Spatulaphorus venezuelaensis Khaustov, Frolov & Akhmetova, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Khaustov, Alexander A.
name: Frolov, Andrey V.
name: Akhmetova, Lilia A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Pygmephoridae
Spatulaphorus
Spatulaphorus venezuelaensis

description: Spatulaphorus venezuelaensis sp. nov.
(Figs 13–16)
Description. FEMALE. Body well sclerotized. Length of idiosoma 205 (175–255), width 130 (105–150).
Gnathosoma. Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, subrectangular, length 24 (22–27), width 25 (23–27).
Dorsum with one pair of needle-like cheliceral setae (cha) 5 (4–5). Dorsal median apodeme present, poorly developed. Postpalpal setae (pp) 4 (3–4) needle-like, situated laterad setae cha. Ventral gnathosoma with one pair of smooth, pointed subcapitular setae m 7 (6–7) and round pits n situated posteriad m. Palps with smooth and weakly blunt-tipped setae dFe 4 (3–4) and dGe 7 (7–8) dorsolaterally. Palps ventrally each with mushroom-like accessory setigenous structure (ass) and tiny solenidion ω. Palps terminated with small blunt-tipped tibial claw and tiny eupathid-like seta. Pharyngeal pumps poorly visible.
Idiosomal dorsum (Figs 13A, 16A). All dorsal shields with big puncta. Prodorsal shield with three pairs of setae (v1, v2, sc2), one pair of weakly barbed capitate trichobothria (sc1) and one pair of round stigmata. Stigmata associated with well-developed tracheal trunks. All dorsal idiosomal setae blunt-tipped and barbed. Alveoli of setae e and f distinctly separated; setae e located slightly anteriad f. Cupules ia on tergite D, im on tergite EF and ih on tergite H large, round, subequal. Lengths of dorsal setae: v1 34 (28–40), v2 17 (16–19), sc2 61 (44–76), c1 53 (40–59), c2 50 (39–62), d 57 (41–70), e 31 (22–33), f 70 (51–87), h1 60 (46–75), h2 21 (12–21). Distances between setae: v1–v1 25 (22–29), v2–v2 44 (36–49), sc2–sc2 44 (36–49), c1–c1 44 (36–49), c1–c2 24 (19–26), d–d 70 (54–76), e–f 8 (6–11), f–f 56 (41–60), h1–h1 51 (37–53), h1–h2 10 (9–10).
Idiosomal venter (Figs 13B, 16B). Coxisternal fields I–II and aggenital plate laterally with sparsely distributed big puncta. Setae 1b pointed; other ventral setae blunt-tipped; setae 1b and ps3 barbed, other ventral setae smooth. Bases of setae ps3 situated distinctly anteriad bases of setae ps1-2. Ap1 and ap2 well-developed and joined with thick appr; apsej developed only laterally; ap3 weak, not reaching appo; ap4 well developed, exceeding beyond bases of setae 3b. Ap5 short, joined with appo and reaching bases of setae 4a. Ags small, cup-like; pgs small, oval. Posterior margin of posterior sternal plate straight in middle part. Posterior margin of aggenital plate rounded. Lengths of ventral setae: 1a 10 (9–12), 1b 20 (17–23), 1с 14 (10–15), 2a 13 (12–14), 2с 11 (9–11), 3a 15 (10–15), 3b 13 (11–13), 3c 16 (12–17), 4a 13 (10–14), 4b 19 (15–24), 4c 14 (11–16), ps1 11 (7–12), ps2 10 (8–13), ps3 21 (16–23).
Legs (Figs 14, 15). Setation of legs as in S. brevisetosus. Leg I (Fig. 14A). Tibiotarsus enlarged, with large claw; tibiotarsus internally with oval strongly sclerotized structure near solenidion φ2. Setae (u) consolidated into a horn-like structure opposing claw. Tarsal claw thick and blunt-tipped. Seta d of femur spatulate, with short subterminal projection. Setae l’ of femur and k of tibiotarsus smooth, other leg setae (except eupathidia p’, p”, tc’, tc”, ft’, ft”) sparsely barbed. Setae l’, l” of femur, (l) of genu and k of tibiotarsus blunt-tipped; other leg setae (except eupathidia) pointed. Lengths of solenidia ω1 9 (7–10), ω2 5 (3–5), φ1 7 (7–8), φ2 4 (4–5); solenidion ω1 digitiform; solenidion φ1 thick, clavate; other solenidia weakly clavate. Leg II (Fig. 14B). Tarsus with thickened basally claws and pad-like empodium. Solenidion ω 5 (4–6) weakly clavate, solenidion φ absent. All setae barbed; seta tc’ of tarsus spiniform, blunt-tipped and curved; setae d, l’, and v” of femur and l’ of genu blunt-tipped; other leg setae pointed. Leg III (Fig. 15A). Femur divided into basi- and telofemur. Claws and empodium of same shape as on tarsus II. Seta u’ of tarsus smooth, other setae barbed; setae v’ of trochanter, d, v’ of femur, and l’ of genu blunt-tipped, other leg setae pointed; solenidion φ absent. Leg IV (Fig 15B). Femur divided into basi- and telofemur. Claws simple, empodium as on tarsi II and III. All setae barbed; setae v’ of trochanter, d, v’ of femur, v” of tibia and pl” of tarsus blunt-tipped, other leg setae pointed; solenidion φ absent.
MALE unknown.
Type material. Female holotype, slide ZISP T-Pygm-013, Venezuela, Zulia, Santa Bárbara del Zulia, IV.2001 (CEMT), on Phanaeus prasinus Harold; paratypes: 7 females, same data; 3 females, Venezuela, Boliar, Anacoco Edo, 06.VIII.2006 (CEMT), on Phanaeus prasinus.
Type deposition. The holotype and three paratypes are deposited in the collection of Zoological Institute of RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia; other paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.
Differential diagnosis. The new species is very similar to S. porosus Khaustov and Frolov, 2021, described from French Guiana (Khaustov & Frolov 2021) in having spiniform seta tc’ on tarsus II, presence of big puncta on dorsal and ventral idiosomal sclerites, enlarged tibiotarsus I and thickened basally claws on tarsi II and III. The new species differs from S. porosus in having setae e situated slightly anteriad bases of setae f (vs. setae e situated distinctly posteriad bases of setae f in S. porosus).
Etymology. The name of the new species refers to its geographical distribution in Venezuela.
description: Published as part of Khaustov, Alexander A., Frolov, Andrey V. & Akhmetova, Lilia A., 2024, Seven new species of Spatulaphorus Rack (Acari: Pygmephoridae) phoretic on scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), pp. 337-368 in Zootaxa 5497 (3) on pages 350-353, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5497.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/13618611