Acaromantis nurhayatae Durucan, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Durucan, Furkan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Halacaridae
Acaromantis
Acaromantis nurhayatae

description: Acaromantis nurhayatae sp. nov.
Zoobank number: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 699D732B-74B9-4F04-A970-026AB2030AFA
Figures 3A–G, 4A–E; Table 2
Material examined. Holotype. Female (FDHAL-24/106), dissected and slide mounted, St. 3 (Inciralti Beach, Antalya), fine sand, 3 m depth, 36.860011, 30.728750, 6 July 2020.
Etymology. The species name nurhayatae is given in grateful dedication to the author’s mother, Nurhayat Durucan.
Description. Measurements presented in Table 2.
Female (holotype). AD longer than wide; anterior margin narrowed, posterior margin truncated. ds-1 and ds-3 inserted on the AD. AD and PD with intense punctation, their surfaces uniformly foveated throughout (Fig. 4 A'). Canaliculi present in deeper integument layers. Sizes of rosette pores between 5–8 on AD. Pair of ds-1 distinctly posterior to level of insertion of leg I (Figs. 3A, B; 4A, B). Setae ds-2 on striated integument. OC reduced to more or less oval subcuticular platelet (Fig. 4C). Anterior to OC with seta (ds-2) on a small subcuticular platelet. PD slightly longer than AD; anterior margin truncate. Pairs of ds-4 and ds-5 on PD and slightly posterior to the level of insertions of leg III and IV, respectively. Adanal setae (ds-6) dorsally on anal cone. Ventral plates evenly punctated and foveate (Figs. 3B and 4B); foveae absent posterior to camerostome, in an area representing anterior part of GA and around GO. PE divided into two halves (Fig. 4B, 4B "). Anterior PE with a ventral and a dorsal seta. Posterior PE with two long setae. AE and PE foveate throughout. Epimeral vesicles large 30 long, 15 wide (Fig. 3B). Four pairs of pgs. Subgenital setae lacking (Figs. 3B, 4B, 4 B’). Gnathosoma broadly attached to idiosoma (Figs. 3C, 4D). One pair of long maxillary setae on gnathosomal base, pair of short setae near apex of rostrum. Gnathosomal base with foveae posterolaterally and posteromedially (Fig. 4D, 4 D’). Tectum wide, narrowing anteriorly. Rostrum almost conical. Palps attached to gnathosomal base dorsally. Palps short, two segmented, P-1 17, P-2 75 long, heavy ventral seta, one slender and three apical setae without protuberance. Leg chaetotaxy, from trochanter to tarsus (bipectinated setae between parentheses; solenidia and famulus excluded, pas included) (Figs. 3D–G): Leg I, 1, 2, 1, 4, 5, 6; Leg II, 1, 2, 2, 4, 5(2), 6; Leg III and IV, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5(2), 5. All telofemora longer than basifemora. Telofemora I, 2.2 longer than high (Figs. 3D, 4E). Telofemora with small carinae, telofemora, genua and tibiae with posterior articular lamellae. Tibia I conspicuously long, more than 2.5 times its height. Ventral spine on tibia I with a blunt tip, without proximal swelling (23). Spines on tibiae II – IV bipectinate. Tarsus I short, 75, almost rectangular 1.6 longer than high (Fig. 3 D'). Median claw on tarsus I relatively large, 25. Slender lateral claws on posterior tarsi II to IV with 8–10 pectines, with both coarse and slender tines. Tarsi II to IV with large, paired claws and pecten (Figs. 3 E', F').
Male. Unknown
Remarks. Acaromantis is closely related to Simognathus. In contrast to Simognathus the palps of Acaromantis are two-segmented and tarsus I bears a single median claw. In general, the two genera can be separated on the basis of the shape of leg I. In Acaromantis, tibia I is widest in its basal third and tarsus I is very short and rotated, whereas in the majority of Simognathus species tibia I is club-shaped (widest in its apical third) and tarsus I distinctly longer than high and ending with a large median and two slender lateral claws (Bartsch, 2006).
Acaromantis nurhayatae sp. nov. has two-segmented palps on gnathosoma (Figs. 3C, 4D), single seta on telofemur I (Figs. 3D, 4E) and lack of paired claws on tarsus I (Fig. 3 D'), the new species is typical representative of Acaromantis. It separated from all other Acaromantis species in having AE and GA fused whereas the PE are separated. There are nine Simognathus species have been described with a ventral shield to date (S. abnormalus Otto, 2000, S. aspidiotus Otto, 2000, S. clypeatus Otto, 2000, S. gibberosus Bartsch, 1994, S. salebrosus Bartsch, 2003, S. scutatus Bartsch, 1993, S. tener Bartsch, 2003, S. tropicalis Chatterjee & de Troch, 2000, and S. uniscutatus Bartsch, 1994 (Bartsch 1993; 1994; Chatterjee & de Troch 2000; Otto 2000; Bartsch 2003). At a first glance, the new species is similar to the other previously known three Simognathus species from Australia; S. scutatus Bartsch, 1993, S. abnormalus Otto, 2000 and S. salebrosus Bartsch, 2003 due to foveate dorsal plates, fused AE and GA, globular shaped gnathosoma and long tibia I. The new species differs from all above-mentioned species by having only one seta on telofemur I, OC reduced to minute plate, and two segmented palps. The new species easily differs from S. scutatus by unconnected PE. In S. scutatus all ventral plates fused to a ventral shield. The OC reduced to elongate oblong sclerites in S. scutatus, telofemur I with 2 setae in S. scutatus and female idiosoma is smaller (303) in S. scutatus vs female idiosoma 430 in the new species. The new species is distinguished from S. abnormalus by having completely foveate area on AD. In S. abnormalus, the AD non-foveate area anterolaterally (Otto 2000). The new species is also distinguished from S. salebrosus by having longer dorsal and ventral setae and longer idiosoma.
description: Published as part of Durucan, Furkan, 2025, Contributions to the knowledge of the subfamily Simognathinae (Acari: Halacaridae) of Türkiye, pp. 151-168 in Zootaxa 5570 (1) on pages 155-158, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/14734721