The family Opilioacaridae (Parasitiformes: Opilioacarida) in Mexico, description of two new species and notes on biology and geographical distribution
Author
Vázquez, Ma. Magdalena
Author
Klompen, Hans
text
Zootaxa
2015
3957
5
535
552
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3957.5.3
ee824d67-1777-4c76-a6e2-b84ae31cd893
1175-5326
245496
0F55F39A-4BB0-47F0-85C9-F458CAEE81C6
Neocarus veracruzensis
Vázquez & Klompen 2009
(
Fig. 1
D, 3D, 6D, 7D, 9A)
Material examined:
2 females
and
1 male
.
Description focusing on additions to, and differences with, the description of
N. veracruzensis
by
Vázquez & Klompen (2009)
. States from that study listed in square brackets.
Gnathosoma. Chelicera (
Fig. 1
D). Movable digit with a single large ventral denticle.
Palp (
Fig. 3
D). Trochanter with 5 [3–5] ribbed, tapering (=
r
-
type
) setae; femur with 9–12 [7–8] papilliform (=
p
-
type
), and 15 [12–17]
r
-
type
setae; genu with 11 [4–10]
p
-
type
and 26–29 [17–31]
r
-
type
setae; tibia with 34
r
-
type
, 32 lightly serrate and pointed [65], plus two [4] thin smooth setae. Tibia and tarsus partially fused. Tarsus with 5–6 [5]foliate (
d
), 9 [7]
v
, 18 [13]
ch
, and 9–11 [5]
sm
setae, plus 3 solenidia (=
s
sensilla). Tarsal lyrifissures
i
π and
i
α present. Pretarsus in shape of a pair of well developed sessile claws; claws with a line of short and acute denticles on internal side.
Idiosoma. Dorsum. Prodorsal shield in adults with two pairs of eyes, 132–135 [108–126] stout, ribbed setae, and 1 pair of lyrifissures. Anal plates each with 9–12 [7–14] stout, ribbed setae.
Sternitogenital region (
Fig. 6
D, 7D). Sternal verrucae in adults each with 2–3 [1–2] ribbed, tapering, and 1 long, composite seta (
st1
). Remaining sternal region with 6–8 [4–6] pairs of stout, ribbed, blunt-tipped setae and, centrally, 2 pairs of ribbed tapering setae (
st2
,
st3
). Pregenital capsules each with 1 long, tapering seta and 4 [3–4] stout, ribbed, blunt-tipped setae. Pregenital and genital areas in male with, respectively, 5 [6–8] medium-sized stout, ribbed, and blunt-tipped and 10 [6–8] medium-sized, stout, ribbed setae with rounded tips. Pregenital area in female with 2–3 [2] short, stout, ribbed setae, genital area nude. Ovipositor with two pairs of gland-like structures connected by small channels and one pair of larger, sac-like glands with large channels. Males with 2 pairs of large glands (
Fig. 9
A).
FIGURE 9
.
Neocarus
species, glands male. A,
N. veracruzensis
Vázquez & Klompen
overview idiosoma slide mounted specimen; inset, detail largest gland (CNAC 007222a); B,
N. comalensis
sp. nov.
(CNAC 007218a). Size bars: 100 µm.
Legs. Legs moderately long. Length legs I–IV in adults (
1 female
,
1 male
), respectively, 3515–3686,
1746– 2060
,
1928–2079
, and 2986 (female only) µm. Ratio of legs I to idiosoma in adults 1.8–2.0 [2.2], legs IV to idiosoma 1.5 [1.8]. Tarsus I without distinct acrotarsus. Sensillum with “crown-like” tip in main sensillar field. Coronidia limited to the basal 2/3 of basitarsi II–IV.
Deposition of specimens
. One female (
CNAC
007221) and one male (
CNAC
007222) at
CNAC
; other female at
OSAL
.
Material examined
. Due to their size, individual specimens may be represented by multiple slides (as indicated).
Mexico
, Guerrero., Mpio. Tepecoacuilco, Jalitla, elevation
580m
,
18.1527N
99.5395W
;
17-Jun-2007
; coll. Francke,
O
& Montaño, H; ex under stones, dry low tropical forest; coll. event no.
CNAC
0 0 5976. F,
CNAC
0 0 7221 (3 slides); F,
OSAL
0 105757 (3 slides); M,
CNAC
0 0 7222 (3 slides).
Taxonomic remarks
. Our specimens are very close to
N. veracruzensis
but differ by the higher number of supernumeral sternitogenital setae, that is in addition to setae
st2
and
st3
(7–8 vs. 5–6 pairs in
N. veracruzensis
). Other quantitative characters (e.g. number of setae on the prodorsal shield) differ somewhat from the numbers listed for
N. veracruzensis
,
but the ranges overlap. In the absence of conclusive evidence that the new population is different from
N. veracruzensis
, we assign it to that species.