New species and a new record of the mite family Scutacaridae (Acari: Heterostigmata) from alpine New Zealand
Author
Khaustov, Alexander A.
Author
Minor, Maria A.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-11-02
4508
4
507
550
journal article
28032
10.11646/zootaxa.4508.4.2
8874d4e3-3222-4abc-801d-d8c53429c7f8
1175-5326
2607410
F0369CC8-FF4B-4D96-BAE2-48A83418739E
Scutacarus crassus
sp. nov.
(
Figs 38–42
)
Description.
FEMALE (
Figs 38–42
). Length of idiosoma 165 (165–180), width 150 (150–160).
Gnathosoma
. Width of
gnathosoma
18 (17–18).
Gnathosoma
completely covered by tergite C. Dorsal median apodeme well developed. All gnathosomal setae smooth and pointed. Postpalpal setae not evident. Other gnathosomal setae pointed. Setae
cha
7 (8),
chb
9 (10). Setae
dFe
slightly shorter than
dGe
. Ventral surface of
gnathosoma
not visible in available specimens. Pharyngeal pumps indistinct.
Idiosomal dorsum
(
Figs 38A
,
41A
,
42A, B
). Free margins of tergite C striated (not illustrated on
Fig. 38A
). All dorsal shields with numerous round dimples (
Figs 42A, B
). Prodorsum completely covered by tergite C. Lateral propodosomal spine present. Stigmata elongate, located dorsoventrally. Posterior parts of tergites C, D, EF and H with row of u-shaped elevations. Trichobothria with long stem, clavate, sparsely barbed, with rounded apex. Setae
v
2
and
sc
2
smooth, other dorsal setae weakly barbed. Setae
sc
2
distinctly thicker than
v
2
.
Setae
c
2
,
e
and
h
2
pointed, other dorsal setae weakly blunt-ended. Setae
e
,
f
,
h
1
, and
h
2
thickened in basal half. Cupules
ia
on tergite D and
ih
on tergite H small, round. Posterior margin of tergite H with weak tongue-like projection. Setae
c
2
associated with short alveolar canal. Tergites EF and H each with a pair of oval porous areas located anteriorly to setae
f
and
h
1
, respectively. Lengths of dorsal setae:
v
2
7 (7–8),
sc
2
7 (7–8),
c
1
18 (17–20),
c
2
16 (16–19),
d
17 (17–19),
e
29 (28– 31),
f
19 (19–21),
h
1
21 (21–23),
h
2
19 (19–25). Distances between setae:
v
2
–v
2
41
(40–41),
sc
2
–sc
2
35 (34–36),
c
1
–
c
1
44 (41–44),
c
1
–
c
2
42 (42–44),
d–d
115 (115–125),
e–f
29 (29–34),
f–f
71 (71–76),
h
1
–
h
1
29 (29–33),
h
1
–
h
2
33 (32– 33).
FIGURE 37.
DIC micrographs of
Scutacarus novaezealandicus
sp. nov.
, female: A—anterior half of the body in dorsal view, B—posterior half of the body in dorsal view, C—anterior half of the body in ventral view, D—posterior sternal plate.
FIGURE 38.
Scutacarus crassus
sp. nov.
, female: A—dorsum of the body, B—venter of the body. Legs omitted.
Idiosomal venter
(
Figs 38B
,
41B
,
42C, D
). Ventral plates with dimples as on dorsal shields (
Figs 42C, D
). Setae 2
b
blunt-ended and thickened, other ventral setae pointed. Setae 4
a
,
ps
2
, and
ps
3
smooth, other ventral setae barbed. Posterior margin of aggenital plate with weak incision. Secondary transverse apodeme absent. Ap1, ap2 and apsej well developed and joined with appr; ap3 weak, linear, ap4 short; ap5 absent. Ags bell-like; pgs triangular. Posterior part of posterior sternal plate with row of u-shaped elevations. Lengths of ventral setae: 1
a
23 (23–25), 1
b
22 (22–26), 2
a
17 (16–19), 2
b
19 (18–20), 3
a
15 (15–17), 3
b
22 (22–25), 3
c
26 (26–28), 4
a
20 (20– 21), 4
b
64 (64–74), 4
c
40 (39–42),
ps
1
14 (14–16),
ps
2
9 (9–11),
ps
3
7 (7–9).
