Torrenticola bomiensis Cook 1966
Creators: name: Pešić, Vladimir
name: Smit, Harry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Torrenticolidae
Torrenticola
Torrenticola bomiensis

description: Torrenticola bomiensis Cook, 1966
(Figs. 3A–D, 4A–B, 12C–D, 14C–D)
Torrenticola bomiensis Cook 1966: 65.
New records. Ghana: Tagbo River, downstream of falls, 7º 00.708 N, 0º 34.326 E, alt. 394 m asl., 23.ii.2013, Smit, 0/1/0 (mounted); Supon stream near Asiakwa, Atewa Hills, 6º 15.530 N, 0º 30.642 W, 7.iii.2011, Smit, 2[one juvenile]/1/0 (1/0/0 mounted).
Morphology. General features —Idiosoma roundish; Cxgl–4 subapical, only slightly posterior of Cx-I tips (not described in the original description); suture of Cx-IV extending beyond posterior margin of genital field; excretory pore and Vgl–2 slightly posterior the line of primary sclerotization, excretory pore slightly posterior to Vgl–2 (Fig. 3B); ventral margin of gnathosoma rather straight, rostrum not clearly set off from gnathosomal base (Fig. 3D); P-2 ventral margin straight, distally with a subrectangular, anteriorly directed and apically serrated projection and a very short, denticle-like seta laterally at base of projection; P-3 with a subrectangular, laterally directed and apically serrated ventrodistal projection and a long seta laterally at base of projection; P-4 stocky, with well developed ventral protuberance bearing one long and 1–3 short setae (Figs. 3C, 4B). Male: genital field subrectangular in shape; ejaculatory complex normal in shape. Female: genital field pentagonal in shape.
Measurements. Male (from Supon stream, n = 1)—Idiosoma (ventral view: Figs. 4A, 14C) L 563, W 403; dorsal shield (Fig. 12C) L 458, W 334, L/W ratio 1.37; dorsal plate L 424; shoulder platelets L 130–134, W 48, L/ W ratio 2.7–2.8; frontal platelets L 122–125, W 50–52, L/W ratio 2.42–2.44; shoulder/frontal platelets L ratio 1.04–1.1. Gnathosomal bay L 87–88, Cx-I total L 219, Cx-I mL 131, Cx-II+III mL 94; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 2.3; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 1.4. Genital field L/W 122/100, ratio 1.22; ejaculatory complex L 174; distance genital field-excretory pore 91, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 125. Gnathosoma vL 255; chelicera total L 289; palp total L, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 25/25, 1.0; P-2, 75/40, 1.88; P-3, 58/37, 1.56; P-4, 75/23, 3.2; P-5, 16/12, 1.3; P-2/P- 4 ratio 1.01; dL of I-L-2–6: 48, 54, 69, 74, 72; I-L-6 H 29, dL/H I-L-6 ratio 2.5.
Female (from Tagbo River, n = 1)—Idiosoma (ventral view: Figs. 3B, 14B) L 650, W 428; dorsal shield (Figs. 3A, 12D) L 516, W 373, L/W ratio 1.38; dorsal plate L 481; shoulder platelets L 147, W 50–52, L/W ratio 2.8–2.9; frontal platelets L 134, W 53–55, L/W ratio 2.4–2.5; shoulder/frontal platelets L ratio 1.1. Gnathosomal bay L 100, Cx-I total L 248, Cx-I mL 148, Cx-II+III mL 75; ratio Cx-I L/Cx-II+III mL 3.3; Cx-I mL/Cx-II+III mL 2.0. Genital field L/W 133/125, ratio 1.06; distance genital field-excretory pore 137, genital field-caudal idiosoma margin 194. Gnathosoma vL 291; chelicera total L 325; palp total L, dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 29/28, 1.04; P-2, 88/48, 1.85; P-3, 65/44, 1.48; P-4, 82/25, 3.3; P-5, 19/12, 1.6; P-2/P-4 ratio 1.08; dL of I-L-2-6: 53, 60, 79, 85, 85; I-L-6 H 32, dL/H I-L-6 ratio 2.6.
Remarks. The specimens from Ghana in their general morphology agree well with Torrenticola bomiensis Cook, 1966, a species widely distributed and numerous in Liberia (Cook 1966). Differences with the original description (in parentheses, from Cook 1966) are found in slightly larger dimensions, the suture of Cx-IV extending further beyond the posterior margin of the genital field and the excretory pore shifted slightly posterior to Vgl-2 (lying on the same level as Vgl-2). In the figure of the palp of T. bomiensis given by Cook (1966) the ventral seta on P-2 is missing completely. Furthermore, the subapical position of Cxgl-4 can be speculated only on the basis of Cook’s figure (Cook 1966, Fig. 169) of the ventral shield and the presence of a seta, with a minute dot, lying on the outer edge of Cx-I. Thus, our attribution of T. bomiensis is still provisional, and additional material is necessary to clarify its taxonomy.
Distribution. Liberia (Cook 1966); Ghana (first record).
description: Published as part of Pešić, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2014, Torrenticolid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Torrenticolidae) from Ghana, pp. 1-80 in Zootaxa 3820 (1) on pages 5-10, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3820.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/286303