Revision of torrent mites (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae, Torrenticola) of the United States and Canada: 90 descriptions, molecular phylogenetics, and a key to species
Author
Fisher, J. Ray
Author
Fisher, Danielle M.
Author
Skvarla, Michael J.
Author
Nelson, Whitney A.
Author
Dowling, Ashley P. G.
text
ZooKeys
2017
701
1
496
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.701.13261
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.701.13261
1313-2970-701-1
23BDD7CE1C7E4D2092A8ED47267579FD
23BDD7CE1C7E4D2092A8ED47267579FD
Torrenticola bondi Fisher & Dowling
sp. n.
Material examined.
HOLOTYPE (♀): from USA, North Carolina, Haywood County, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Cataloochee (
35°37'31"N
,
83°6'46"W
), 20 Sep 2010, by IM Smith, IMS100148, DNA 1431.
PARATYPES (4 ♀; 5 ♂): North Carolina, USA: 1 ♂ (ALLOTYPE) from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.2 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (
35°37'37"N
,
83°6'6"W
), 16 June 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060012
*
1 ♀ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.2 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (
35°37'37"N
,
83°6'6"W
), 16 June 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060012
*
1 ♀ and 1 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.8 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (
35°38'38"N
,
83°4'4"W
), 20 June 2006, by IM Smith, IMS060022
*
1 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Cataloochee; beside road to Nellie 0.4 km west of Pretty Hollow Gap Trailhead, (
35°37'37"N
,
83°6'6"W
), 3 October 2007, by IM Smith, IMS0701002
*
♀ and 2 ♂ from Haywood County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Waterville; Big Creek Picnic Area, (
35°45'45"N
,
83°6'6"W
), 26 September 2007, by IM Smith, IMS070089
Type deposition.
Holotype (♀), allotype (♂), and some paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the CNC; other paratypes (2 ♀; 2 ♂) deposited in the ACUA.
Diagnosis.
Torrenticola bondi
are similar to species with similar dorsal patterning, such as the
Rusetria
"4-Plate"
group (
T. dunni
,
T. glomerabilis
,
T. kittatinniana
,
T. pollani
,
T. rufoalba
, and
T. shubini
), Elongata Group (
T. elongata
,
T. gorti
, and
T. reduncarostra
), Neoanomala Group (
T. interiorensis
and
T. neoanomala
), and
T. erectirostra
,
T. robisoni
,
T. irapalpa
,
T. racupalpa
,
T. skvarlai
, and
T. arktonyx
. They can be differentiated from
Rusetria
4-Plates and
T. skvarlai
by having distinct hind coxal margins.
T. bondi
can be differentiated from
T. erectirostra
and
T. robisoni
by having a straight, anteriorly-directed rostrum (upturned in others).
T. bondi
can be differentiated from
T. arktonyx
by having an unmodified dorsal plate (
T. arktonyx
has distinctive longitudinal dark markings on the anterior portion of the dorsal plate that fade posteriorly).
T. bondi
can be differentiated from
T. racupalpa
and
T. irapalpa
by having a more ovoid dorsum (dorsum length/width ♀ = 1.35-1.41 in
T. bondi
, 1.17-1.28 in others; ♂ = 1.32-1.45 in
T. bondi
, 1.20-1.30 in others) and shorter pedipalpal tibiae (♀ = 90-98 in
T. bondi
, 100-125 in others, ♂ = 77-83 in
T. bondi
, 87-110 in others).
T. bondi
can be differentiated from the Elongata Group by having a less elongate dorsum (length/width ♀ = 1.35-1.41 in
T. bondi
, 1.45-2.08 in Elongata Group; ♂ = 1.32-1.45 in
T. bondi
, 1.51-1.70 in Elongata Group) and having a stockier rostrum (length/width = 2.76-3.13 in
T. bondi
, 3.24-4.00 in Elongata Group).
T. bondi
can be differentiated from the Neoanomala Group by having a shorter medial suture (♀ = 10-15 in
T. bondi
, 22-40 in Neoanomala Group; ♂ = 55-70 in
T. bondi
, 75-108 in Neoanomala Group) and anterior venter/genital field width (♀ = 1.15-1.25 in
T. bondi
, 1.31-1.45 in Neoanomala Group; ♂ = 1.95-2.05 in
T. bondi
, 2.09-2.66 in Neoanomala Group).
Description.
Female (Figure 33) (n = 5) (holotype measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.
Dorsum - (620-670 (620) long; 440-490 (440) wide) ovoid with bluish-purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions and faint orange medially. Anterio-medial platelets (132.5-147.5 (132.5) long; 55-62.5 (55) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (192.5-200 (192.5) long; 67.5-77.5 (67.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approaching midway between muscle scars and dorsum edge (distance between Dgl-4 270-290 (270)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.35-1.41 (1.41); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.63-1.72 (1.63); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.20-2.52 (2.41); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.58-2.85 (2.85); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.34-1.41 (1.45).
Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (355-380 (355) long (ventral); 255-295 (255) long (dorsal); 135-150 (135) tall) faint bluish purple coloration. Rostrum (145-155 (145) long; 50-55 (52.5) wide). Chelicerae (354-385 (354) long) with curved fangs 52-75 (52) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.50-2.63 (2.63); rostrum length/width 2.76-3.00 (2.76). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter 47.5-52.5 (47.5) long); femur (120-140 (120) long); genu (67.5-77.5 (67.5) long); tibia (90-97.5 (92.5) long; 22.5-25 (22.5) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (17.5) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.74-1.83 (1.78); tibia/femur 0.67-0.77 (0.77); tibia length/width 3.90-4.11 (4.11).
Venter - (760-840 (760) long; 509-580 (509) wide) with faint bluish-purple coloration. Gnathosomal bay (170-190 (170) long; 90-102.5 (102.5) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (10-15 (10) long). Genital plates (175-180 (175) long; 150-160 (150) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (306-330 (306) long (total); 108-155 (108) long (medial)); Cx-3 (365-410 (382) wide); anterior venter (177.5-187.5 (187.5) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.66-2.11 (1.66); anterior venter/genital field length 0.99-1.07 (1.07); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.15-1.25 (1.25); anterior venter/medial suture 12-18.75 (18.75).
Male (Figure 34) (n = 5) (allotypic measurements in parentheses when available) with characters of the genus with following specifications.
Dorsum - (515-550 (550) long; 380-410 (380) wide) ovoid with bluish-purple coloration separated into anterior and posterior portions and faint orange medially. Anterio-medial platelets (112.5-122.5 (122.5) long; 47.5-57.5 (57.5) wide). Anterio-lateral platelets (162.5-190 (180) long; 55-67.5 (67.5) wide) free from dorsal plate. Dgl-4 approaching midway between muscle scars and dorsum edge (distance between Dgl-4 235-260 (250)). Dorsal plate proportions: dorsum length/width 1.32-1.45 (1.45); dorsal width/distance between Dgl-4 1.48-1.62 (1.52); anterio-medial platelet length/width 2.13-2.47 (2.13); anterio-lateral platelet length/width 2.65-3.17 (2.67); anterio-lateral/anterio-medial length 1.44-1.57 (1.47).
Gnathosoma - Subcapitulum (295-305 (305) long (ventral); 220-230 (225) long (dorsal); 107.5-112.5 (112.5) tall) faint bluish purple coloration. Rostrum (120-125 (125) long; 40-40 (40) wide). Chelicerae (285-295 (290) long) with curved fangs 50-55 (55) long). Subcapitular proportions: ventral length/height 2.68-2.79 (2.71); rostrum length/width 3.00-3.13 (3.13). Pedipalps with tuberculate ventral extensions on femora and genua. Palpomeres: trochanter 40-42.5 (42.5) long); femur (102.5-107.5 (105) long); genu (60-62.5 (60) long); tibia (77.5-82.5 (77.5) long; 21.25-23.75 (22.5) wide); tarsus (17.5-20 (20) long). Palpomere proportions: femur/genu 1.68-1.75 (1.75); tibia/femur 0.74-0.80 (0.74); tibia length/width 3.44-3.88 (3.44).
Venter - (660-670 (665) long; 420-490 (460) wide) with faint bluish-purple coloration. Gnathosomal bay (140-150 (142.5) long; 75-90 (80) wide). Cxgl-4 subapical. Medial suture (55-70 (60) long). Genital plates (132.5-142.5 (140) long; 107.5-112.5 (110) wide). Additional measurements: Cx-1 (270-290 (285) long (total); 125-140 (135) long (medial)); Cx-3 (310-340 (335) wide); anterior venter (215-220 (220) long). Ventral proportions: gnathosomal bay length/width 1.61-1.93 (1.78); anterior venter/genital field length 1.54-1.66 (1.57); anterior venter length/genital field width 1.95-2.05 (2.00); anterior venter/medial suture 3.07-3.91 (3.67).
Immatures unknown.
Etymology.
Specific epithet (
bondi
) named in honor of arachnologist Jason Bond, for his research on species delimitation and integrative taxonomy, which has been an inspiration to JRF, and for his thoughtful career advice, which was greatly appreciated.
Distribution.
Known only from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County, North Carolina (Figure 32).
Figure 32.
Torrenticola bondi
sp. n. distribution.
Figure 33.
Torrenticola bondi
sp. n. female: A dorsal plates B venter (legs removed) C subcapitulum D pedipalp (setae not accurately depicted). Scale = 100
µm
.
Figure 34.
Torrenticola bondi
sp. n. male: A dorsal plates B venter (legs removed) C subcapitulum D pedipalp (setae not accurately depicted). Scale = 100
µm
.
Remarks.
Torrenticola bondi
groups with other members of the Raptor Complex in all analyses with high support. Only one specimen could be acquired for use in our analyses, so differences in COI sequence across specimens could not be investigated, but this single specimen was greater than 5% different in COI sequence from sister species. In all analyses,
T. bondi
grouped with members of the Elongata Identification Group (
T. elongata
and
T. gorti
). However, the position of this clade varied with analysis.
This species hypothesis is supported by high divergence between species (3-15%) and by the morphological characters outlined in the diagnosis.