Redescriptions of North American Epidamaeus (Acari, Oribatida, Damaeidae) species proposed by N. Banks, H. E. Ewing, A. P. Jacot, and J. W. Wilson Author Norton, Roy A. 0000-0001-9051-1450 ranorton@esf.edu Author Ermilov, Sergey G. 0000-0001-9051-1450 ranorton@esf.edu text Zootaxa 2021 2021-08-16 5021 1 1 65 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5021.1.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5021.1.1 1175-5326 5225195 4B68BA80-1CB6-4766-9BDC-EE780CA15337 Epidamaeus puritanicus (Banks, 1906) ( Figs 1–5 ) Oribata puritanica Banks, 1906 ; p. 498 Damaeus puritanicus (Banks, 1906) ; Ewing (1909b , p. 386 ) Epidamaeus puritanicus (Banks, 1906) ; Marshall et al . (187, p. 142) Damaeus ( Epidamaeus ) puritanicus (Banks, 1906) ; Subías (2004 , p. 80 ) Diagnosis Epidamaeus species with total length of adult 630–730. Cerotegument dense, filamentous and locally compacted; exuvial scalps usually present on notogaster.Propodolateral apophysis weakly developed;postbothridial enantiophysis well developed, Ba and Bp similar. Bothridial seta bacilliform, barbed. Notogaster with spina adnata large, relatively straight, reaching or surpassing level of tubercle Ba ; setae of c -, l - and h -series smooth, narrowly phylliform with thin symmetrical vanes widest in middle, radially directed. Tubercles of parastigmatic enantiophysis dimorphic: Sa elongate, horn-like, Sp short, blunt. Ventral enantiophyses E2 and V absent, M well-developed; discidium thorn-like. Seta ad 3 close to anal plate. Leg IV 1.3–1.4 times body length; femur IV slightly longer (~1.2) than trochanter IV. Nymphs with famulus minute, non-emergent from sunken pit. Adult Dimensions . Total length and maximum width (n = 5 females , 5 males ) 630–730 × 415–480; males (630–670) usually slightly smaller than females (664–730) [see R2 ] . Integument . Color medium to dark brown in preserved mature adults. Cerotegument conspicuous, excrescences varying in length but mostly filamentous on body and legs ( Fig. 3A, D ), often thick and strongly compacted, with particulate inclusions (debris, spores); setae usually without cerotegument. Procuticle mostly smooth; microtuberculate on much of prodorsum and on ventral tubercles and grooves. Usually with full stack of juvenile exuvial scalps, often with other adherent structures, particularly eggs or eggshells (up to 7 observed) and fecal pellets, but without compacted organic debris ( Fig. 2A, B ). Prodorsum ( Figs 1A, B , 2C–F ). Body wall anterior to acetabulum I nearly transverse in dorsal view; that of II similar, due to weakly developed propodolateral apophysis ( P ). Postbothridial enantiophysis well developed, Ba , Bp subconical, distally rounded, similar in size; Da and laterosejugal enantiophysis absent. Short but distinct transverse contour present anterior to each bothridium, appearing like ridge in dorsal view. Bothridium with projecting part goblet-shaped, with vertical banding; pattern of internal concentric rings extending well into thick ‘stem’ ( Fig. 2F ); mutual distance of pair slightly greater than that of tubercles Ba . Bothridial seta ( bs , 176–195) bacilliform, nearly isodiametric ( Fig. 2F ) or tapered in distal half ( Fig. 1A ), conspicuously barbed in distal half to 2/3, directed dorsolaterally; interlamellar seta short ( in , 53–61), weakly tapered, nearly straight, barbed, erect or directed slightly posteromediad. Exobothridial ( ex , 69–82), rostral ( ro , 109–114) and lamellar ( le , 131–143) setae attenuate, flexible, barbed: ro often directed anterolaterad, le anteromediad, le thicker than ro . Vestige of second exobothridial seta ( exv ; see R4) present posterior to seta ex , separated by less than alveolar diameter of ex ( Fig. 2C , insert). Notogaster ( Figs 1A–C , 2A, B , 3A–C ). Nearly circular in outline, about 1.1 times longer than broad; uniformly