# Christovizetes Krivoltsky (Acari: Oribatida: Microzetidae), a newly recorded genus from caves in China, with description of a new species

Liu Fu, Feng Zhang, Jun Chen

► To cite this version:

Liu Fu, Feng Zhang, Jun Chen. Christovizetes Krivoltsky (Acari: Oribatida: Microzetidae), a newly recorded genus from caves in China, with description of a new species. Acarologia, 2023, 63 (1), pp.180-187. 10.24349/yuya-dvki. hal-04028463

HAL Id: hal-04028463

https://hal.science/hal-04028463

Submitted on 14 Mar 2023

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Acarologia
Open Science in Acarology

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

Acarologia

A quarterly journal of acarology, since 1959
Publishing on all aspects of the Acari

All information:
http://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/CBGP/acarologia/
acarologia-contact@supagro.fr

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

OPEN ACCESS

Acarologia is proudly non-profit,
with no page charges and free open access

Please help us maintain this system by
encouraging your institutes to subscribe to the print version of the journal
and by sending us your high quality research on the Acari.

Subscriptions: Year 2023 (Volume 63): 450 €
http://www1.montpellier.inra.fr/CBGP/acarologia/subscribe.php

Previous volumes (2010-2021): 250 € / year (4 issues)
Acarologia, CBGP, CS 30016, 34988 MONTFERRIER-sur-LEZ Cedex, France
ISSN 0044-586X (print), ISSN 2107-7207 (electronic)

The digitalization of Acarologia papers prior to 2000 was supported by Agropolis Fondation under the reference ID 1500-024 through the « Investissements d'avenir » programme
(Labex Agro: ANR-10-LABX-0001-01)

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

Acarologia is under **free license** and distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons-BY
Acarologia

Open Science
in Acarology

# *Christovizetes Krivolutsky (Acari: Oribatida: Microzetidae)*, a newly recorded genus from caves in China, with description of a new species

Liu Fu ID a,b, Feng Zhang ID a, Jun Chen ID b,c

## Original research

### ABSTRACT

A new species of oribatid mites of the genus *Christovizetes* (Acari: Oribatida: Microzetidae), *Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov. is described based on adult specimens collected from caves in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China. This genus is reported from China for the first time. The new species could be distinguished from other three known species of the genus by the following combination of characteristics: (1) distinctly longer notogastral setae *lm*, *lp*, *h*<sub>1-3</sub>, (2) notogastral setae *lp* located anterior to lyrifissure *im*, (3) each lamellar cusp with four teeth, among which two inner teeth much longer and thinner than two outers, (4) aggenital setae smooth. A key to the four species of this genus is given.

**Keywords** oribatid mites; morphology; taxonomy; first record; key

**Zoobank** http://zoobank.org/08142788-DD29-4924-8565-2978F98E557B

### Introduction

The genus *Christovizetes* of the family Microzetidae was established by Krivolutsky (1975) with *Christovizetes ovatus* Krivolutsky, 1975 found in Tajikistan as the type species. Then, Mahunka (1995) reported the second species of the genus, *C. prasadi*, from Thailand, and Akrami and Behmanesh (2011) described the third congener, *C. iranensis*, from Iran. According to above three references, the main generic characters of this genus are as follows: tutorium wide and long, projecting from under the lamellae and with dense small setae; lamellae with numerous teeth on their external edge, located marginally and connected by a narrow translamella, with long lamellar setae.

During the study of oribatid specimens collected from caves in Southwestern China, the authors found a new species of *Christovizetes*, which is also a newly recorded genus from China.

In 1932, Willmann described *Belba lengersdorfi* from the stalactite cave, which is the first record of cave oribatid mites (Willmann 1932). Since then, more and more oribatid mites have been found in caves in Europe, Asia, and North America (Alexander 1995, Wauthy and Ducarme 2006, Nakamura *et al.* 2010). By 2021, 272 species in 89 genera representing 33 families of Oribatida have been reported from caves all over the world.

Up to now, there is only one reference about oribatid mites inhabiting caves in China, in which the authors (Yang *et al.* 2021) listed 20 families of Oribatida collected from four

Received 08 October 2022
Accepted 30 January 2023
Published 06 February 2023

Corresponding author
Jun Chen ID: chenj@ioz.ac.cn

Academic editor
Pfingstl, Tobias

https://doi.org/10.24349/yuya-dvki

ISSN 0044-586X (print)
ISSN 2107-7207 (electronic)

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

Fu L. *et al.*

Licensed under
Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0

OPEN ACCESS

<footnote>a College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China.</footnote>

<footnote>b Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.</footnote>

<footnote>c College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.</footnote>
caves in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, without detailed information of collection and description for the taxa.

