Uropoda thorpei, Material, 2012

Material, Jenö Kontschán Introduction, 2012, Three new Uropodina mites from New Zealand, Spixiana 35 (1), pp. 9-17 : 15-17

Uropoda thorpei spec. nov.

Figs 27 -37

Material examined. Holotype: female, New Zealand, Laingholm , 129 Laingholm Drive, pitfall trap, 06.01. 2008, leg. J. T. Pusateri ( NZAC) . – Paratypes: one male, locality and date same as holotype ( NHMG) ; one male in HNHM and one male in ZSM , locality and date same as holotype.

Description

Female. Length of idiosoma 710 µm, width 510 µm (n = 1). Shape oval, highly domed.

Dorsal idiosoma ( Fig. 27 ): Marginal and dorsal shields completely separated. Caudal region of dorsal shield elevated from the other parts of dorsum, but one deep, transversal furrow situated near caudal margin ( Fig. 28 ). Dorsal setae smooth and needle-like (c. 35-40 µm), dorsal shield covered by oval pits near margins, other areas of this shield smooth. Marginal shield not reduced, without sculptural pattern and bearing smooth and needle-like setae (c. 35-40 µm). Margins of idiosoma with c. 30 µm long and needle-like setae ( Fig. 28 ).

Ventral idiosoma ( Fig. 29 ): Ornamentation on sternal shield absent. Sternal setae short (c. 5-7 µm), smooth and needle-like. St1 situated near anterior margin of genital shield, St5 near edges of basal margin of genital shield (other sternal setae not visible on single female).One pair of oval, deep depressions present near posterior margins of coxae IV. Two pairs of long (c. 45-50 µm) needle-like setae situated near metapodal lines, two pairs of short (c. 8-11 µm) and one pair of longer (c. 50 µm) setae situated in central area of ventral shield. Near caudal margins of ventral idiosoma bearing numerous, c. 28-35 µm long and needle-like setae. Ventral shield without sculptural pattern. Adanal setae short (c. 25 µm) and needle-like. Stigmata situated between coxae II and III. Peritremes long and apically bent. Genital shield linguliform, without sculptural pattern and process on its apical margin. Base of tritosternum wide, tritosternal laciniae short with several smooth branches ( Fig. 30).

Gnathosoma ( Fig. 31). Corniculi horn-like, internal malae smooth and longer than corniculi. Hypostomal setae: h1 smooth, long (c. 40 µm) and situated near the anterior margin of gnathosoma, h2 (c. 12 µm) and h3 (c. 28 µm) smooth, h4 (c. 15 µm) marginally serrate. Base of epistome with serrate margins, apical part divided into two pilose branches ( Fig. 32). Movable digit shorter than fixed digit, internal sclerotized node absent ( Fig. 33). Palp trochanter with a long, smooth and a short, smooth setae.

Legs: Leg I with ambulacral claws ( Fig. 34), all of legs with smooth and needle-like setae.

Male. Length of idiosoma 680-690 µm, width 530- 540 µm (n =3). Shape, dorsal aspect of idiosoma same as female.

Ventral aspect of idiosoma (Fig. 35). Sternal setae short (c. 7-8 µm), smooth and needle-like. Positions of sternal setae presented on Fig. 35. One pair of oval, deep depressions present near posterior margins of coxae IV. Genital shield oval, without sculptural pattern and without setae, situated between coxae IV. Ventral setation, processes of gnathosoma (Fig. 36) and legs same as in female, except three segments of leg I, which bearing robust setae on ventral side (Fig. 37).

Nymphs and larva. Unknown.

Etymology. I dedicate the new species to Stephen Thorpe, who collected several very attractive Uropodina mites and he is doing an excellent work on the Uropodina mites of the Wikispecies.

Remarks. Uropoda species with the presence of the highly domed dorsal shield with transversal furrow are discussed as Uropoda gibba -group in Hirschmann’ s system ( Wišniewski & Hirschmann 1993). The new species can be distinguished from the similar species with the same dorsal characters on the basis of the smooth internal malae (pilose in the known species) and the presence of a marginal shield (reduced in the known species). So far eight species are known from this group occurring in Japan, New Guinea and Vietnam ( Wišniewski & Hirschmann 1993), I suppose the similarity of dorsal characters are caused by convergent evolution.

Figures

Figs 27- 29. Uropoda thorpei spec. nov., female. 27. Dorsal view. 28. Lateral view. 29. Ventral view of idiosoma.