Axonopsis (Paraxonopsis) balneatoris, Smit & Pesic, 2010

Smit, H. & Pesic, V., 2010, New Species Of Water Mites From Oman, With Some Zoogeographical Notes (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Acarologia 50 (2), pp. 151-195 : 183-186

Axonopsis (Paraxonopsis) balneatoris n. sp.

( Figures 24 A-F, 25A-B, 28E)

Type series — Holotype: male, stream Wadi Bani

Auf , Oman, 13.xi.2008, 23°16.699 N 57°27.690 E, alt. 571 m, leg. Smit. Paratype : 1/0/0 (1/0/0 mounted), same data as holotype; 0/1/0 (0/1/0 mounted), stream Wadi Ghul , 12.xi.2008, 23°10.297 N 57°11.996 E, alt. 805 m, leg. Smit.

Diagnosis — Idiosoma slender (L/W about 1.5 in both sexes) with subparallel lateral margins; IV- Leg-6 strongly inflated distally (L/H 2.7-2.8), with concave dorsal margin in its proximal part.

Description

Male — (holotype, in parentheses measurements of paratype). Dorsal and ventral shields anteriorly fused; dorsal shield L 397 (397), W 262 (259); dorsal shield ( Fig. 24A ) bearing six pairs of glandularia (the sixth pair inconspicuous, flanking the excretory pore); postocularia well distanced from anterior margin; dorsal shield with a central ridge and a lateral ridge on each side lateral to the glandularia; eye pigment well developed; excretory pore located at posterior end of dorsal shield; ventral shield ( Fig. 24B ) L 441 (445), W 291 (284), L/W ratio 1.52 (1.57) with subparallel lateral margins; capitular bay L 96 (100); one pair of glandularia lying between the genital field and insertions of the fourth legs, three pairs of acetabula, arranged in an arc; width between most lateral pair of acetabula 128 (128); gonopore W 15.5 (16); ejaculatory complex L 87 (89); palp ( Fig. 24 C-D): total L 178 (185), dL: P-1, 25 (25); P-2, 41 (44); P-3, 29 (31); P-4, 62 (63); P-5, 21 (22); %L: P-1, 14.0 (13.5); P-2, 23.0 (23.8); P-3, 16.3 (16.8); P-4, 34.8 (34.1); P-5, 11.8 (11.9); L P-2/P-4 ratio 0.66 (0.7); distal margin of P-3 with well developed hyaline extensions, middle of ventral side of P-4 expanded, bearing a relatively heavy seta which lies on a small pointed tubercle. Legs: L of I-Leg-3-6 ( Fig. 24E ): 41 (45), 50 (48), 60 (62); I-Leg-6 L/H 2.0 (2.1); L of IV-Leg-2-6 ( Fig. 23E ): 75 (74), 65 (62), 69 (65), 80 (82), 99 (99); IV-Leg-6 ( Fig. 24F ) strongly elevated distally, L/H 2.7 (2.8), with concave dorsal margin; legs without swimming setae.

Female — similar to male except for the shape of the genital field ( Fig. 25B ); dorsal shield L 428, W 234; ventral shield L 469, W 305, capitular bay L 99; width between most lateral pair of acetabula 123; gonopore relatively small, W 34; palp: total L 191, dL and %L (in parentheses): P-1, 28 (14.7); P-2, 42 (22.0); P-3, 32 (16.8); P-4, 65 (34.0); P-5, 24 (12.6); L P-2/P-4 ratio 0.65; legs: L of I-Leg-4-6: 42, 49, 63; I-Leg-6 L/H 1.8; L of IV-Leg-3-6: 65, 69, 82, 108; IV-Leg-6 L/H 2.7; leg and palp chaetotaxy as in the male.

Etymology — balneator (lat.) = ’Bader’. Named after Dr Carl Bader who made the first contribution to the knowledge of the water mite fauna of the Arabian peninsula.

Remarks — The new species resembles Axonopsis vietsi Mota¸s and Tanasachi, 1947, a hyporheobiontic species known from the Central Europe and the Mediterranean area (Pe˘si´c and Gerecke, 2003). Axonopsis balneatoris n. sp., can be distinguished from A. vietsi by the more slender idiosoma with subparallel lateral margins. A further difference is found in the shape of IV-Leg-6 which is less elevated distally and with a straight dorsal margin in A. vietsi (Gerecke pers. comm.).

Distribution — Oman.

Figures

FIGURE 24: Axonopsis balneatoris n. sp., male (B-C, E-F holotype, A, D paratype): (A) – dorsal shield, (B) – idiosoma, ventral view; (C-D) – palp; (E) – I-Leg-4-6; (F) – IV-Leg-2-6. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 23: Axonopsis arabica n. sp., male: (A) – idiosoma, ventral view; (B) – palp. Scale bars = 100 µm.

FIGURE 25: Axonopsis balneatoris n. sp., female: (A) – idiosoma, ventral view; (B) – genital field. Scale bars = 100 µm.