Wallworkella Balogh 1983
Creators: name: Ermilov, Sergey G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Oppiidae
Wallworkella

description: Generic diagnosis of Wallworkella
With character states of Oppiidae (Norton and Behan-Pelletier 2009). Measurements: Length about 240–390.
Integument. Body nearly smooth; sometimes tuberculate band present instead mediobasal part of costula; lateral side of body between bothridium and acetabula densely tuberculate. Prodorsum. Rostrum tripartite, sometimes rounded or concave. Costulae and transcostula fused, forming arch-like or trapezoid complex; rarely, complex indistinct or costulae developed partially. Lateral arch-like prodorsal ridge usually present. Interbothridial region usually with two or three pairs of muscle sigillae. Interbothridial and postbothridial tubercles absent but prodorsobasal part sometimes with short ridges or tubercle-like thickenings. Rostral, lamellar, interlamellar, and exobothridial setae well developed, setiform; ro and le short to long, le and in short; le inserted closer to in than to ro. Bothridial seta long, ciliate (its mediodistal part with well developed unilaterally lanceolate expansion) or pectinate (its mediodistal part without expansion or with indistinct expansion). Notogaster. Anterior margin convex or straight medially.
Humeral region without tooth and crista. Ten pairs of setiform setae: c short; other setae short to long. Gnathosoma.
Subcapitulum diarthric. Palp setation: 0-2-1-3-9(+ω); solenidion long, bacilliform, pressed to surface, located in mediodistal part of dorsal part of tarsus. Chelicera chelate-dentate. Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions.
Epimere IV of normal length; border IV present. Epimeral setal formula: 3-1-3-3; all setae setiform. Ventrosejugal tubercle absent. Pedotectum I represented by small lamina. Discidium present. Anogenital region. Anogenital setal formula: 6-1-2-3; all setae setiform. Adanal seta ad 1 posterior, ad 2 lateral, ad 3 anterolateral to anal plate, distance ad 3 – ad 3 longer than ag–ag and ad 2 – ad 2. Adanal lyrifissure located close and parallel to anal aperture. Legs. Tibia I without anterodorsal projection. Tarsus II with two solenidia.
Description of Wallworkella southensis sp. nov.
(Figures 5, 6)
Type material. Holotype (female) and four paratypes (one male and three females): southern Ethiopia, South Ethiopia Regional State, Gamo Zone, 6°01’36.7’’N, 37°35’42.7’’E, 1170 m a.s.l., 5 km East from the town Arba Minch, 1 km from the lake Abai, mineral soil (0–5 cm) in a mixed forest on the terrace (first layer of forest: Celtis sp., Ficus sycomorus, Schefflera sp., Acacia sp.; second layer of forest: Lemon sp., Coffee arabica) on the brown (black-brown) soil with light-medium loam soil texture, 7.XII.2018, dry season (L.B. Rybalov).
The holotype is deposited in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz, Germany; four paratypes are deposited in the collection of the University of Tyumen, Museum Zoology, Tyumen, Russia. All specimens are preserved in 70% solution of ethanol with a drop of glycerol.
Diagnosis. Body length: 240–255. Rostrum rounded. Costulae and transcostula not visible. Lateral ridge long. Rostral seta medium-sized, setiform, slightly barbed; lamellar and interlamellar setae short, setiform, roughened; bothridial seta long, with unilaterally lanceolate head bearing setiform apex and three long, setiform, smooth branches and one short (distal) cilium unilaterally. Anterior margin of notogaster straight. Dorsal notogastral setae comparatively short, setiform, sparsely barbed or nearly smooth. Epimeral and anogenital setae short, setiform, smooth (except roughened 3c and 4c). Discidium with broadly rounded top.
Description of adult. Measurements. Body length: 255 (holotype), 240 (male paratype), 240–255 (female paratypes); notogastral width: 120 (holotype), 105 (male paratype), 113–120 (female paratypes).
Integument (Fig. 5C). Body color light brown. Body nearly smooth; region of costula and region between bothridium and acetabula I–III with typical dense tubercles (their diameter up to 2).
Prodorsum (Figs 5A, C). Rostrum rounded. Costular-transcostular complex absent, but its vague outlines are sometimes partially hardly visible. Interbothridial muscle sigillae not visible. Lateral ridge long. Rostral seta (19–22) setiform, slightly barbed; lamellar (7–9), interlamellar (11–13) and exobothridial (7–9) setae setiform, roughened; bothridial seta (45–49) with long, smooth stalk and shorter, unilaterally lanceolate head bearing setiform apex and three long, setiform, smooth branches and one short (distal) cilium unilaterally.
Notogaster (Figs 5A, C; 6A). Anterior margin of notogaster straight. Notogastral seta c (4–6) setiform, smooth; other setae (la, lm, lp, h 1 – h 3, p 2, p 33: 17–19; p 1: 11–13) setiform, sparsely barbed or nearly smooth. Opisthonotal gland opening and lyrifissures ia, im, ip well visible (ih, ips not found).
Gnathosoma (Figs 6B–D). Subcapitulum size: 56–60 × 41–45; all subcapitular setae (11) setiform, nearly smooth; all adoral setae (4) setiform, smooth. Palp length: 37; with typical setation: 0-2-1-3-9(+ω); postpalpal seta (4) spiniform, smooth. Chelicera length: 52–56; setae (cha: 17–19; chb: 11) setiform, barbed.
Epimeral and lateral podosomal regions (Figs 5B, C). Epimeres with typical epimeral setal formula (3-1-3-3); setae 3c (11–15) and 4c (9–11) setiform, roughened; others (7) setiform, smooth. Discidium with broadly rounded top.
