Cosmozetes damjanovichi, Mahunka, 2005

Mahunka, S., 2005, Oribatid Mites (Acari: Oribatida) From Venezuela, I. Microzetid Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 51 (4), pp. 287-311 : 292-294

Cosmozetes damjanovichi sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 )

Diagnosis: Rostrum narrowed anteriorly, rostral apex blunt. Lamellae large, with a long, spiniform outer and a short, blunt inner apex. Interlamellar setae arising on the lamellar surface. Sensilli large, with clavate, well spiculate head. Tutorium broad basally, its apex short. Notogastral surface smooth, 9 pairs of nogastral setae present. Epimeral region with two broad transversal bands. Epimeral setae conspicuously long, genital setae short. Aggenital setae absent.

Material examined: Holotype: Venezuela, Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, seasonal rain forest: 20. 04. 2005 – in and around a forest stream litter and soil. Leg. CS. CSUZDI & D. MURÁNYI (B-36), 1 paratype from the same sample; 16 paratypes: Andes , Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada La Mucuy , mountain rain forest E of Tabay, 04. 04. 2005 – in and around a forest stream epifiton mosses. Leg. CS. CSUZDI & D. MURÁNYI (B-16), 1 paratype: Estado Mérida, Parc Nacional Sierra Nevada. Andean montane rainforest dominated by Decussocarpus ( Podocarpaceae ) near the cable car station La Montaña. At 2460 m alt. Litter and mosses. 15. Febr. 1997. Coll. S. & T. PÓCS (No. 9712). Holotype (1683-HO-05) and 16 paratypes (1683-PO-05): deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, with identification number of the specimens in the Collection of Arachnida, 2 paratypes: deposited in the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Geneva .

Description – Measurements: Length of body: 244–287 µm, width of body: 154–186 µm.

Prodorsum: Rostrum elongate, slightly tubuliform, like a snout of a pig. Rostral apex bent downwards, beak-shaped in lateral view ( Fig. 4 ). Lamellae large, typical for the genus, their anterior part nearly touching medially, not connected by a true translamella. Their surface rugose. Outer apex very long, spiniform, converging medially. Inner apex short, truncate, they are separated by a deep U-shaped incisure from the outer one, bearing the thick and well pilose lamellar setae ( Fig. 1 ). The latter dierected outwards, to the outer apices. Spiniform, rarely bent, well spiculate or pilose. Interlamellar setae short and simple, arising on the lamellar surface, laterally. No tuberlce or other protuberances in the interbothridial region. Sensillus long, directed outwards, with a large and well-spiculate head. Bothridium simple, cup shaped.

Lateral part of podosoma ( Fig. 4 ): Tutorium wide, strongly dilated basally. Its cusp triangular, short and not covering the insertion of the comparatively short rostral seta, which are located in front of the tutoria. Pedotecta 1 large, covering the acetabulum of leg I. Its surface with some parallel running striae. Discidium broad, custodium short. Above the acetabular region a distinct crest present.

Notogaster: Dorsosejugal suture nearly straight, slightly convex medially. Pteromorphae with some rugae, their distal margin slightly rounded. Along the inner margin some small tubercles present. Notogastral surface without depression or hollow. Nine pairs of notogastral setae of different lengths, setae c 2, h 1 and p thin, c 2, and p much shorter than the others ( Fig. 1 ). The remaining setae are also thicker than the previous ones and well pilose. Setae lm located far anteriorly, in one line with setae la.

Ventral regions ( Fig. 2 ): Infracapitulum large, its anterior margin convex. Setae h, arising laterally, far from each other. The shape of apodemes and epimeral borders typical for this genus, two complete transversal bands (bo. sej., bo. 4), and a short part of the third one (bo. 2) present. No longitudinal connection between them. Epimeral surface smooth, without polygonal patternt. Epimeral setal formula: 3 – 1 – 3 – 3, setae on epimeres 1 and 2 short. Setae 1c originating far from pedotecta 1. Setae on epimeres 3 and 4 conspicuously long, with short cilia, their form is shown in Fig. 2 . Ventral plate distinctly but finely granulate. All genital setae short and smooth. Anogenital setal formula: 6 – 0 – 2 – 3, aggenital setae absent, seate ad 1 in postanal position, they are locted very near to each other. Lyrifissure iad short, they are present in adanal position.

Legs: Claws of all legs conspicuously long.

Remarks: Very variable species, the length and form of the lamellar apices and the thickening of the sensillar head varying. Its relationships: see after the descriprion of the last Cosmozetes species.

Etymology: I dedicate the new species to my friend, Dr. SÁNDOR DAMJANOVICH, the renown biophysicist, the head of the Biological Section of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Cosmozetes damjanovichi sp. n.: 1 = body in dorsal view, 2 = body in ventral view, 3 = lamellae of a paratype, 4 = podosoma in lateral view