Peloribates (Peloribates) cavaticus, Shtanchaeva & Ermilov, 2024

Shtanchaeva, Umukusum Ya. & Ermilov, Sergey G., 2024, New species of Peloribates (Acari, Oribatida, Haplozetidae) from a cave in the Dominican Republic, Zootaxa 5556 (1), pp. 72-83 : 73-75

Peloribates (Peloribates) cavaticus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Type material. Holotype (female) and two paratypes (one male and one female): Dominican Republic, 19°02′ N, 69°35′ W, Samana Province, semidecayed leaves in the San Gabriel Limestone Cave (date and collector unknown; collection of the University of Tyumen, Museum of Zoology , Tyumen, Russia; see Gashev et al. 2005).

The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz, Germany; two paratypes are in the collection of the University of Tyumen, Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.All specimens are preserved in a solution of 70% ethanol with a drop of glycerol.

Diagnosis. Body length: 420–465. Dorsal and ventral sides of body sparsely foveolate and densely microtuberculate. Rostrum narrowly rounded. Prolamella absent; tutorium with distal tooth. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae long, setiform, barbed; relative length: in˃le˃ro; bothridial seta long lanceolate, barbed. Fourteen pairs of notogastral setae long, rod-like, barbed. Custodium present. Anogenital setae short, setiform, roughened. All legs with three claws; femur II undulate anteroventrally.

Description of adult. Measurements. Body length: 465 (holotype), 420 (male paratype), 450 (female paratype); body width: 315 (holotype), 285 (male paratype), 300 (female paratype).

Integument. Body brown. Prodorsum, notogaster, epimeral and anogenital regions, subcapitular mentum, genital and anal plates, partially antiaxial side of leg femora I–IV and trochanters III, IV sparsely foveolate and densely microtuberculate; diameter of foveola up to 7 (anogenital region) and 4 (prodorsum, notogaster, epimeral region); distance between foveolae larger than diameter of foveola; microtubercle rounded or elongated. Lateral side of prodorsum partially with dense microgranulate cerotegument.

Prodorsum ( Figs 1A, C ). Rostrum slightly protruding, narrowly rounded. Lamella about 1/2 the length of prodorsum, without teeth distally; prolamella absent; sublamella about 1/2 the length of lamella, lineate; tutorium longer than lamella, ridge-like, with distal tooth. Sublamellar porose area (9–11) rounded. Rostral (52–60), lamellar (90–101) and interlamellar (105–112) setae long, setiform, barbed; ro inserted at tutorium end, le on lamellar end; exobothridial seta (19) setiform, roughened; bothridial seta (86–94) lanceolate (may appear clavate), with long, roughened stalk and shorter, narrowly elongate, barbed head. Dorsosejugal porose area oval (9 × 4), poorly visible.

Notogaster ( Figs 1A, C, D ).Anterior notogastral margin convex medially. Pteromorph broadly rounded laterally; pteromorphal hinge distinct. Fourteen pairs of notogastral setae (94–109) rod-like, barbed. Four pairs of saccules with small opening and drop-like channel. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures distinct.

Gnathosoma . Subcapitulum size: 101–109 × 75–79; subcapitular (a, h: 19; m: 26) and both adoral (11) setae setiform, barbed. Palp length: 77–82; setation: 0–2–1–3–9 (+ω); postpalpal seta (7) spiniform, roughened. Chelicera length: 109–124; setae (cha: 36–45; chb: 24–30) setiform, barbed.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions ( Figs 1B, C ). Epimeral setal formula: 3–1–3–3; seta 3c (34–37) setiform, slightly barbed; other setae (1b: 3b: 19; others: 9–11) setiform, thin, roughened. Custodium present, comparatively short, triangular. Circumpedal carina long, directed to pedotectum II.

Anogenital region ( Figs 1B–D ). Anogenital setal formula: 5–1–2–3; all setae (9–11) setiform, thin, roughened. Adanal lyrifissure close and parallel to anal plate. Marginal porose area represented by several rounded, oval and elongate oval parts. Ovipositor is typical for Haplozetidae (see Ermilov 2010); size: 221 × 49; length of blade: 90; length of distal section (beyond middle fold): 131; setae ψ 1, τ 1 (37) setiform, smooth; setae ψ 2, τ a, τ b, τ c (15) thornlike, thin; all coronal setae not observable.

Legs. Mostly similar to Peloribates (Peloribatodes) luissubiasi sp. nov. (see below). Tridactylous; median claw thicker than laterals; all claws slightly barbed on dorsal side; lateral claws with small tubercle ventrodistally. Tibia II with anterodorsal tooth. Femur II undulate anteroventrally. Dorsoparaxial porose area on femora I–IV and on trochanters III, IV well visible; ventrodistal porose area on tibiae I–IV and proximoventral porose area on tarsi I–IV poorly visible. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–5–3–4–19) [1–2–2], II (1–5–3–4–15) [1–1–2], III (2–3–1–3–15) [1–1–0], IV (1–2–2–3–12) [0–1–0]; homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1 ; seta s on tarsus I eupathidial, located between paired setae (u) and (a).

Remarks. Peloribates (Peloribates) cavaticus sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to P. (P.) perreti Mahunka, 1984 in having a lanceolate bothridial seta, fourteen pairs of long, rod-like notogastral setae, foveolate body, and tridactylous legs, but differs from the latter by the larger body size (length: 420–465 versus 324–336), the absence (versus presence) of the prolamella, and the similar lengths of the anogenital setae (versus adanal setae distinctly longer than genital and aggenital setae). Distinctive characters of the new species from the other Neotropical species of Peloribates can be found in the identification key below.

Etymology. The specific epithet cavaticus refers to the cave habitat of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Peloribates (Peloribates) cavaticus sp. nov., adult (gnathosoma and legs omitted): A—dorsal view; B—ventral view; C—right lateral view; D—posterior view (part of left half omitted). Scale bar 100 μm.