Gittella minor, Ermilov & Sandmann & Marian & Maraun, 2013

Ermilov, Sergey G., Sandmann, Dorothee, Marian, Franca & Maraun, Mark, 2013, Two new oribatid mite species of the genus Gittella from Ecuador, Spixiana 36 (1), pp. 1-8 : 5-7

Gittella minor spec. nov.

Figs 20-34

Material examined. Holotype: male, Southern Ecuador, 3°58'S 79°50'W, Estación Científica San Francisco, 2000 m a.s.l., upper organic soil layer in mostly undisturbed rain forest, 01.04.2008 ( ZISP) . – Paratypes: one male and two females in SZMN, and three males in PC, same locality and date as holotype .

Diagnosis. Body size 311-328 ×147-159. Body surface smooth. Lamellar lines distinct. Interbothridial region with two pairs of muscle sigilla. Lamellar setae longer than rostral and interlamellar setae. Sensilli with dilated head, having six long branches. Notogastral setae of medium size, ciliate. Epimeral region with muscle sigilla. Anogenital setae smooth (except ciliate adanal setae). Lyrifissures iad located in inverse apoanal position.

Description

Measurements: Body length 311 ( holotype), 311-328 (mean 317; six paratypes); notogaster width 147 ( holotype), 147-159 (mean 155; six paratypes).

Integument ( Figs 20-22 ): Body colour yellow-brownish. Body surface smooth; lateral sides with small microgranulate parts between bothridia and acetabula I, II. Interbothridial region with two pairs of distinct muscle sigilla. Epimeral region with numerous muscle sigilla.

Prodorsum ( Figs 20, 22-27 ): Rostrum rounded. Lamellar lines well developed. Triangular tubercle located posteriorly to each bothridium and interlamellar seta. Rostral (16-20), lamellar (24-32), interlamellar (16-20) and exobothridial (8-12) setae setiform, with very short cilia unilaterally. Sensilli (61-69) with dilated head, having six long branches.

Notogaster ( Figs 20 , 28 ): Anterior border convex. A pair of setae c is absent (only alveoli present). Twelve other pairs of notogastral setae long (36-45), setiform, with short cilia unilaterally. Lyrifissures ia, im, ip, ih and ips distinct, located typically for genus. Opisthonotal gland openings located posteriorly to setae h 3.

Gnathosoma: Subcapitulum longer than wide (82-90× 49-53). Subcapitular setae ( a, m, h) setiform, smooth, similar in length (16-20).Two pairs of adoral setae present, thorn-like (4). Palps (49-53) with setation 0-2-1-3-9(+ω). Setae of femora with long, thickened cilia; setae of genua and tibia with short cilia unilaterally; setae of tarsi smooth. Solenidion long, thickened, blunt-ended, pressed to the palptarsus surface, attached with distal seta u" in distal half. Chelicerae (82-90) chelate-dentate. Cheliceral setae setiform, barbed; cha (24-28) longer than chb (16). Trägårdh’ s organ distinct.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions ( Figs 21, 22 , 29-31 ): Epimeral border IV convex posteriorly. Epimeral setae setiform; 1c, 3c and 4c with short cilia unilaterally, others smooth. Setae 1b, 1c, 3b, 3c, 3c, 4a and 4c (16-20) longer than others (6-12). Pedotecta I convex. Discidia triangular, blunt-ended.

Anogenital region ( Figs 21 , 32-34 ): Five pairs of genital (4-6), one pair of aggenital (4-6) and two pairs of anal ( an 1, 8-12; an 2, 4-8) setiform, smooth. Three pairs of adanal setae ( ad 1, ad 2, 24-32; ad 3, 12-16) setiform, with short cilia unilaterally. Lyrifissures iad located in inverse apoanal position.

Legs: Similar to Gittella oariabilis spec. nov. Homology of setae and solenidia indicated in Table 1 .

Etymology. The specific name minor refers to the small body size.

Remarks. In having the combination of morphological characters (smooth body surface; sensilli with dilated head, having branches; ciliate notogastral setae of medium length), Gittella minor spec. nov. is most similar to Gittella insularis Mahunka, 1998 (see Mahunka 1998), however, it differs from the latter by the smaller body size (311-328× 147-159 in the new species versus 576-642 × 255-297 in G. insularis ), presence of two pairs of interbothridial muscle sigilla (versus three pairs in G. insularis ), ciliate rostral and interlamellar setae (versus smooth in G. insularis ).

Figures

Figs 20- 22. Gittella minor spec.nov. 20. Dorsal view. 21. Ventral view (legs, subcapitular setae and palps not shown). 22. Lateral view of prodorsum (legs and gnathosoma not shown). Scale bar: 1, 2 = 100 µm; 3 = 50 µm.

Figs 23- 34. Gittella minor spec. nov. 23. Rostral seta. 24. Lamellar seta. 25. Interlamellar seta. 26. Sensillus. 27. Exobothridial seta. 28. Notogastral seta lm. 29. Epimeral seta 3a. 30. Epimeral seta 3b. 31. Epimeral seta 3c. 32. Genital plate, left. 33. Anal plate, left. 34. Adanal seta ad2. Scale bars: 23-32,34 = 10 µm; 33 = 20 µm.