In present paper, the new species was described and a key to the all known species of *Christovizetes* was provided.

## Material and methods

Soil samples with bat guano, humus, rat droppings, decaying wood, separately were collected from caves. The distance between the sampling site and the entrance of the cave was measured with laser range finder. The mites were extracted with Berlese-Tullgren funnels and kept into 80% ethyl alcohol. Observations, figures, measurements and descriptions were based on adult specimens mounted in temporary cavity slides. Drawings were made with a camera lucida connected with a Leica transmission light microscope "Leica DM 2500", and digitally inked in Photoshop (Adobe Photoshop CC 2018). The body length was measured in lateral view, from the tip of the rostrum to the posterior edge of the ventral plate. Notogastral and body width refers to the maximum width in dorsal view. Lengths of body setae were measured in lateral view. All body measurements are presented in micrometers. Formulas for leg setation are given in parentheses according to the sequence trochanter-femur-genu-tibia-tarsus (famulus included). Formulas for leg solenidia are given in square brackets according to the sequence genu-tibia-tarsus.

Morphological terminology used in this paper follows that of F. Grandjean: see Travé and Vachon (1975) for references, Norton (1977) for leg setal nomenclature, and Norton and Behan-Pelletier (2009) for overview.

All specimens are kept in alcohol and deposited in IZAS — the National Animal Collection Resource Center of China, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (Zhang 2018).

The following abbreviations are used: lam = lamella; tu = tutorium; ro, le, in, bs, ex = rostral, lamellar, interlamellar, bothridial and exobothridial setae, respectively; c, la, lm, lp, h, p = notogastral setae; ia, im, ip, ih, ips = notogastral lyrifissures; gla = opisthonotal gland opening; h, m, a = subcapitular setae; v, l, d, cm, acm, ul, sul, vt, lt = palp setae; ω = palp and leg solenidion; cha, chb = cheliceral setae; Tg = Trägårdh's organ; Pd I, Pd II = pedotecta I, II, respectively; 1a, 1b, 1c, 2a, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c = epimeral setae; dis = discidium; cp = circumpedal carina; g, ag, an, ad = genital, aggenital, anal and adanal setae, respectively; iad = adanal lyrifissure; Tr, Fe, Ge, Ti, Ta = leg trochanter, femur, genu, tibia, tarsus, respectively; p.a. = leg porose area; ω, σ, φ = leg solenidia; ε = leg famulus; v, ev, bv, l, d, ft, tc, it, p, u, a, s, pv, pl = leg setae.

## Family Microzetidae

### Genus *Christovizetes* Krivoltsky, 1975

#### *Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov.

Zoobank: 6FEBBD2B-2C9E-4C2D-BE38-E05C99BF8FDC

(Figs. 1–3)

#### Material examined

Holotype: Male (in alcohol, IZAS-FL-21-412), China, Yunnan Province, Maguan County, Xinfa Zhai Village, Xinfa Zhai Cave, 23°10′33.51″N, 104°15′35.7″E, 1361m a.s.l., bat guano, 452m from the cave entrance, 14.X.2021, coll. Liu Fu.

Paratypes: (four males and one female in alcohol, IZAS-FL-21-412), with same data as the holotype.
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 1** *Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov., adult: A. dorsal view; B. ventral view; C. lateral view. Scale bar = 100 µm.</figcaption></figure>

## Etymology

The specific name "longisaetosus" is a combination derived from the Latin words "longus" meaning long and "saeta" meaning seta, which refers the long notogastral setae of the new species. The name is given as Latin adjective.
<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 2** *Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov., adult: A. subcapitulum, ventral view; B. palp, left, antiaxial view; C. chelicera, left, paraxial view. Scale bar = 20 µm.</figcaption></figure>

**Diagnosis**

The new species is characterized by the combination of following characteristics: body size 263–300 × 175–187; each lamellar cusp bifurcated as four long and strong teeth, two inner teeth longer and thinner distinctly than two outers; interlamellar setae inserted in interlamellar region, adjacent to lamellae; notogastral setae *lm*, *lp*, *h*₁-₃ long (23–25), smooth, *lp* located anterior to lyrifissure *im*; anterodistal and lateral margin of pteromorph dentate; aggenital setae smooth.

