A new species of Formicomotes Sevastianov (Acari: Heterostigmata: Dolichocybidae) associated with termites (Isoptera: Termitidae) from Brazil, with redescription of Formicomotes octipes Sevastianov, 1980
Author
Khaustov, Alexander A.
Author
Frolov, Andrey V.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-02-21
4382
2
393
400
journal article
30699
10.11646/zootaxa.4382.2.10
bc8e7b7b-d323-4aa7-9300-52c2b6021b82
1175-5326
1182002
57B10067-790D-4F7F-96F6-4D51C28158D0
Formicomotes brasiliensis
sp. nov.
(
Figs 1–3
)
Description.
Phoretic female
(
Figs 1–3
). Body weakly sclerotized. Length of idiosoma 105 (105), maximum width 64 (62–64).
Gnathosoma
(
Figs 1
,
2
). Length of gnathosoma 15 (15–17), width 18 (17–19). Cheliceral stylets small, thin, directed ventrally. Seta
dFe
short, smooth, blunt-ended; seta
dGe
more than 5 times longer than
dFe
, pointed, smooth. Subcapitular seta
m
12 (12–14) smooth, pointed. Palpal solenidion weakly clavate. Pharynx thin-walled, with three lateral projections.
Idiosomal dorsum
(
Fig 1A
). All dorsal shields smooth. A pair of subcuticular dimples located just posteriad setae
v
2.
All dorsal setae smooth. Setae
f
blunt-ended, other dorsal setae pointed. Posterior margins of prodorsal shield and tergites C and D dentate. Cupules
ia
distinctly larger than
im
. Tergite C with three porous areas laterad setae
c
1; tergite D with one porous area mediad cupules
im
. Lengths of dorsal setae:
v
1 15
(15–16),
v
2 17
(17–18),
sc
2 14 (12–15),
c
1 8 (8–10),
c
2 15 (13–15),
d
13 (13–14),
e
13 (13–14),
f
6 (5–6),
h
1 vestigial,
h
2 51 (49–53). Distances between setae:
v
1
–v
1 21
(19–21),
v
2
–v
2 22
(22–23),
sc
2
–sc
2 45 (43–46),
c
1–
c
1 19 (19–21),
d–d
51 (51–54),
e–e
24 (24–25),
f–f
9 (9–10),
e–f
9 (7–9),
h
1–
h
1 5 (5),
h
2–
h
2 10 (10–11).
FIGURE 1.
Formicomotes brasiliensis
sp. nov.
, phoretic female: A—dorsum of the body, B—venter of the body. Legs omitted.
Idiosomal venter
(
Fig 1B
). All ventral plates smooth. All ventral setae smooth, blunt-ended. Apodemes 1 and 2 (ap1, ap2) well developed. Ap1 joined with short prosternal (appr) apodeme. Apodemes 3 (ap3) well developed.
Weak linear depressions visible between coxal fields I and II, III and IV, and between coxal fields IV. Posteromedian corners of coxal fields II with large triangular projections. Soft, striated cuticle located between anterior and posterior sternal plates and between posterior sternal plate and plate HPsAg. Plate HPsAg with a pair of large sucker-like structures. Lengths of ventral setae: 1
a
5 (5), 2
a
8 (7–8), 3
a
4 (5–6), 4
a
5 (5–6),
ag
4 (4).
Legs
(
Fig 2
). All legs subequal in length. All legs setae smooth, setae
pl”
and
pv”
on tarsi II-IV distinctly spine-like and blunt-ended. Leg I (
Fig 2A
). Tarsus with two symmetrical claws and semi-oval empodium. Eupathidium
k
flattened, lanceolate. Setae (
u
),
tc”
on tarsus and
v”
on tibia pointed. Other leg setae blunt-ended. Lengths of solenidia
ω
1 3 (3),
ω
2 1 (1),
φ
1 4 (4),
φ
2 2 (2); solenidion
ω
1 striated, other solenidia non-striated. Leg II (
Fig 2B
). Solenidion
ω
3 (3), solenidion
φ
2 (2), both striated. Setae
tc”
,
pv’
on tarsus and
v”
on tibia pointed. Other leg setae blunt-ended. Leg III (
Fig 2C
). Solenidion
φ
2 (2) striated. Setae
tc’
,
tc”
,
pv’
on tarsus and
v”
on tibia pointed. Other leg setae blunt-ended. Leg IV (
Fig 2D
). Solenidion
φ
2 (2) striated. Setae
tc”
,
pv’
on tarsus and
v”
on tibia pointed. Other leg setae blunt-ended.
Male
and
non-phoretic female
unknown.
FIGURE 2.
Formicomotes brasiliensis
sp. nov.
, phoretic female: A—right leg I in dorsal view, B—right leg II in dorsal view, C—right leg III in dorsal view, D—right leg IV in dorsal view.
Type
material.
Female
holotype
, slide No. 10718,
Brazil
,
Mato Grosso
,
Mutuca River
,
15°18'27"S
,
55°58'10"W
,
May 2017
,
A.V. Frolov
leg., on
Nasutitermes
sp.
The
mites were attached to the ventral surface of the head of termite workers
;
paratypes
:
5 females
, same data
.
Type
deposition.
The
holotype
and one
paratype
are deposited in the collection of UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista,
Department of Zoology
and Botany, 15054–000
São José do Rio Preto
–
SP,
Brazil
; two
paratypes
are deposited in the collection of the
Tyumen
State University Museum of Zoology
,
Tyumen
,
Russia
; two
paratypes
are deposited in the collection of the
Zoological Institute
of
RAS
,
Saint Petersburg
,
Russia
.
Differential diagnosis.
The new species is very similar to the phoretic female of
F. heteromorphus
, but differs by having blunt-ended setae
f
(vs. pointed in
F. heteromorphus
), by setae
c
1 distinctly shorter than
c
2 (vs.
c
1 and
c
2 subequal in
F. heteromorphus
), by setae
f
distinctly shorter than
e
(vs. setae
e
and
f
subequal in
F. heteromorphus
), by subequal setae
dGe
of palp and subcapitular setae
m
(vs.
dGe
distinctly longer than
m
in
F. heteromorphus
), and by setae
d
and
e
subequal (vs.
d
distinctly longer than
e
in
F. heteromorphus
).
Etymology.
The name of the new species refers to its distribution in
Brazil
.
Remarks on phoresy.
All available specimens were collected only on workers, in the “pocket” formed by the ventral surface of the termite’s head and the fold of soft cuticle adjacent to the head (
Fig. 3
). In all cases, we found only one phoretic female of
F. braziliensis
per one termite. Examination of soldiers did not reveal phoretic mites on them, probably because they have no such “pocket” on ventral surface of the head.