Scheloribates (Scheloribates) debreensis, ErmilovK, 2025

ErmilovK, Sergey G., 2025, New species of Oripodoidea (Acari, Oribatidae) from Central Ethiopia, Acarologia 65 (2), pp. 405-416 : 410-414

Scheloribates (Scheloribates) debreensis n. sp.

Zoobank: 1B3957F5-249E-42A9-AC65-A69D55CBB280

( Figures 3 , 4 )

Type material — Holotype (male) and eight paratypes (five males and three females): Central Ethiopia, Amhara Region, Semien Shewa Zone , 9°51′32.4″N, 39°43′51.2″E, 10 km

NE of Debre Birhan, 2900 m a.s.l., forest with Erica arborea , sifted moss and litter, 24. V.2014 (L.B. Rybalov).

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

Diagnosis — Body length: 480–525. Rostrum rounded. Translamella represented by two short indistinct lines near lamellae; prolamella complete (reaching insertion of rostral seta); lateral keel-shaped ridge slightly arch-like. Rostral, lamellar and interlamellar setae long, setiform, barbed; ro shortest; in longest; bothridial seta long, lanceolate, barbed. Pteromorph large, rounded laterally, its anterior margin slightly oblique. All notogastral setae short, setiform, with flexible tip, smooth. Epimeral, aggenital, anal, and adanal setae short, setiform, slightly barbed; three pairs of genital setae short, setiform, nearly smooth. Leg tarsi I and II with two longitudinal ridges and two teeth distodorsally; femora I and II large.

Description — Measurements. Body length: 525 (holotype), 480–525 (paratypes); body width (level of pteromorph): 285 (holotype), 240–285; width of ventral plate: 240 (holotype), 210–240 (paratypes). No difference between males and females in body size.

Integument — Body color brown. Body surface partially microfoveolate (foveolae sparsely located, slightly observable).

Prodorsum ( Figs 3 (a, c)) — Rostrum rounded. Lamella about 1/2 length of prodorsum; translamella represented by two short indistinct lines near lamellae; prolamella complete (reaching insertion of rostral seta); lateral keel-shaped ridge slightly arch-like, located above acetabulum I. Sublamellar porose area nearly rounded (9–11). Rostral (37–49), lamellar

(52–64), interlamellar (71–79), and exobothridial (30–34) setae setiform, barbed; ex thinnest;

in erect; bothridial seta (86–101) lanceolate, barbed, directed posterolaterad; stalk longer than head. Dorsosejugal porose area not observable.

Notogaster ( Figs 3 (a, c), 4(a)) — Anterior margin distinctly convex and rounded medially. Pteromorph large, rounded laterally, its anterior margin slightly oblique (not perpendicular to longitudinal axis of body in dorsal aspect). Ten pairs of setae (19–22) setiform, with flexible tip, smooth. Four pairs of saccules with small opening and drop-like channel. Opisthonotal gland opening and all lyrifissures well observable.

Gnathosoma ( Figs 4 (b–d)) — Subcapitulum size: 112–120 × 79–86; subcapitular (a:

22–26; m: 11; h: 26) and adoral (13–15) setae setiform, slightly barbed. Palp length: 67–75; setation: 0–2–1–3–9(+ω); postpalpal seta (7) spiniform, truncated; roughened. Chelicera length: 120–124; setae (cha: 37–41; chb: 26) setiform, barbed.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions ( Figs 3 (b, c)) — Epimeral formula: 3–1–3–3; all setae (1a, 2a, 3a: 15; 4a, 4b: 19; others: 19–22) setiform, slightly barbed. Humeral porose areas Am and Ah not observable. Pedotectum II quadrangular distally in ventral view, with posterolateral tooth. Circumpedal carina short. Discidium slightly developed, broadly rounded.