**Description**

**Measurements** — Body length: 263–300 (holotype: 300; five paratypes: 263–280); body width: 175–187 (holotype: 187; five paratypes: 175–180).

**Integument** — Body color light brownish. General body surface smooth.

**Prodorsum** — (Figs. 1A, C) — Rostrum conical, rostral setae (85–88) thin, long, and simple, flagellate distally. Lamellae very wide, connected by translamella and not covering prodorsum basally and medially, each lamellar cusp with four long and strong teeth, two outer teeth distinctly shorter and thicker than the two inner ones, first third of outer lamellar margin (anterior to *le* insertion) dentate, with five to eight small tooth-like projections, lamellar surface covered by longitudinal rugae, lamellar setae (110–113) thick, long and simple, flagellate distally, inserted on lamellar surface in median concavity of cusps. Interlamellar setae (25–27) slightly thick, spine-like, inserted in interlamellar region adjacent to lamellae. Bothridial setae
<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>**Figure 3** *Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov., adult: A. leg I, right, antiaxial view; B. leg II, right, antiaxial view; C. leg III, right, antiaxial view; D. leg IV, left, antiaxial view. Scale bar 20 = µm.</figcaption></figure>

(127–130) setiform, densely ciliate. Exobothridial setae (35–37) thick and barbed. Tutoria large, wide, projecting from under lamellae, anteriorly and laterally covered with dense bristle-like setae.

**Notogaster** — (Figs. 1A, C) — Notogaster wider than long (175–187 × 135–145), some-
what semicircular. Dorsosejugal suture well defined, slightly convex medially. Pteromorph some triangular-shaped, with fine wrinkles, anterodistal and lateral margins dentated. Nine pairs of notogastral setae thin, smooth; *p*₁ and *p*₂ (6) shorter than other setae obviously, *lm*, *lp*, *h*₁₋₃ (23–25) the longest. Setae *la* (12–15) located posterior-lateral to *c* (12–15), and *lp* anterior to *lyrifissure* *im*. Only *lyrifissures* *im* distinct, *ia*, *ip*, *ih* and *ips* not visible. Opisthonotal gland openings (*gla*) located posteriorly to *im*.

**Gnathosoma** — (Fig. 2) — Subcapitulum slightly longer than wide (68–70 × 60–63). Subcapitular setae (*h*, 13; *m*, 11; *a*, 8) setiform, *h* barbed, *m* and *a* smooth. Pedipalp (49–53) with setation 0-2-1-3-9 (+ω). Chelicera (57–60) with two setae, *cha* (13) and *chb* (12) thin, setiform.

Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions (Fig. 1B) — Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-3-3. All setae simple, barbed, *3b*, *4c*, and *1b* (15) slightly longer than others (11). Pedotecta I and II with rugae. Discidium triangular. Circumpedal carinae thick, long, almost reaching anterior margin of *PdI*.

Anogenital region (Fig. 1B) — Six pairs of genital setae simple, *g*₁ (13) slightly barbed, distinctly longer than other minute smooth setae (*g*₂–*g*₆, 3), *g*₄ in a parallel line in respect to the others. One pair of aggenital setae (7–9) smooth. Two pairs of anal (4) and three pairs of adanal (4) setae thin, smooth, *ad*₃ inserted posterior level of *an*₁. Adanal *lyrifissure* (*iad*) parallel and close to anal plate, located between *ad*₂ and *ad*₃.

**Legs** — (Fig. 3) — All legs monodactylous. Claw of each leg smooth. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1-5-2-4-18) [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 1.

## Remarks

On the basis of the diagnosis with tutoria large, wide, projecting from under the lamellae and covering with dense setae, lateral margin of lamella bearing small teeth, each lamella bifurcated at distal part, and lamellar setae long, the new species clearly belongs to the genus *Christovizetes*. However, there are some distinct morphological differences between the new species and the known species.

*Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to *C. prasadi* Mahunka, 1995 from Thailand in having long rostral setae, well-developed translamella, slightly convex dorsosejugal suture, and the genital setae disposition, but differs from the latter by: the two inner teeth of lamellar cusp longer and thinner distinctly than the two outers (versus the two outers almost same shape as the two inners); interlamellar setae located in interlamellar region (versus on lamellar surface); notogastral setae *lm*, *lp*, *h*₁₋₃ similar in length as the interlamellar setae (versus those setae about 1/2 length of the interlamellar setae); setae *lp* anterior to *lyrifissure* *im* (versus posterior to *im*); aggenital setae smooth (versus barbed obviously); genital setae *g*₁, as twice long as *ag*, distinctly longer than other minute genital setae (*g*₂–*g*₆), as half long as *ag* (versus *g*₁ slightly longer than other genital setae which are not minute).

*Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov. differs from *C. iranensis* Akrami & Behmanesh, 2011 from Iran by: the inner two teeth of lamellar cusp longer than the outer two (versus the

<table><caption>**Table 1** Leg setation and solenidia of adult *Christovizetes longisaetosus* sp. nov.</caption><thead><tr><th>Leg</th><th>Trochanter</th><th>Femur</th><th>Genu</th><th>Tibia</th><th>Tarsus</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>I</td><td>v'</td><td>d, (l), bv'', v''</td><td>l', v', σ</td><td>(l), (v), φ₁, φ₂</td><td>(ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv), (pl), ε, ω₁, ω₂</td></tr><tr><td>II</td><td>v'</td><td>d, (l), bv'', v''</td><td>l', v', σ</td><td>(l), (v), φ</td><td>(ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv), ω₁, ω₂</td></tr><tr><td>III</td><td>l', v'</td><td>d, l', ev'</td><td>l', σ</td><td>l', (v), φ</td><td>(ft), (tc), (it), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv)</td></tr><tr><td>IV</td><td>v'</td><td>d, ev'</td><td>d, l'</td><td>l', (v), φ</td><td>ft'', (tc), (p), (u), (a), s, (pv)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Note. Roman letters refer to normal setae, Greek letters to solenidia (except ε = famulus). Single prime (') marks setae on the anterior and double prime (") setae on the posterior side of a given leg article.
## References

Akrami M.A., Behmanesh M. 2011. A new species of *Christovizetes* Krivolutsky (Acari: Oribatida: Microzetidae) from Iran. Syst. Appl. Acarol., 16: 247-251. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.16.3.9

Alexander B. 1995. Cave-dwelling oribatid mites (Acarina, Cryptostigmata) from east Austria. Verh. Zool-Bot. Ges. Österreich., 132: 81-107.

Krivolutsky D.A. 1975. In: Ghilyarov, M.S. (ed.) Opredelitel Obitayushcich v Pochve Kleschej-Sarcoptiformes. Nauka, Moskva. 491pp.

Mahunka S. 1995. *Christovizetes prasadi* sp. n., a new microzetid species from Thailand (Acari: Oribatida). Int. J. Acarol., 21: 239-242. https://doi.org/10.1080/01647959508684066

Nakamura Y.N., Fukumori S., Fujikawa T. 2010. Oribatid fauna (Acari, Oribatida) from the Kumaya cave of Iheya village in central Ryukyu arc, south Japan, with a description of several new species. *Acarologia*, 50(4): 439-477. https://doi.org/10.1051/acarologia/20101988

Norton R.A. 1977. A review of F. Grandjean's system of leg chaetotaxy in the Oribatei (Acari) and its application to the family Damaeidae. *In*: Dindal, D.L. (Ed.), Biology of Oribatid Mites. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, pp. 33-61.

Norton R.A., Behan-Pelletier V.M. 2009. Chapter 15. Suborder Oribatida. *In*: Krantz, G.W. & Walter, D.E. (Eds.), A Manual of Acarology. Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, pp. 430-564.

Travé J., Vachon M. 1975. François Grandjean. 1882-1975 (Notice biographique et bibliographique). *Acarologia*, 17 (1): 1-19.

Wauthy G., Ducarme X. 2006. Description of Hypogeoppia belgicae, a new species of cave mite (Acari, Oribatida), and comments on some characters. Belg. J. Zool., 136 (2): 203-218.

Willmann C. 1932. Milben aus Harzer Höhlen. Mitt. Höhlen- und Karstforsch., 1931-1932: 107-111.

Yang D.X., Li C., Wang C. 2021. Characteristics of soil meso-and microarthropods community inside and outside cave and the response to environmental factors. Chin. J. Ecol., 40 (10): 3184-3194.