Plonaphacarus kaluzi Niedbała, 2013

Niedbała, Wojciech & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2013, New and little known ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from India, Zootaxa 3731 (4), pp. 577-588 : 581-583

Plonaphacarus kaluzi Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 A–H )

Measurements of holotype. Prodorsum: length 379, width 268, height 151. Prodorsal setae: sensillum 76,

interlamellar 182, lamellar 136, rostral 30. Notogaster : length 707, width 535, height 555. Notogastral setae: c 1 and h 1 189, c 2 131, c 1 / c 1 – d 1 =0.9. Genitoaggenital plate 177 × 136; anoadanal plate 303 × 116.

Integument. Colour brown. Body covered with cerotegument. Integument weakly foveolate.

Prodorsum with distinct median crista; sigillar fields indistinct. Lateral carinae absent. Sensilla with narrow pedicel and short club-like, rough head. Interlamellar and lamellar setae long, thick, erect, sparsely covered with spines, obtuse distally similar to notogastral setae. Rostral setae very short, thick, rough, spiniform. Exobothridial setae vestigial.

Notogaster with rigid setae, sparsely covered with small spines, obtuse distally, of medium size (c 1 <c 1 – d 1), dorsal setae longer than lateral with exception of setae cp which is as long as dorsal setae. Setae c 1 and c 3 near anterior margin, setae c 2 far from margin. Vestigial setae f 1 at the level of h 1 setae. Two pairs of lyrifissures, ia and im, present.

Ventral region. Setae h of infracapitular mentum shorter than distance between them. Formula of very short genital setae: 9(4+2:3). Anoadanal plates with rough setae, setae ad 2 longest and curved distally.

Legs setation complete. Seta d of femora I remote from distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and three paratypes: In-1; five paratypes: In-3.

Comparison to related species. The new species is distinguishable from congeners by presence of long and similarly shaped interlamellar and lamellar setae. In the fauna of Steganacaridae exists only one species with similar shape of these setae, similar length and shape of notogastral setae Plonaphacarus eximius (Niedbała, 1982) origin from Mexico. The new species differs from P. eximius by presence of median crista of prodorsum (versus absence of crista), the dilated head of sensilla (versus pointed distal end of sensilla), thick and spiniform rostral setae (versus needle-form rostral setae), and considerably shorter genital setae.

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Stanislav Kalúz (Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia) for the given Indian ptyctimous mite material for our studying.

Figures

FIGURE 3A–H. Plonaphacarus kaluzi Niedbała sp. nov., A, prodorsum, lateral view; B, prodorsum, dorsal view; C, genitoaggenital plate; D, anoadanal plate; E, mentum of infracapitulum; F, lateral view of opisthosoma; G, seta e1; H, trochanter and femur I.