Hutufeideria singaporensis, Jenő Kontschán & Géza Ripka, 2016

Jenő Kontschán & Géza Ripka, 2016, Three new Uropodina mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Singapore, Revue suisse de Zoologie 123 (2), pp. 291-301 : 292

Hutufeideria singaporensis sp. nov.

Figs 1-11

Holotype: MHNG, sample Bru-88/74 ; female; “ Singapore, Sentosa Island (partie occidentale ), Nature Wall, prélèvement de sol au pied d’ Elaeocarpus pedunculatus, env. 60 m; 6.XII.1988 ”; leg. B. Hauser (Berlese à Genève).

Paratypes: MHNG; 4 females and 3 males; same data as for holotype. – MHNG, sample Bru-88/5 ; seven females; “ Singapore, Island Country Club, situé entre Lower Peirce Resevoir et Windsor Park Estate , restes de forêt primaire entourés de forêt secondaire, prélèvement de sol au pied d’un grand arbre vivant, env. 60 m; 12.XI.1988 ”; leg. B. Hauser (Berlese à Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei).

Diagnosis: Genital shield scutiform, its surface with reticulate sculptural pattern. St2 and St3 marginally serrate, other sternal setae smooth. Pygidial shield posteriorly fused to caudal part of marginal shield. Marginal setae finely pilose. The new species differs from the other known Hutufeideria species by the shape (scutiform) and the reticulate sculptural pattern of its genital shield in females and by the shape of the pygidial shield which is fused to the marginal shield.

Description of female: Length of idiosoma 580-720, width 400-430 (n=12). Its shape triangular, posterior margin rounded, color reddish brown.

Dorsal side of idiosoma ( Fig. 1 ): Marginal and dorsal shields completely separated. Setae on dorsal shield wide, phylliform (about 48-50 long) ( Figs 2-3 ). Dorsal shield with an elevated area in caudocentral region, posterior margin of elevated area triangular. Surface of central part of dorsal shield with irregular pits ( Fig. 2 ). Lateral margins of dorsal shield undulate. Pygidial shield large, posteriorly fused to marginal shield. Pygidial shield without setae, but bearing a strongly sclerotized, U-shaped groove. Marginal shield without ornamentation and bearing finely pilose marginal setae (about 44-47 long) ( Fig. 3 ).

Ventral side of idiosoma ( Fig. 4 ): Sternal shield without sculptural pattern, but a small reticulate area presented around genital opening. Sternal setae St1 (about 8-10), St4 (about 14-15) and St5 (about 42-43 long) smooth, needle-like, St2 (about 23-25) and St3 (about 30-31 long) marginally serrate. St1 situated close to anterior margin of sternal shield, St2 at level of central area of coxae II, St3 at level of anterior margin of coxae III, St4 at level of central area of coxae III, St5 close to proximal edges of genital shield. Numerous long (about 42-55) and marginally pilose setae situated on ventral shield. Setae ad similar in shape to ventral setae, but shorter (about 35-40 long) and situated laterally to anal opening. One pair of lyrifissures situated posterior to St1. Stigmata situated close to coxae III. Prestigmatid part of peritremes M-shaped, poststigmatid part absent. Genital shield scutiform, its surface with reticulate sculptural pattern. Base of tritosternum narrow, tritosternal laciniae subdivided into four smooth, marginally pilose branches. Pedofossae deep, their surface smooth, separated furrows for tarsi IV absent.

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 5 ): Corniculi horn-like, with an inner tooth, internal malae smooth and longer than corniculi. Hypostomal setae as follows: h1 long (about 100-103) and divided into one marginally serrate and two smooth branches. Setae h2 and h3 short (about 16-20), h2 smooth and robust, h3 apically serrate, h4 marginally serrate and short (about 23-25). Apical part of epistome marginally pilose. Palpal tochanter with two marginally serrate ventral setae, one short and the other long; femur of palp with a serrate lateral seta; other setae on palp smooth. Chelicera with sclerotized internal node; fixed and movable digits long and narrow, each bearing one tooth ( Fig. 6 ).

Legs ( Figs 7-10 ): Leg I without claws on tip of tarsus. All legs with marginally serrate setae and with needle-like setae; each femur bearing flap-like ventral process.

Description of male: Length of idiosoma 550-660, width 390-410 (n=3).

Dorsal side of idiosoma: Ornamentation and chaetotaxy of dorsal shield as in female.

Ventral side of idiosoma ( Fig. 11 ): Four pairs of sternal setae situated anterior and one pair posterior to genital shield. St1 (about 30-32) marginally serrate, situated near anterior margin of sternal shield; St2 marginally pilose (about 39-40), at level of posterior margin of coxae II; St3 marginally serrate (about 27-30), at level of posterior margin of coxae III; St4 short (about 10-12) and spine-like, situated near anterior margin of genital shield; St5 (about 30-33) at level of posterior margin of genital shield. Surface of sternal shield smooth. Surface of ventral shield, and shape and size of ventral setae as in female. Genital shield oval, with some pits on its surface and situated between coxae IV.

Larva and nymphs unknown.

Etymology: The name of the new species, a latinized adjective, refers to the type locality.

Figures

Figs 1 - 4. Hutufeideria singaporensis sp. nov., female holotype. (1) Body in dorsal view. (2) Caudal area of dorsal idiosoma, dorsal view. (3) Marginal seta. (4) Body in ventral view.

Figs 5 - 11. Hutufeideria singaporensis sp. nov., female holotype (5 - 10) and male paratype (11). (5) Ventral view of gnathosoma and left palp. (6) Lateral view of chelicera. (7) Ventral view of leg I. (8) Ventral view of leg II. (9) Ventral view of leg III. (10) Ventral view of leg IV. (11) Intercoxal area.