Torrenticola wiedenmanni Fisher & Dowling

Fisher, J. Ray, Fisher, Danielle M., Skvarla, Michael J., Nelson, Whitney A. & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2017, Revision of torrent mites (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae, Torrenticola) of the United States and Canada: 90 descriptions, molecular phylogenetics, and a key to species, ZooKeys 701, pp. 1-496 : 1

Torrenticola wiedenmanni Fisher & Dowling sp. n.

Material examined.

HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, California, Monterey County, beside Rt. 1 south of Gorda, south side of Salmon Creek, (35°49'49"N, 121°22'22"W), 28 July 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870115.

PARATYPES (5 ♀; 4 ♂): California, USA: 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Monterey County, beside Rt. 1 south of Gorda, south side of Salmon Creek, (35°49'49"N, 121°22'22"W), 28 July 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870115 • 1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from San Bernardino County, Claremont; Mount Baldy; beside road 3.5 km east of Mount Baldy Village, (34°15'15"N, 117°39'39"W), 24 July 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870107 • 2 ♀ and 2 ♂ from San Bernardino County, Lytle Creek Recreation Area off Rt. 15 west of Devore; Applewhite Picnic Grounds, (34°16'16"N, 117°30'30"W), 23 July 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870103 • 1 ♀ from Tulare County, beside Rt. 180 at Stony Creek Picnic Area east of Sequoia National Park boundary, (36°40'40"N, 118°50'50"W), 1 August 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870124A • 1 ♀ from Ventura County, Ojai; beside Rt. 33 just above Wheeler Gorge Campground, (34°31'31"N, 119°16'16"W), 25 July 1987, by IM Smith, IMS870109B.

Type deposition.

Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and some paratypes (3 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (2 ♀; 1 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.

Diagnosis.

Torrenticola wiedenmanni is unlike all other western species by having this combination of characters: anterio-lateral platelets free (fused to dorsal plate in Rusetria Complex); colorless (dorsum with distinct coloration in Tahoei group, T. ventura , and T. raptoroides ); distinct and complete hind coxal margins (incomplete in Rala Group, and T. sharkeyi ); round body (rectangular or ovoid in Ellipsoidalis Group); unmodified rostrum (short and conical in T. sierrensis , T. olliei , T. leviathan , and T. ellipsoidalis ); and tuberculate ventral extensions on pedipalpal genua (dentate and flanged in Miniforma group).

Description.

Female (Figure 279) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (560-640 (610) long; 445-540 (530) wide) circular and colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (110-150 (135) long; 55-75 (67.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (182.5-200 (190) long; 65-85 (80) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approximately halfway between the edge of the dorsum and the muscle scars and occasionally anterior to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 295-350 (315)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.15-1.26 (1.15); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.33-1.73 (1.68); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.00-2.11 (2.00); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.35-2.81 (2.38); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.31-1.66 (1.41).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (302.5-355 (352.5) long (ventral); 222.5-267.5 (260) long (dorsal); 110-130 (120) tall) colorless. Rostrum (120-142.5 (142.5) long; 37.5-42.5 (40) wide). Chelicerae (310-385 (385) long) with curved fangs (47.5-50 (50) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.73-2.94 (2.94); rostrum length/width 3.20-3.56 (3.56). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua, with femora sharply taper proximally and tibial setae near tarsi. Palpomeres: trochanter (30-38.75 (36.25) long); femur (90-107.5 (102.5) long); genu (65-75 (72.5) long); tibia (72.5-87.5 (87.5) long; 17.5-21.25 (21.25) wide); tarsus (13.75-17.5 (16.25) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.37-1.43 (1.41); tibia/femur 0.79-0.85 (0.85); tibia length/width 4.00-4.27 (4.12).

Venter - (710-810 (780) long; 560-630 (615) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (132.5-160 (160) long; 62.5-65 (62.5) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (40-60 (40) long). Genital plates (172.5-187.5 (180) long; 150-165 (155) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (270-320 (320) long (total); 140-162.5 (162.5) long (medial)); Cx-3 (330-385 (380) wide); anterior venter (200-235 (220) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.42-2.56 (2.56); anterior venter/genital field length 1.16-1.25 (1.22); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.32-1.42 (1.42); anterior venter/medial suture 3.92-5.50 (5.50).

Male (Figure 280) (n = 4) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.

Dorsum - (560-610 (575) long; 470-515 (480) wide) circular and colorless. Anterio-medial platelets (130-140 (135) long; 62.5-70 (65) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (165-195 (180) long; 70-75 (75) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approximately halfway between the edge of the dorsum and the muscle scars and occasionally anterior to the muscle scars (distance between Dgl-4 285-315 (300)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.18-1.20 (1.20); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.54-1.67 (1.60); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.00-2.08 (2.08); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.20-2.60 (2.40); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.27-1.39 (1.33).

Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (307.5-345 (325) long (ventral); 225-257.5 (240) long (dorsal); 107.5-117.5 (107.5) tall) colorless. Rostrum (125-140 (130) long; 35-40 (37.5) wide). Chelicerae (335-357.5 (345) long) with curved fangs (45-50 (45) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.80-3.02 (3.02); rostrum length/width 3.33-3.57 (3.47). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua, femora sharply taper proximally and tibial setae near tarsi. Palpomeres: trochanter (32.5-35 (32.5) long); femur (90-100 (90) long); genu (65-72.5 (65) long); tibia (75-80 (75) long; 20-20 (20) wide); tarsus (13.75-15 (15) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.36-1.38 (1.38); tibia/femur 0.80-0.89 (0.83); tibia length/width 3.75-4.00 (3.75).

Venter - (690-755 (715) long; 465-590 (465) wide) colorless. Gnathosomal bay (140-152.5 (145) long; 55-60 (60) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (70-85 (80) long). Genital plates (145-155 (150) long; 115-125 (117.5) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (280-300 (300) long (total); 140-160 (160) long (medial)); Cx-3 (335-370 (345) wide); anterior venter (230-262.5 (260) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 2.42-2.64 (2.42); anterior venter/genital field length 1.53-1.73 (1.73); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.92-2.21 (2.21); anterior venter/medial suture 3.09-3.29 (3.25).

Immatures unknown.

Etymology.

Specific epithet ( wiedenmanni ) named in honor of Rob Wiedenmann, Professor of Entomology at University of Arkansas, whose advice, guidance, and friendship to JRF was an inspiration in how to be a true mentor-lessons that JRF anticipates paying forward to his own students someday.

Distribution.

Southern California (Figure 278).

Remarks.

Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire fresh material of Torrenticola wiedenmanni and therefore this species is not included in our phylogenetic analyses, but we were able to examine morphology with material preserved in GAW. However, due to its unique set of characteristics, we are unable to place this species into a species complex or an identification group.