Anogenital region (Figs 5B, C; 6A). With typical anogenital setal formula (6-1-2-3); genital (4–6), aggenital (11–15), anal (11–15), and adanal (11–15) setae setiform, smooth. Adanal lyrifissure distinct, in typical position for genus (close and parallel to lateral side of anal plate).
Legs (Figs 6E–H). Claw of each leg smooth, with tooth ventrobasally. All leg femora with hardly visible ventral porosity. Trochanter III with posterior tubercle. Formulas of leg setation and solenidia: I (1-5-2-4-20) [1-2-2], II (1-5-2-4-16) [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; setae a ′′and pv ′′on tarsus IV modified (brush-like); solenidia ω 1 on tarsi I, ω 1 and ω 2 on tarsus II and σ on genu III nearly bacilliform, φ 1 on tibia I and φ on tibia IV subflagellate; other solenidia setiform or rod-like.
Remarks. Wallworkella southensis sp. nov. is similar to W. tetraciliata (Ermilov, 2018) (in Ermilov & Rybalov 2018) from Ethiopia in having rounded rostrum and ciliate bothridial seta. However, the new species differs from the latter by smaller body size (length: 240–255 versus 298–315), the indistinct (versus well developed) costular-transcostular complex, the relative length of some prodorsal setae (ro longer then in versus ro shorter than in), the morphology of anterior margin of the notogaster (straight versus convex), and the length of the dorsal notogastral setae (short, lm shorter than 1/2 of distance lm–lp versus comparatively long, lm longer than 1/2 of distance lm– lp).
Etymology. The species name southensis refers to the place of origin, South Ethiopia Regional State.
General remarks on Wallworkella species
Balogh and Balogh (1990) synonymized Wallworkella longiramosa (Woas, 1986) with Wallworkella cervifer (Mahunka, 1983). As noted by Ermilov (2024), perhaps, the synonymy is correct, however, according to the original descriptions (Mahunka 1983; Woas 1986) of these species, there are some differences between these species, therefore, both species are given in the key below as independent species.
Key to known species of Wallworkella
1. Rostrum not tripartite................................................................................. 2
- Rostrum tripartite..................................................................................... 4
2. Bothridial seta pectinate (its mediodistal part without expansion or with indistinct expansion); rostrum usually concave medially; body length: 266–282...... Wallworkella minima (Ermilov, Rybalov & Hundama, 2014). Distribution: Ethiopia.
- Bothridial seta ciliate (its mediodistal part with well developed unilaterally lanceolate expansion); rostrum rounded....... 3
3. Transcostula and costula not visible; rostral seta longer than interlamellar seta; anterior margin of notogaster straight; dorsal notogastral setae short (lm shorter than 1/2 of distance lm–lp); body length: 240–255....................................................................................... Wallworkella southensis sp. nov. Distribution: Ethiopia.
- Transcostula and costula developed; rostral seta shorter than interlamellar seta; anterior margin of notogaster convex; dorsal notogastral setae medium-sized (lm longer than 1/2 of distance lm–lp); body length: 298–315................................................ Wallworkella tetraciliata (Ermilov, 2018) (in Ermilov & Rybalov 2018). Distribution: Ethiopia.
4. Bothridial seta ciliate (its mediodistal part with well developed unilaterally lanceolate expansion)..................... 5
- Bothridial seta pectinate (its mediodistal part without expansion or with indistinct expansion)........................ 6
5. Median apex of rostrum very narrow, blunt; notogastral setae la and lm similar in length; body length: 274.................................................................. Wallworkella secata (Mahunka, 1999). Distribution: Uganda.
- Median apex of rostrum triangular; notogastral seta la distinctly shorter than lm; body length: 312................................................................... Wallworkella parasensillus (Mahunka, 1999). Distribution: Uganda.
6. Specific ridge-like structure (similar to an arch with triangular narrowness anteriorly) present in front of transcostula...... 7
- Specific ridge-like structure absent in front of transcostula.................................................... 8
7. Lateral prodorsal ridge short; notogastral seta lm not reaching insertion of lp; longitudinal interbothridial ridges absent; body length: 390....................................... Wallworkella longiramosa (Woas, 1986). Distribution: Salvador.
- Lateral prodorsal ridge long; notogastral seta lm reaching insertion of lp; two short longitudinal interbothridial ridges present; body length: 270–335... Wallworkella cervifer (Mahunka, 1983) (see also Ermilov 2024). Distribution: Neotropical region.
8. Median apex of rostrum swollen in the middle; branches of bothridial seta barbed; dorsal notogastral setae medium-sized (lm longer than 1/2 of distance lm–lp); body length: 255–284..................................................................... Wallworkella trimucronata (Wallwork, 1961) (see also Mahunka 1999). Distribution: Afrotropical region.
- Median apex of rostrum not swollen in the middle; branches of bothridial seta smooth; dorsal notogastral setae short (lm about 1/2 of distance lm–lp)................................................................................. 9
9. Median apex of rostrum distinctly shorter than lateral ones; anal plate with longitudinal ridge; body length: 275–302................................. Wallworkella directa (Mahunka & Mahunka-Papp, 2007). Distribution: Afrotropical region.
- Median apex of rostrum little shorter than lateral ones; anal plate without longitudinal ridge; body length: 256–284........ Wallworkella machadoi (Balogh, 1958) (= Arcoppia granulata Mahunka, 1986) (see also Mahunka 1999). Distribution: Afrotropical region, Ecuador.
description: Published as part of Ermilov, Sergey G., 2025, Taxonomic contribution to knowledge of the oribatid mite genera Corynoppia, Ramusella and Wallworkella (Acari, Oribatida, Oppiidae), pp. 353-370 in Zootaxa 5621 (3) on pages 363-367, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5621.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/15262822