Protoplophora takensis Fuangarworn, 2011, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Fuangarworn, Marut
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Protoplophoridae
Protoplophora
Protoplophora takensis

description: Protoplophora takensis sp. nov.
(Figs. 3–5)
Diagnosis. Small size protoplophorids; cuticle smooth; lateral carina absent; sensilli spindle-shaped; 14 pairs of notogastral setae (setae cp present); palpi four-segmented; seven pairs of genital setae; anal plates and adanal plates separated; three pairs of adanal setae; two pairs of anal setae; and legs I–IV tridactyl.
Female. Measurements of holotype: prodorsal length 107.5, width 55, height 50; notogastral length 137.5, width, 95, height, 120. Color light cream.
Prodorsum (Fig3. A–C). Relatively narrow, rostrum rounded, not incised. Lateral carina absent. Bothridia with rounded opening. Sensilli (ss) spindle-shaped; finely barbed on margin and usually curved downward. All prodorsal setae short and simple, apparently smooth. Measurements as follows: interlamellar setae (in) 5, lamellar setae (le) 6–7, and rostral setae (ro) 8. Distance between pair in -in 25, le -le 26, and ro -ro 15. Two pairs of exobothridial setae simple: anterior pair (exa) slightly shorter than posterior pair (exp). Surface of prodorsum smooth, muscle sigilla distinct on lateral sides (Fig. 3 C).
Notogaster (Figs. 3 A & D). Surface of pronotaspis smooth, with four pairs of setae in row c (c1, c2, c3, and cp), all short (ca. 7) and simple. Pygidium with two pairs of long thicker setae e (ca. 26-29), two pairs of setae f (25), three pairs of simple setae h (6) and one pair of setae ps1 (6). Pleuraspis smooth with two pairs of simple setae ps (ps2 and ps3).
Gnathosoma. Subcapitulum (Fig. 4 A) with three pairs of long simple setae (h, m and a); surface of mentum smooth. Rutella long, narrowed with three distal teeth. Lateral lips with three pairs of simple and subequal adoral setae (or1-3). Chelicerae (Fig. 4 B) slender distally, digits with five teeth. Cheliceral setae (cha and chb) setiform, cha shorter than chb. Palpi (Fig. 4 C) four-segmented; palpal trochanters without setae; femora and genua fused, with remnant of suture dorsally and three barbed setae; tibiae with two barbed setae; tarsi with thin solenidion ω, three eupathidia, and nine barbed setae. Pharyngeal cupola well developed.
Coxisternal region (Fig. 4 D). Epimeral plates distinctly sclerotized. All epimeral setae simple and subequal, setation 2-2-3-3.
Anogenital region (Fig. 4 D). Genitoaggenital plates weakly sclerotized, surface finely striate with seven pairs of simple setae, subequal in length. Three pairs of genital papillae present. Anal and adanal plates separated, former much smaller and narrower than latter, surface smooth. Two pairs of anal setae and three pairs of adanal setae present, all short and simple.
Legs (Fig. 5). All legs hetero-tridactyl; middle claws thicker than lateral claws. Legs I–IV setation (trochanter to tarsus, famulus included): I (0- 3 -4-4-15); II (1-3-2-3-13); III (2-3-2-2-12); IV (2-2-2-0-10); solenidian formula (genu to tarsus): I (0-1-3); II (0-1-2); III (0-1-0); IV (0-1-0). Leg setae usually thin, setiform with barbs. Tarsus I with thickened solenidion ω 1 which curved downward; solenidion ω 3 slender, ca. 2.5 times shorter than ω 1; solenidion ω 2 much slender but longer and whip-like, located on ventral side of segment; famulus (ε) short and forked. Solenidion ϕ1 on tibia I extremely long, as long as leg I.
Males and immatures. Unknown.
Etymology. The new species is named after the province of the type locality—Tak Province, West of Thailand.
Material examined. Holotype female (slide-mounted, CUMZ 2010.52), Thailand: Forest Reserves of the Plant Genetic Conservation Project at Bhumibol Dam, Sam-Ngoa Subdistrict, Srisawad District, Tak Province (17°14'46.87"N, 98°59'45.66"E), from leaf-litter and upper soil layer, 2 March 2008, coll. M. Fuangarworn (Field No. MF2008-9). Four paratypes (one slide-mounted, CUMZ 2010.53, three in ethanol, CUMZ 2010.54–56) with same data as holotype. Holotype and paratypes are deposited in the Acarology collection of Chulalongkorn University Museum of Natural History, Bangkok, Thailand. One paratype, slide-mounted, in the Acarology Laboratory of Museum of Biological Diversity at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Remarks. The genus Protoplophora includes four named species (Niedbała 2004) of which one was described from a fossil. Protoplophora takensis sp. nov. mostly resembles P. oglasicola Bernini, 1983 from Montecristo Island (Italy) in having spindle-shaped sensilli, separate anal and adanal plates, two pairs of anal setae, and three pairs of adanal setae. However, they can be distinguished by the absence of lateral carina on the prodorsum in P. takensis sp. nov. (vs. presence in P. o g l a s i c o l a); the presence of notogastral setae cp (vs. absence); having seven pairs of genital setae (vs. six pairs) and four segmented palpi — tibia not fused with tarsus (vs. three segmented — tibia fused with tarsus). The new species may be distinguished from other species of Protoplophora by the following key.
description: Published as part of Fuangarworn, Marut, 2011, Two new species of protoplophorid mites (Acari: Oribatida: Protoplophoridae) from Thailand, pp. 59-67 in Zootaxa 2732 on pages 63-65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.200725