall length of gnathosoma.

Leg chaetotaxy, observed in all individuals: leg I, 1,1,1,4,5,6; leg II, 1,1,2,4,5,6; leg III and IV, 1,1,2,3,5,6. Tarsus I with only the medial claw, bearing two parambulacral setae, three dorsal setae and a ventral spine. Tibia I with heavy apical spine. Tibiae II to IV with ventral setae bipectinate. Legs with ventral and pararthrodial lamellae well developed. Lateral claws of tarsus II and III with pecten. Lateral claws of leg IV are smooth except by the accessory tooth.

Male: Similar to female in most of features. PD/AD ratio is 1.33–1.42. Distance between anterior edge of GA and GO is 97–104 m; equalling 5.3–6.1 times the GO length. With a crown of perigenital setae around GO, which is compound of eighteen branched setae. No outlying setae. The spermatophorotype reaches 0.60–0.66 of the GA length. The first pair of pgs lies on the level of the proximal arm of spermatophorotype, while the distal one exceeds it.

Larva: Plates less developed with ornamentation almost similar to adults. Pair of ds­1 lies on AD, ds­2 to ds­4 on striated cuticle, ds­5 and pair of adanal setae on PD. AE with two pairs of setae and a pair of epimeral vesicles. PE with only a pair of ventral setae and no dorsal setae. Genital plate absent.

Larvae with three five­segmented legs. Leg chaetotaxy: leg I:1,2,4,5,6; leg II:1,3,4,5,6; leg III:1,3,3,5,6. Bipectinate setae distributed as in adults.

Protonymph: Dorsal plates more developed than in the larva. AE bearing three pairs of setae and a pair of epimeral vesicles. PE with two ventral setae. Genital plate without setae. Leg IV five­segmented. Chaetotaxy as follows: Leg I: 1, 1, 1, 4, 5, 6; Leg II: 1, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6; Leg III: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6; Leg IV: 1, 3, 3, 5, 6.

Deutonymph: Plates more developed than in the protonymph. AE with three pairs of setae and a pair of epimeral vesicles. PE with three ventral setae. Genital plate bearing a pair of setae. Chaetotaxy and legs similar to adults.

Etymology: In memory of Americo Vespucio, Italian cosmograph who first sailed on the waters of São Sebastião Canal and named it.

Remarks: Females of A. vespucioi sp. nov. differ from all its congeners by the distance between anterior edge of GA and GO regarding its length. In A. vespucioi sp. nov. this distance ranges between 3.8–4.4 times the GO length, whereas in other Acaromantis this measure 2.3–3.3 times the GO length ( Bartsch, 1977).

Besides that, the dorsal ornamentation differs from A. subasper Bartsch, 1977 and A. grandiculus Bartsch, 1977 by the fovea width. The extension of the spermatophorotype regarding the crown of perigenital setae distinguishes A. vespucioi sp. nov. from A. fastigatus Bartsch, 1977 , A. minutus Bartsch, 1976 and A. armatus Bartsch, 1977 .

Most of the species belonging to Acaromantis ( A. subasper , A. fastigatus , A. armatus , A. monnioti Morselli, 1970 and A. diazpulidoi Otto, 2000 ) bear a pair of outlying setae or more on male GA while in A. vespucioi sp. nov. the outlying setae are lacking on GA.

A. arenarius Bartsch, 1980 and A. monnioti have a narrow sclerite where usually OC lies. The frontal projection of the tectum of A. punctulus Bartsch, 1977 extends beyond the first segment of palp. Both features are lacking in A. vespucioi sp. nov.

A. squila Trouessart and Neumann, 1893 can be separated from the species described here by its length (350 m) and by the protonymph genital plate. Whereas in A. squila it is 43 m long and 37 m wide, the genital plate measures 56–60 m and 50– 47 m in A. vespucioi sp. nov. protonymphs.

Figures

FIGURE 1: Acaromantis vespucioi sp. nov.: A— Idiosoma of male, dorsal view. B— Idiosoma of female, ventral view. C— Gnathosoma of female, dorsal view. D— Gnathosoma female, ventral view. E— Palp of female, lateral view. F— Leg I of female, lateral view. G— Genital opening of male. H— Tarsus I of male, lateral view. I— Leg III of female, lateral view. J— Leg II of female, lateral view. K— Leg IV of female, medial view. Scale bars: A and B— 50 m; C, D, F, G, J, K and I: 25 m; E and H: 12.5 m.

FIGURE 2: Acaromantis vespucioi sp. nov.: A— Idiosoma of larva, dorsal view. B— Idiosoma of larva, ventral view. C— Leg II of larva, ventral view. D— Leg III of larva, medial view. E— Leg IV of protonymph, lateral view. F— Leg I of protonymph, lateral view. G— Leg I of larva, ventral view. H— Leg II of protonymph, medial view. I— Idiosoma of protonymph, dorsal view. J— Idiosoma of protonymph, ventral view. K— Leg III of protonymph, lateral view. Scale bars: 25 m.

FIGURE 3: Acaromantis vespucioi sp. nov., deutonymph: A— Idiosoma, dorsal view. B— Idiosoma, ventral view. C— Leg III, lateral view. D— Leg I, medial view. E— Leg II, lateral view. F— Leg IV, lateral view. Scale bars: A and B: 50 m; C, D, E and F: 25 m.