Armascirus masani, Kalúz, Stanislav & Vrabec, Michal, 2013

Kalúz, Stanislav & Vrabec, Michal, 2013, Two new species of Armascirus (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae) from Slovakia, Zootaxa 3734 (2), pp. 141-155 : 147-150

Armascirus masani , new species

Differential diagnosis (male). This species can be distinguished from the male of the similar species A. taurus (Kramer) by having the venter with five simple setae (except for genital, anal and adanal setae) and a shorter distance between the bases of sci – sci compared to the distance between c1 – c1, while A. taurus has the venter with six simple setae and a longer distance between the bases of sci – sci compared to distance between c1 – c1. The other similar species A. ebrius Chaudhri and A. lebowensis Den Heyer differ from A. masani sp. nov. by the coxal setal formula I–IV 3-2 -3-3 sts and by having different tarsal chaetotaxy I–IV. Two other similar species, A. limpopoensis Den Heyer and A. huyssteeni Den Heyer , have higher numbers of sts on tarsi I–IV compared to A. masani sp. nov.

Description. Male (holotype and paratype), body length 340, 327 width 262, 239, respectively.

Dorsum ( Fig. 5 ): Propodosoma with distally cone-shaped reticulate shield, a pair of anterior (vi) and posterior (sce) setose trichobothria and 2 pairs of tactile setae (ve and sci). Separation of propodosoma from hysterosoma not unambiguously visible in specimens studied. Hysterosoma with large reticulate hysterosomal median shield bearing 5 pairs of setae— c1, c2, d1, e1, f1. 6 pairs of dorsal setae on hysterosoma; c1–h1, c2; h1 on soft tegument. Short setae c1 and c2 equal in length (9 and 11), d1 and e1 longer (12 and 15), respectively), setae f1 (21) and h1 (23) 2-times length of c1. Distance between bases c1–c1 (95) about 10-times length of c1; d1–d1 (51–57) about 5-times length of d1; e1–e1 (39–51) about 5-times length of c1; f1–f1 (37–38) about 4-times length of c1. Distance between bases of f1– f1 1.6 longer than h1–h1 and distance between bases of setae h1–h1 equal to length of h1. Length:width ratio of hysterosomal median shield is 8:10. Distances between bases of setae (except for c2–c2) becoming smaller from c1– c1 to h1–h1.

Venter ( Fig. 6 ). Coxal plates not divided into coxal regions, coxal plates situated in weakly sclerotized and reticulate ventral shield covering a great part of ventral region. Coxae I–IV setal formula: 3-1-3-2. Venter of hysterosoma with 5 pairs of simple setae (not including coxal, genital, anal and para-anal setae) on finely reticulate (reticulation 3-times smaller in diameter than in dorsal shields) contiguous ventral shield. 3 pairs of setae situated between coxae III and IV and 2 pairs of setae and longer para-genital setae arranged anteriorly to genital plates. Reticulation surrounding para-genital setae differs from pattern of prevailing part of ventral shield. Ventral striations with small broken dash-like papillae include hysterolateral, adgenital and adanal region. Each genital valve with 4 genital setae. A pair of anal setae present and also 3 pairs of adanal setae adjacent to anal plate.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 7 ). Palp ( Fig. 7 ). Palps 5-segmented, 243 and 235 long, with fine reticulate surface (pattern similar to ventral reticulation) and a bare tibiotarsus. Palpal chaetotaxy as follows: trochanter bare, basifemur with 1 dorso-median simple seta (11 long); telofemur inner surface with apical stout spine-like seta (17), dorso-apically with stout spine-like seta (21); inner surface of genu medially with 1 stout spine-like seta (20), 1 stout spine-like seta (15) and 1 elongate apophysis distally (23), dorso-apically with 1 spine-like seta (11) and ventro-apically with 1 simple seta (11–12); tibiotarsus inner surface proximally with 1 long simple seta (15–23) and medially with 1 stout spine-like seta (11); outer surface with 1 ventro-lateral (8) and 1 dorso-lateral simple seta (8); terminating with 1 solenidion (8) (sensu Den Heyer 2006) and a small short claw (3–5). Palpal tibiotarsus nearly straight, apically slightly curved, with proximal inner surface with distinct U-depression.

Chelicera ( Fig. 7 ). Slender, 153 and 146 long, surface with small randomly placed papillae and a pair of short cheliceral setae.

Subcapitulum ( Fig. 7 ). Subrectangular, distally cone-shaped subcapitulum (174 long) bears 2 pairs of short adoral setae and 4 pairs of hypognathal setae (hg). Setae hg3 longest, setae hg4 shortest. Surface of subcapitulum with reticulate pattern and small randomly placed papillae, pattern between setae hg1 and hg2 oblong proximodistally.

