Djeboa liberiensis (Cook, 1966)

Pešić, Vladimir, Cook, David, Gerecke, Reinhard & Smit, Harry, 2013, The water mite family Mideopsidae (Acari: Hydrachnidia): a contribution to the diversity in the Afrotropical region and taxonomic changes above species level, Zootaxa 3720 (1), pp. 1-75 : 45

Djeboa liberiensis (Cook, 1966)

( Figs. 25A–F )

Mideopsis (Djeboa) liberiensis Cook, 1966: 234 .

Material examined: Type series: FMC, Liberia; holotype female, Bomi Hills road, stream at bridge 19, 8.xii.1957, Cook (Coll. 85); paratypes: same date and site, 3/1/0; same site, 6.i.1957 (Coll. 27), 3/9/0; same site, 23.i.1957 (Coll. 36), 7/7/0; Coll. 40, 1/0(0; Coll. 41, 8/8/0; Coll. 42, 9/23/0; Coll. 50, 0/3/0; Coll. 51, 1/0/0; Coll. 74, 1/0/0; Coll. 76, 1/9/0; Coll. 83, 0/2/0; Coll. 84, 1/2/0; Coll. 87, 2/2/0; Coll. 88, 6/3/0; Coll. 91, 6/5/0; Coll. 92, 4/3/0; Coll. 93, 1/13/0; Coll. 94, 4/3/0; Coll. 95, 1/0/0; Coll. 96, 1/2/0; Coll. 98, 0/1/0 (for details see Cook 1966).

General features: Dorsal shield almost perfectly circular (L/W ratio 1.0), with extended medial depression occupying most of the shield ( Fig. 25A ); muscle scars located anterior and posterior to the postocularia, with moderately pronounced thickenings; anterior and central portion of dorsal shield blue; edges of ventral shield with large serrations; gnathosomal bay Y-shaped, noticeably narrowing in posterior half; tips of Cx-I ending posterior to frontal margin; medial margin of Cx-IV reduced to a little more than median angle; Cx-III and -IV with a series of longitudinal striae (three pairs of on Cx-IV). Palp as shown in Fig. 25D : P-1 with a dorsal seta; P-2 with straight ventral and convexly bowed dorsal margin; P-3 proximally thicker than distally, ventral margin with an proximal inflation, distally slightly concave; P-4 slender, equally narrowing from the base to tip. Legs: I-L ( Fig. 25E ) with I- L-6 dL/H ratio 2.6–2.7, ventral margin distally convexly protruding; IV-L: Fig. 25F .

Remarks: In the round idiosoma shape, D. liberiensis resembles D. multidentata (K. Viets, 1911) which differs in possessing a patch violet in colour on the anterior dorsum and larger dimensions (Cook 1966).

Distribution: Obviously the most frequently collected and most widely distributed species in Liberia.

Figures

FIGURE 25 A – F. Djeboa liberiensis (Cook, 1966) (A – B, D – F = male, C = female): A = dorsal shield; B = idiosoma, ventral view; D = palp; E = I-L; F = IV-L.