Legs
(
Figs 39
,
40
). Leg I (
Fig. 39A
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 3, Ge 4, TiTa 16(4). Tibiotarsus without pretarsus and claw. Tibiotarsus cylindrical, with pinnaculum bearing seta
tc”
. Lengths of solenidia
ω
1
11 (11–13),
ω
2
10 (10– 11),
φ
1
7 (7–8),
φ
2
8 (8–9);
φ
1
weakly clavate,
ω
1
finger-shaped,
ω
2
and
φ
2
uniformly thin. Setae
d
,
l’
,
v”
of femur, (
l
) and
v’
of genu blunt-ended; other leg setae (except eupathidia) pointed. Setae
l’
and
v”
of femur smooth; other leg setae (except eupathidia) barbed. Leg II (
Fig. 39B
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 3, Ge 3, Ti 4(1), Ta 6(1). Tarsus with symmetrical hooked claws and flipper-like empodium. Solenidion
ω
11 (11–12) finger-shaped, solenidion
φ
3 (3– 4) weakly clavate. Seta
pl”
spine-like, smooth; setae
d
,
l’
and
v”
of femur weakly blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Setae
v”
of femur and
u’
,
tc”
of tarsus smooth, other leg setae barbed. Leg III (
Fig.40A
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 2, Ge 2, Ti 4(1), Ta 6. Claws and empodium as on tarsus II. Solenidion
φ
3 (3–4) weakly clavate. Seta
pl”
spine-like, smooth; seta
d
of femur weakly blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Setae
u’
and
tc”
of tarsus smooth, other leg setae barbed. Leg IV (
Fig. 40B
). Leg setation: Tr 1, Fe 2, Ge 1, TiTa 7. Tibiotarsus short, slightly longer than its width. All leg setae barbed. Seta
d
of femur blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Trochanter dorsally with strong spine-like projection.
MALE and LARVA unknown.
Type material
. Female
holotype
:
New Zealand
, Central
Otago
, Old Man’s Range,
45° 20' 3.78"S
,
169° 12' 25.26"E
,
1649 m
a.s.l., in bare soil between cushion plants,
17 February 2014
(M. Minor),
paratypes
:
3 females
,
New Zealand
, Central
Otago
, Old Man’s Range,
45° 20' 3.78"S
,
169° 12' 25.26"E
,
1649 m
a.s.l., in bare soil between cushion plants,
17 February 2014
(M. Minor).
FIGURE 39.
Scutacarus crassus
sp. nov.
, female: A—right leg I in dorsal view, B—right leg II in dorsal view.
Type deposition
. The
holotype
and
1 paratype
are deposited in the
New Zealand
National Arthropod Collection,
Auckland
,
New Zealand
;
2 paratypes
are deposited in the mite collection of the
Tyumen
State University Museum of Zoology
,
Tyumen
,
Russia
.
Differential diagnosis
. The new species is most similar to
Scutacarus spinisetus
sp. nov.
, by the absence of the claw on tibiotarsus I, and short and thickened dorsal setae. It can be distinguished from the latter by slender setae
d
(vs. distinctly thickened, spiniform in
S. spinisetus
), by pointed setae
c
2
(vs. blunt-ended in
S. spinisetus
), by weakly barbed setae
c
1
,
c
2
, and
d
(vs. smooth in
S. spinisetus
), by the absence of horn-like projections near stigmata (vs. present in
S. spinisetus
), and by much longer setae 4
b
(64–74) (vs.
51–53 in
S. spinisetus
).
Etymology
. The name of the new species is derived from Latin
crassus
meaning
thick
and refers to the thickened dorsal idiosomal setae.