Axonopsis (Navinaxonopsis) persica Pesic, 2004, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Pesic, Vladimir
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2004
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Axonopsidae
Axonopsis
Axonopsis persica

description: Axonopsis (Navinaxonopsis) persica sp. nov. (Figs. 1–6)
Axonopsis abnormipes Cook, 1967 (Sepasgozarian, 1999)
Type material: Holotype: male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; Iran: river Sarab Zia (Kermanshah Province), 0 2.10.1977, leg. Schwoerbel. Paratypes: 1 male, 2 females, same data as holotype, two female of them dissected and slide mounted on Hoyer's fluid.
Diagnosis: Characters of the subgenus Navinaxonopsis (see: Cook, 1967, 1974); Idiosoma long in both sexes (L dorsal shield 470­490, ventral shield 470­530). Male: IV­L­6 relatively shorter (L ratio IV­L­5/6>1.4), distal margin of IV­L­6 gently concave; ventral margins of IV­L­5 strongly bowed, dorsal margins of IV­L­5 strongly convex at distal end, expanded portion of IV­L­5 bearing fine hairs.
Description
Male: Dorsal and ventral shields anteriorly lightly fused; dorsal shield length 475, width 325; dorsal shield as in female (Fig. 2), with 7 pairs of glandularia, seventh pair of glandularia inconspicuous, flanking excretory pore; excretory pore located at posterior end of dorsal shield; ventral shield (Fig. 1) length 471, width 391; tips of first coxae blunt; capitular bay 106 in length; a single pair of large glandularia located approximately midway between genital field and insertions of fourth legs, a second pair of glandularia closely associated with genital field; genital field with 3 pairs of acetabula, distance between outer edges of lateralmost pair of acetabula 148, width of gonopore 31; gonopore flanked by several small setae; a pair of small gland platelets present in soft integument posterior to genital field; palp total length 203; dorsal length (relative length in parentheses) of individual palpal segments: P­1 25 (12.3), P­2 47 (23.2), P­3 36 (17.7), P­4 71 (35.0), P­5 24 (11.8); distoventral portion of P­2 expanded. Figure 4 illustrating proportions and chaetotaxy of palp; IV­L­5 and 6 highly modified; IV­L­5 greatly expanded at distal end, this expanded portion bearing 6 fine hairs; IV­L­6 gently concave, not bowed on dorsal side; Figures 5­6 illustrating IV­L­5­6; dorsal lenghts of distal segments of fourth leg: IV­L­4 95; IV­L­5 119; IV­L­6 83; second, third, and fourth legs with a few swimming hairs.
Female: similar to male except for shape of genital field (Fig. 3); dorsal shield length 488, width 333; ventral shield length 525, width 400; genital field with 3 pairs of acetabula, these arranged in an arc; width between outer edges of lateralmost pair of acetabula 164, maximum width of gonopore 92; palp total length 216; dorsal length (relative length in parentheses) of the individual palpal segments: P­1 35 (16.2), P­2 49 (22.7), P­3 37 (17.1), P­4 71 (32.9), P­5 24 (11.1); structure of palp similar to that in male. Length of gnathosoma 96, dorsal lenghts of distal segments of first leg: I­L­4 56; I­L­5 66; I­L­6 67; second, third, and fourth legs with a few swimming hairs.
Discussion: The new species is the second representative of the subgenus Navinaxonopsis Cook. So far, only Axonopsis abnormipes Cook, 1967 has been reported from running waters in India (Cook, 1967). Compared with Axonopsis persica sp. nov (in parentheses), male of A. abnormipes differs in the following morphological details: relatively longer IV­L­6, L ratio IV­L­5/6 being 1.0 (IV­L­6 relatively shorter, L ratio IV­L­5/6 is 1.43); expanded portion of IV­L­5 bearing 4 enlarged setae (6 fine hairs); ventral margins of IV­L­5 gently convex at distal end (strongly bowed in A. persica sp. nov.), and dorsal margins of IV­L­5 strongly bowed (strongly convex at distal end in A. persica sp. nov.).
The most important difference between A. abnormipes and A.persica sp. nov. is present in the IV­L­6: in male of A. abnormipes dorsal margins of IV­L­6 is bowed on the dorsal side, while it is gently concave in A. persica sp. nov. (Figs. 5–6). The female of A. persica sp. nov. can be distinguished from that of A. abnormipes (in parentheses [from Cook, 1967] on the basis of a larger idiosoma (L/W dorsal shield <435/325, ventral shield 445/370) and a more longer palp (L 194 µm).
Etymology: The species is named for its occurrence in Iran (Persia).
Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Iran.
Biology: A. persica sp. nov. is probably rhitrobiontic. No information is available on the morphology and behaviour of larvae of species in this subgenus.
description: Published as part of Pesic, Vladimir, 2004, The second species of the subgenus Navinaxonopsis Cook, 1967 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Aturidae: Axonopsinae) from Iran, pp. 1-4 in Zootaxa 482 on pages 2-4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.157947