Pavania neoafricana Khaustov & Frolov 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Khaustov, Alexander A.
name: Frolov, Andrey V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Acari
Dolichocybidae
Pavania
Pavania neoafricana

description: Pavania neoafricana sp. nov. (Figs. 1–3)
http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5E86BBCC-CDC4-4314-9217-5E964E0B89FB Description
Female (Figs. 1–3) – Body weakly sclerotized. Length of idiosoma 125 (120–125), width 77 (72–78).
Gnathosoma – Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, almost round, its length 25 (23–25), width 24 (23–25). Dorsally with two pairs of smooth subequal cheliceral setae (cha, chb). Setae cha 12 (11–12) blunt-tipped; chb 11 (10–11) pointed. Dorsal median apodeme weakly developed. Postpalpal setae (pp) rod-like with tiny distal projections, situated posterolaterally to setae cha. Venter of gnathosoma with one pair of smooth, pointed subcapitular setae m 13 (11–13). Palps freely articulated to gnathosomal capsule, with smooth setae dFe and dGe dorsally, setae dGe 11 (10–11) pointed, about two times longer than weakly blunt-tipped dFe 4 (4–5). Palps ventrally with solenidion almost three times longer than accessory setigenous structure (ass). Palps terminated with a welldeveloped tibial claw. Palp tibiotarsus with tiny eupathid-like distal seta and small lateral seta l”. Cheliceral stylets strong, curved. Pharynx poorly visible, with weak lateral projections.
Idiosomal dorsum (Figs. 1A, 3A) – All dorsal sclerites with clearly visible numerous round and very small puncta. Prodorsal shield with three pairs of setae (v1, v2, sc2) and one pair of clavate, barbed trichobothria sc1 with rounded apex. All dorsal setae blunt-tipped; tips of setae h2 clubshaped. Setae v1, v2, and sc2 smooth, other dorsal setae weakly barbed. Only cupules ia on tergite D clearly visible; other cupules not evident. Posterior margins of tergites C, D, and EF with several distinct tooth-like projections. Lengths of dorsal setae: v1 13 (13–14), v2 7 (6–7), sc2 20 (20–22), c1 15 (14–15), c2 20 (19–21), d 13 (12–14), e 13 (12–13), f 13 (13–14), h1 13 (12–14), h2 37 (37–38). Distances between setae: v1–v1 17 (17), v2–v2 26 (25–26), sc2–sc2 27 (27), c1–c1 23 (22–23), c1– c2 18 (18–19), d–d 32 (28–32), e–e 41 (39–41), f–f 29 (28–29), h1–h1 12 (11–12), h1–h2 7 (7).
Idiosomal venter (Figs 1B, 3B) – All ventral plates smooth. All ventral setae weakly blunttipped; setae ps weakly barbed, other ventral setae smooth. Apodemes 1 (ap1) and apodemes 2 (ap2) well developed; ap1 joined with poorly visible prosternal apodeme (appr), sejugal apodeme represented by pair of small sclerites located posterolaterad setae 2c; apodemes 3 (ap3) and 4 (ap4) well developed. Poststernal apodeme absent. Coxal fields I-IV each with three pairs of setae.
Lengths of ventral setae – 1a 6 (6), 1b 6 (6), 1c 6 (6), 2a 10 (8–10), 2b 6 (5–6), 2c 9 (8–9), 3a 8 (7–8), 3b 8 (7–8), 3c 10 (9–11), 4a 8 (7–8), 4b 9 (9–10), 4c 9 (9), ag 8 (8–9), g1 3 (3), g2 3 (3), ps 8 (8–9).
Legs (Fig. 2) – Leg I slightly longer than subequal legs II-IV. Leg I (Fig. 2A). Setal formula: 0– 4–2–6(2) –11(2). Tarsus with two small claws and semioval empodium. All leg setae smooth. Setae l’ of femur, l’ and v’ of genu, k and v’ of tibia blunt-tipped; other leg setae (except eupathidia p’, p”, ft’, ft”) pointed; setae (u) and (pv) of tarsus not modified. Trochanter dorsally with four short toothlike projections. Tarsus I with ventrodistal membranous flange. Lengths of solenidia ω1 7 (6–7), ω2 3 (3), φ1 8 (8), φ2 5 (4–5); solenidion ω1 digitiform; solenidia φ2 and ω2 baculiform; solenidion φ1 clavate. Leg II (Fig. 2B). Setal formula: 0–2–1–4(1)–6(1). Tarsal claws simple, hooked; empodium large, extending beyond tips of claws. Solenidion ω 5 (4–5) digitiform; solenidion φ 3 (3) weakly clavate. Trochanter dorsolaterally with two tooth-like projections. Seta l’ of genu weakly barbed, other setae smooth; all setae pointed. Leg III (Fig. 2C). Setal formula: 0–1–1–4–5. Claws and empodium of same shape as on tarsus II. Setae d of femur blunt-tipped, other leg setae pointed; all setae smooth. Trochanter ventrally with short lobe. Leg IV (Fig. 2D). Setal formula: 0–1–1–4–5. Claws and empodium of same shape as on tarsus II. Setae d of femur blunt-tipped, other leg setae pointed; all setae smooth. Trochanter ventrally with short lobe.
Male – unknown
Type material
Female holotype, slide No. ZISP T-Dol-003, Tanzania, Arusha, 1975 (the original label includes only a code [1777]; the Arusha locality was inferred from the labels of the beetles collected apparently in the same locality), on H. neptunus; paratypes: 50 females, same data.
Type deposition
The holotype and 10 paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Zoological Institute of RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia; five female paratypes are deposited in the acarological collection of Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran (JAZM); other paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.
Differential diagnosis
The new species is most similar to Pavania africana Khaustov and Frolov, 2018 and P. carabidophila Khaustov, 2005 by the similar length of idiosomal setae and absence of modified setae on legs. The new species differs from P. africana in having seta c2 blunt-tipped (pointed in P. africana), longer genital setae (3) (1–2 in P. africana), shorter setae ps (8–9) (14 in P. africana), in having four tooth-like projections on trochanter I (three projections in P. africana), and solenidion φ2 with rounded tip (φ2 with attenuate tip in P. africana). The new species differs from P. carabidophila in having setae c2 blunt-tipped (pointed in P. carabidophila), setae h2 with clubshaped tips (pointed in P. carabidophila), by much shorter solenidion ω1 (6–7) (11–12 in P. carabidophila), and in having setae cha and chb subequal (cha distinctly longer than chb in P. carabidophila).
Etymology
The name of the new species is a combination of two words: Greek neos meaning new and africana, the name of closely related species.
description: Published as part of Khaustov, Alexander A. & Frolov, Andrey V., 2022, Two new species of Pavania (Acari: Heterostigmata: Dolichocybidae) associated with scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Tanzania and Madagascar, pp. 545-558 in Persian Journal of Acarology 11 (4) on pages 546-550, DOI: 10.22073/pja.v11i4.76531, http://zenodo.org/record/7446859