Legs ( Fig. 8 ). Coxal plates not divided into coxal regions, coxal plates situated in weakly sclerotized and reticulate ventral shield. Coxae I–IV setal formula: 3-1-3-2. Each leg with reticulate pattern, legs I–III shorter than leg IV. Chaetotaxy I–IV (excluding coxae) as follows: trochanters I–IV 1-1 -2-1 sts; basifemora I–IV 5-5 -3-0 sts; telofemora I–IV 4-4 -4-4 sts; genu I—2 asl, mst, 5 sts; genu II—1 asl, mst, 5 sts; genu III—1 asl, 6 sts; genu IV—1 asl, 6 sts; tibia I—(2 asl, mst), 4 sts; tibia II—5 sts; tibia III—1 bsl, 5 sts; tibia IV—1 smooth T, 4 sts; tarsus I—(1 fam, 1 asl, 1 sts), 1 tsl, 16 stsl; tarsus II—1 asl, 1 tsl, 13 stsl; tarsus III—1 tsl, 12 sts; tarsus IV—10 sts.

Length of leg segments I–IV of holotype and paratype (excluding coxa and trochanter): Basifemur (74–77)– (66–66)–(66–55)–(74–80)]; Telofemur (46–46)–(42–38)–(38–39)–(42–38); Genu (28–31)–(31–26)–(38–39)–(46– 43); Tibia (42–36)–([34–32)–(51–49)–(61–61); Tarsus (138–142)–(121–116)–(131–123)–(131–124), respectively.

Female and developmental stages: Unknown.

Material studied. Holotype: male on slide, N—Slovakia, High Tatras Mts., Nová Polianka village vicinity (N- 49˚07′17″, E-20˚09′46″), 1075 m a.s.l., 13. Aug. 2007, mountain meadow, collected from soil with grass roots. Paratype: male on slide, N—Slovakia, High Tatras Mts., Starý Smokovec village env. (N-49˚08′12″, E-20˚11′59″), 1086 m a.s.l., 13. Aug. 2007, mountain meadow, collected from soil with grass roots. Material collected by S. Kalúz. Type material will be deposited in the Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Slovak acarologist Dr. Peter Mašán.

Remarks. The males of Cunaxidae are rarely found and therefore descriptions are scarce or absent for many genera, including Armascirus . Den Heyer (1978) described the females and males of three Armascirus species— A. huyssteeni , A. lebowensis and A. limpopoensis from South Africa—and this work forms the basis for morphological differences between the sexes. The two sexes of Armascirus differ mainly on the hysterosomal area and palps: males have a large hysterosomal shield and one palpal telofemoral apophysis, whereas females have a small hysterosomal shield and two palpal telofemoral apophyses. Other differences between the sexes occur in the chaetotaxy of tarsi, tibiae and genua of legs I–III (Den Heyer 1978).

Males and females can thus be difficult to associate. Therefore, the description of males, without the information on relevant females, risks synonymy, especially in species with overlapping zoogeographic distribution. Nevertheless, some features can be linked between the sexes of the same species, and can also differentiate males and females of different species. For example, the ventral idiosomal (excluding coxal, genital, anal and para-anal setae), coxal and basifemoral setae are the same between sexes, so can be used to separate species of different sexes.

A comparison of morphological features in known Slovak Armascirus species (females of A. cyaneus Kalúz and A. cerris Kalúz ) together with the newly described female of A. fendai elucidated the main differences between A. masani and these species. Male A. masani sp. nov. differs from A. fendai sp. nov. by having five pairs of ventral setae (except for coxal, genital, anal and para-anal setae), sts formulae of coxae I–IV 3-1 -3-2 and basifemora I–IV 5-5 -3-0, and shorter dorsal setae f1 (21) and h1 (23), while the female of A. fendai sp. nov. has six pairs of ventral setae plus a pair of ventro-lateral simple setae between coxae II and III, sts formulae of coxae I–IV 3-2 -3-3 and basifemora I–IV 5-5 -4-2, and longer dorsal setae f1 (31) and h1 (41). Armascirus masani sp. nov. differs from the female of A. cyaneus by having five pairs of ventral setae, four spls on the palpal genu, shorter dorsal setae d1 (12), e1 (15), f1 (21) and h1 (23), while the female of A. cyaneus has six pairs of ventral setae, three spls on palpal genu and longer dorsal setae d1 (17), e1 (18), f1 (31) and h1 (34). Armascirus masani sp. nov. differs from Armascirus cerris by having five pairs of ventral setae, shorter dorsal setae f1 (21) and h1 (23), and a smaller distance between the bases of sci - sci than c1 - c1, while female A. cerris has a six pairs of ventral setae, longer dorsal setae f1 (31) and h1 (34), a greater distance between sci - sci than c1 - c1, and a different sts formulae on the coxae and basifemora.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Armascirus masani sp. nov. — male (idiosoma dorsal). Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 6. Armascirus masani sp. nov. — male (idiosoma ventral). Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 7. Armascirus masani sp. nov. — male; chelicera (dorsal view), subcapitulum (ventral view). Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 8. Armascirus masani sp. nov. — male; legs I – IV (from left, dorsal view). Scale bar = 100 µm.