curved, hemispherical with maximum height in middle ( Fig. 2A ). Spina adnata long (77–86), about equal to mutual distance of pair; directed anterolaterad; basal half strongly tapered; distal half narrow, straight except slightly undulating in lateral view ( Fig. 2F ), reaching or surpassing level of tubercle Ba ; mutual distance of pair slightly less than that of setal pair in . Setae of c -, l - and h -series directed radially, inserted in uniformly curving, nearly semicircular row such that mutual distance of lm nearly equals that of lyrifissure im in dorsal view; c -, l - and h - series light grey, smooth, narrowly phylliform, with thick birefringent core running full length and bilateral, nearly symmetrical, isotropic thin vanes widest in middle, reaching to setal tip ( Fig. 3A–C ; appearance varies with angle of view); length (69–110) usually greatest in c -row. Setae of p -row of normal form, attenuate, barbed; p 1 (102–140) and p 2 (102–135) slightly thicker than p 3 (69–85). Lyrifissures ia , im , ip , ih , ips , opisthonotal gland opening ( gla ), and muscle sigilla all distinct in transmitted light. Coxisternum and lateral podosoma ( Figs 1B, D , 2C , 3F ). Tectum of podocephalic fossa normally developed, without lateral tooth-like projection. Medial coxisternal pit present on epimere I, shallow, with vaguely defined margins ( cp ; Fig. 1D ). Enantiophyses E2 , V absent. Parastigmatic enantiophysis strongly dimorphic: tubercle Sa long, horn-like, slightly bowed; Sp small, bluntly conical, directed nearly perpendicular to Sa . Mediosejugal enantiophysis distinct, just anterior to genital aperture; tubercles dome-shaped ( Figs 1D , 3F ), Ma larger than Mp . Epimeral setae attenuate, barbed, setation: 3–1–3–4; 1a , 1c , 2a , 3a (41–53), 1b (90–94), 3b , 3c , 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d (65–77). Seta 3c removed medially from tubercle Sp and acetabulum III. Discidium ( dis ) thorn-like, often slightly curved posteriad. Anogenital region ( Fig. 1C, D , 3F ). Genital (45–53), aggenital (61–69), anal (45–53), and adanal (61–69) setae attenuate, barbed. Adanal seta ad 3 inserted close to anal aperture, nearly aligned between ad 2 and ag . Lyrifissure iad oriented diagonally; ian anterolateral to seta an 2 , minute, length about equal to setal alveolus diameter. Medial edge of anal plate with usual narrow longitudinal band, sharply demarcated by carina. Gnathosoma . Subcapitulum longer than wide (155–164 × 110–118). Subcapitular setae attenuate, barbed: a (24–28) much shorter than m , h (61–69). Adoral setae (16) thin, slightly barbed. Palp (118–123) with normal setation: 0–2–1–3–9(+ω); ω baculiform, appressed to surface. Postpalpal seta (8) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera (155–164) typical of family, with attenuate seta cha (41–45) barbed throughout, chb (28–32) barbed unilaterally in middle part. Legs ( Figs 3E , 4A–E ). Relative lengths (I to IV) 1.0: 0.9: 0.9–1.0: 1.2–1.3; leg IV 1.3–1.4 times body length. Femur IV slightly longer (~1.2) than trochanter IV; approximate length of leg segments shown in Table 1 . Proximal stalk of femur IV slightly longer (~ 1.1 times) than distal bulb. Claw of each leg smooth, without basal tooth. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–7–4–4–21) [1–2–2], II (1–6–4–4–17) [1–1–2], III (2–4–3–3–17) [1– 1–0], IV (1–4–3–3–15) [0–1–0]; homologies of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 2 . Notably: all tarsi with proximal accessory pair ( v ), I and IV also with v 2 ʹ present ( v 2 ʺ absent); v 2 ʺ present on femur I, absent from II; seta vʺ absent from femur III. Most d and l setae fully barbed, distally acute to nearly isodiametric; seta d of genua I–III 2–3 times longer than respective coupled solenidia; shapes and relative sizes of other setae shown in Fig. 4 . Juveniles ( Fig. 5 ) Dimensions. Larva unknown. Total length of PN (n = 2) 298, 332, DN (n = 2) 415, 431, TN (n = 3) 572–601. Total width of PN 132, 149, DN 215, 232, TN 285, 298. Integument . Excrescences of cerotegument granular to vermiform, mostly short, conical, setae usually without cerotegument. Soft cuticle colorless, smooth; body sclerites and large tubercles pale yellow, finely porose, locally microtuberculate. Prodorsum . About 1/2 length of gastronotic region. Rostrum broadly rounded. Setae ro (PN, 41; DN, 61; TN 82), le (PN, 73; DN, 102; TN 118) and ex (PN, 45; DN, 53; TN 61) flexible, attenuate, barbed; seta in short (PN, 20; DN, 24; TN 32), stiff, baculiform, truncate distally, smooth except for several terminal denticles ( Fig. 3G , insert). Seta bs (PN, 143; DN, 196; TN 237) barbed, nearly straight, with short attenuate tip. Gastronotic region . Setae of nymphs dark, barbed for most of length, but with very fine, flexible, filamentous and hyaline distal part: c 3 and p -row attenuate, inserted on inconspicuous tubercles; remainder mostly flagellate or subflagellate, inserted on conspicuous tubercles or larger apophyses; pair c 1 on common sclerite, apophyses fused basally; pairs h 1 and p 1 inserted on separate tubercles but collectively on common terminal sclerite. Seta h 1 longest, equaling or surpassing body length. Specific setal length: PN ( c 1 , 229; c 2 , la , lm , lp , h 3 , 123; c 3 , 45; h 1 , 315; h 2 , p 1 , 65; p 2 , 28; p 3 , 20); DN ( c 1 , 246; c 2 , la , lm , 164; c 3 , 57; h 1 , 360; lp , h 2 , h 3 , p 1 , 123; p 2 , 49; p 3 , 41); TN ( c 1 , 405; c 2 , la , lm , 305; c 3 , 82; h 1 , 510; lp , h 2 , h 3 , p 1 , 215; p 2 , 65; p 3 , 53). Opisthonotal gland opening distinct. Ontogeny of hysterosomal cupules typical of genus; ia , im and ip present but inconspicuous; ih and ips distinct in all nymphs. Scalp-attachment cornicle ( k ) elongated, slightly curved in mid-region, positioned near level of setal pair h 3 . Venter . Epimeral setation normal; setae attenuate, weakly barbed (PN: 1a , 1c , 2a , 3a , 4a , 16; 1b , 3b , 20; DN: 1a , 1c , 2a , 3a , 16; 1b , 24; 3b , 4a , 4b , 20; TN: 1a , 1c , 2a , 3a , 16; 1b , 32; 3b , 4a , 4b , 24). Genital (PN, 16; DN, 16; TN, 24), aggenital (DN, 20; TN, 24), adanal (DN, 24; TN, 24), and anal (TN, 20) setae attenuate, weakly barbed, respective ontogeny normal. Cupule ian minute when appearing in TN. Gnathosoma . Subcapitulum longer than wide (PN, 77 × 53; DN, 98 × 77; TN, 123 × 98). Subcapitular setae (PN: a , 16; h , m , 24; DN: a , 20; h , m , 28; TN: a , 24; h , m , 36) attenuate, slightly barbed. Adoral setae (PN, 6; DN, 8; TN, 12) thin, indistinctly barbed. Palp (PN, 65; DN, 86; TN, 102) with setation as in adult. Postpalpal setae (PN, 4; DN, TN, 6) spiniform, smooth. Chelicerae (PN, 77; DN, 98; TN, 123) with seta cha (PN, 24; DN, 28; TN, 41) longer than chb (PN, 16; DN, 20; TN, 28), both attenuate, barbed. Legs . Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: PN, I (0–2–4–4–16) [1–1–2], II (0–2–4–4–13) [1–1–1], III (1–2– 3–3–13) [1–1–0], IV (0–0–0–0–7) [0–0–0]; DN, I (1–4–4–5–16) [1–2–2], II (1–4–4–4–13) [1–1–2], III (2–3–3–4– 13) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–3–4–12) [0–1–0]; TN, I (1–5–4–5–19) [1–2–2], II (1–4–4–4–15) [1–1–2], III (2–3–3–4–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–3–3–4–13) [0–1–0]. Homologies of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 2 ; most notably: seta v ʹ on genua I–III accelerated, already present in PN (see R5). Setal pair ( p ) appears eupathidial on tarsus I of all observed instars, seta s normal in juveniles (becoming eupathidial in adult). Famulus of tarsus I extremely minute (~ 1 in TN), sunken in small pit on tarsus I; internalized root (~3) more conspicuous. Coupled solenidia about 1/2 length of seta d on genua, nearly as long as d on tibiae II–IV.