Anogenital region ( Figs 3 (b, c), 4(a)) — Anogenital formula: 3–1–2–3; genital (11–13) and aggenital (15) setae setiform, nearly smooth; anal and adanal setae (19–22) setiform, slightly barbed. Adanal lyrifissure close and parallel to anterior half of anal plate. Marginal porose area complete, band-like. Ovipositor typical for Scheloribatidae ( Ermilov 2010) ; length of blade:

75; length of distal section (beyond middle fold): 90; width of distal section: 37; each of the three blades with four smooth setae: 1 ψ≈ τ 1 (30–34) setiform; ψ 2 ≈ τ a ≈ τ b ≈ τ c (11–13) and six coronal setae (7) narrowly thorn-like.

Legs ( Figs 4 (e–h)) — Median claw thick, with small tubercle ventrobasally; both lateral claws thin, with tubercle distoventrally; all claws slightly barbed on dorsal side. Tarsi I and

II with two longitudinal ridges and two teeth distodorsally; tarsus III with slight longitudinal ridges, without teeth. Femora I and II large. Proximoventral porose area on tarsi I–IV, distoventral porose area on tibiae I–IV and dorsoparaxial porose area on femora I–IV and on trochanters III, IV well observable. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1–5–2–4–19) [1–2–2], II (1–5–2–4–15) [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 2 ; seta s setiform, barbed on tarsus I.

Remarks — In having medium-sized body (about 500) and strong teeth on the leg tarsi

I, II, S. (S.) debreensis n. sp. is similar to S. (S.) diversidactylus ( Hammer, 1961) from the Neotropical region and India, S. (S.) potchefstroomensis Ermilov, Hugo-Coetzee, Khaustov and Theron, 2017 from South Africa, S. (S.) sudafricanus Subías, 2018 (= Urubambates calcaratus Mahunka, 1984 ) from South Africa, and S. (S.) tricarinus Coetzer, 1968 from the Afrotropical region. The new species can be clearly distinguished from S. (S.) diversidactylus, S. (S.) sudafricanus, and S. (S.) tricarinus by the morphology of the bothridial seta (lanceolate versus setiform), and the presence of three pairs of the genital setae (versus four pairs). The new species can be distinguished from S. (S.) potchefstroomensis by the length of the lanceolate bothridial head (long versus short), the direction of the prolamella (directed to insertion of rostral seta versus directed to lateral side of prodorsum), the morphology of the notogastral, anal and adanal setae (with flexible mediodistal part versus setiform), the presence of three pairs of genital setae (versus four pairs), and longer anal and adanal setae.

The representatives of Scheloribates (Scheloribates) and Hammerabates Balogh, 1970 are similar, but differs from each other mainly by the number of genital setae (four pairs versus three pairs). The new species has three pairs of genital setae (as species of Hammerabates ), however, it is placed in Scheloribates (Scheloribates) based on its morphological similarities with group of the Scheloribates (Scheloribates) species (see above) having strong teeth on the leg tarsi I, II, as well as on the location of the genital setae (one seta in anterior part of plate, two setae in posterior part of plate in S. (S.) debreensis versus two setae in anterior part of plate,

one seta in posterior part of plate in Hammerabates ). Thus, this unique case should be taken into account in the future when updating the diagnosis Scheloribates of ( Scheloribates ). Etymology — The species name debreensis refers to vicinities of the place of origin, Debre Birhan.

Figures

Figure 3 Scheloribates(Scheloribates) debreensisn. sp., adult (gnathosoma and legs omitted): a – dorsal view; b – ventral view; c – right lateral view. Scale bar 100 μm.

Figure 4 Scheloribates(Scheloribates) debreensisn. sp., adult: a – posterior view; b – subcapitulum, ventral view; c – palp, right, antiaxial view; d – chelicera, left, paraxial view; e – leg I (trochanter omitted), left, paraxial view; f – leg II (trochanter omitted), left, antiaxial view; g – leg III, left, antiaxial view; h – leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bars 100 μm (a), 50 μm (b, d–h), 10 μm (c).