A new genus and species of tarsonemid mite (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from Brazil
Author
Lofego, Antonio C.
Author
Feres, Reinaldo J. F.
text
Zootaxa
2006
1299
45
55
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.173602
cc816d00-9cc8-465d-8139-844edff7e250
11755326
173602
Biscutulumnemus
gen. nov.
Diagnosis
This new genus shares characters with the genera of tribe Tarsonemini of subfamily Tarsoneminae, but differs from any other genus of this group by having a combination of character states as listed below.
Male and female with gnathosoma beaklike. Male bearing two small triangular shields anterolaterally to prodorsal shield, a large and rounded flange on posterolateral surface of leg IV, and without sejugal apodeme. Female with apodeme I very reduced and not fused to prosternal apodeme; middle third of sejugal apodeme weakened; apodeme poststernal reduced, distinct just on region of fusion of apodemes IV; stigmata placed posterolateral and very close to base of setae
v1
.
Remarks
This new genus resembles members of genus
Dendroptus
by having a beaklike gnathosomal capsule, a round flange on leg IV of males and the stigmata situated closely posterolaterad of setae
v1
on females. However,
Biscutulumnemus
differs from this genus by the presence of femoral seta
l''
and tibial solenidion 1, absence of the sejugal apodeme on male, and presence of a vestigial apodeme I on the female.
Biscutulumnemus
also resembles some members of
Tarsonemus
by having four setae on femora I, solenidion 1 and 2 on tibia I, and spinelike tarsal seta
pl''
on leg II.
Biscutulumnemus
still closely resembles the
Tarsonemus waitei
group by the structure of ventral apodemes, but differs from all members of
Tarsonemus
by having a beaklike gnathosomal capsule and the stigmata very close to vertical setae
v1
on the female. In addition, this new genus differs from the
T. waitei
group by having a round flange on leg IV of the male and by the absence of prodorsal apodeme on the female. The males of
Biscutulumnemus
can also be distinguished from
Dendroptus
and
Tarsonemus
by the absence of the sejugal apodeme and by having a pair of small triangular shields placed anterolaterally to the prodorsal shield. This pair of shields on the male is the most diagnostic character of
Biscutulumnemus
. However, the male is unknown in some species of tarsonemid mites, mainly in genus
Tarsonemus
. Therefore, we cannot be sure that that character is really unique. However, the combination of diagnostic characters of females is unique and differs strongly of any other genus of
Tarsonemidae
, making impossible to fit females of
Biscutulumnemus
in any other genus already erected.
| Etymology |
| The name |
of |
this |
genus refers |
to |
two |
(bi) |
small |
shields |
(scutulum) |
on |
dorsal surface |
of |
| male. |
Type
species
Biscutulumnemus neotropicus
sp. nov.