Spatulaphorus longisetosus 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 longisetosus

description: Spatulaphorus longisetosus sp. nov.
(Figs 5–8)
Description. FEMALE. Body well sclerotized. Length of idiosoma 220 (195–225), width 125 (110–125).
Gnathosoma. Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, subrectangular, length 23 (21–23), width 23 (21–23). Dorsum with one pair of needle-like cheliceral setae (cha) 4 (4–5). Dorsal median apodeme present, poorly developed. Postpalpal setae (pp) 3 (3) needle-like, situated laterad setae cha. Ventral gnathosoma with one pair of smooth, weakly blunt-tipped subcapitular setae m 7 (6–7) and round pits n situated posteriad m. Palps with smooth and weakly blunt-tipped setae dFe 3 (2–3) and dGe 7 (6–7) 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 5A, 8A). 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; seta v2 smooth, other dorsal setae distinctly barbed. Alveoli of setae e and f clearly separated. Cupules ia on tergite D, im on tergite EF and ih on tergite H large, round, subequal. Lengths of dorsal setae: v1 32 (29–32), v2 13 (13–14), sc2 53 (45–53), c1 52 (43–52), c2 49 (41–49), d 52 (45–52), e 26 (24–26), f 61 (48–61), h1 55 (46–55), h2 15 (15–16). Distances between setae: v1–v1 26 (24–27), v2–v2 41 (37–41), sc2–sc2 41 (36–43), c1–c1 46 (40–48), c1–c2 22 (20–22), d–d 61 (56–61), e–f 10 (8–10), f–f 52 (47–53), h1–h1 45 (38–45), h1–h2 11 (11–12).
Idiosomal venter (Figs 5B, 8B). Coxisternal fields I–II, III and aggenital plate laterally with sparsely distributed big puncta. Setae 1b pointed and weakly barbed; other ventral setae smooth and blunt-tipped. 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 11 (10–11), 1b 23 (22–25), 1с 14 (12–14), 2a 16 (15–17), 2с 11 (11–12), 3a 15 (14–15), 3b 14 (12–14), 3c 17 (15–17), 4a 13 (12–13), 4b 23 (19–23), 4c 16 (15–16), ps1 18 (16–18), ps2 18 (16–18), ps3 15 (14–15).
Legs (Figs 6, 7). Setation of legs as in S. brevisetosus. Leg I (Fig. 6A). Tibiotarsus enlarged, with large claw; tibiotarsus with internal oval strongly sclerotized structure near solenidion φ2. Setae (u) consolidated into a horn-like structure opposing claw. Tarsal claw blunt-tipped. Seta d of femur spatulate, with short subterminal projection. Setae l’ of femur, k and pl” 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 8 (8–9), ω2 5 (4–5), φ1 8 (8), φ2 5 (4–5); solenidion φ1 thick, clavate, ω1 digitiform; other solenidia weakly clavate. Leg II (Fig. 6B). Tarsus with thickened basally claws and pad-like empodium. Solenidion ω 5 (5–6) weakly clavate, solenidion φ absent. Setae pl”, u’ and tc” of tarsus smooth, other setae barbed; setae tc’ and pl” of tarsus spiniform, blunt-tipped; setae d, l’, and v” of femur blunt-tipped; other leg setae pointed. Leg III (Fig. 7A). Femur divided into basi- and telofemur. Claws and empodium of same shape as on tarsus II. Seta u’ of tarsus smooth, other setae barbed; seta pl” of tarsus spiniform; setae v’ of trochanter, d, v’ of femur, and l’ of genu blunt-tipped, other leg setae pointed; solenidion φ absent. Leg IV (Fig 7B). 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; seta l’ of tibia weakly blunt-tipped, other leg setae pointed; solenidion φ absent.
MALE unknown.
Type material. Female holotype, slide ZISP T-Pygm-011, USA, Louisiana, IV.1984 (CEMT), on Phanaeus difformis LeConte; paratypes: 5 females, same data; 2 females, USA, Texas, Tomball 9.IX.1986 (CEMT), on Phanaeus vindex MacLeay.
Type deposition. The holotype and two 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. brevisetosus sp. nov. in having spiniform setae pl”, tc’ on tarsus II and pl” on tarsus III and well separated bases of setae e and f as well as h1 and h2. The new species differs from S. brevisetosus in having distinctly longer dorsal idiosomal setae, especially c1, f, and h1 which are longer than the distances between their bases (vs. setae c1, f, and h1 shorter than distances between their bases in S. brevisetosus).
Etymology. The name of the new species is a combination of the Latin words: longus meaning long, and seta meaning bristle, and refers to relatively long dorsal idiosomal setae.
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 342-346, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5497.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/13618611