Plonaphacarus foveolatus Liu, Wu & Chen, 2011, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Liu, Dong
name: Wu, Donghui
name: Chen, Jun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Phthiracaridae
Plonaphacarus
Plonaphacarus foveolatus

description: Plonaphacarus foveolatus sp. nov.
(Figs. 27–33)
Material examined. Holotype: adult (in alcohol, L-0140), China: Anhui Province, Tiandu Peak of Mountain Huangshan (29º42'52.91"N, 118º20'14.91"E), from litter, 27 Oct., 1995, leg. Qing-Tian Li. Paratypes: two adults (in alcohol, L-0077), China: Anhui Province, Mountain Huangshan, Yungu Temple (30° 7'11.04"N, 118°11'34.97"E), from litter, 27 Oct., 1995, leg. Yan-Xuan Zhang; two adults (in alcohol, LD-07-152), China: Guangdong Province, Mountain Nankunshan (23°36'47.37"N, 113°51'13.85"E), from litter, 6 May, 2002, leg. Zhi- Wei Li; three adults (in alcohol, CG078), China: Guangxi Province, Jinxiu, Mountain Shengtangshan (23°58'24.71"N, 110° 5'35.44"E), from moss, 1900M, 29 Jun., 2000, leg. Jun Chen.
Etymology. The new specific name “ foveolatus ” is from Latin, and refers to the foveolate surface of body.
Measurements: Holotype: Prodorsum: length 280, width 175, height 120, setae: ss 35, ro 29, in 107, le 20, ex 17, distance between setae: ro -ro 48, in -in 75, le -le 115; notogaster: length 532, width 345, height 325; setae: c1 100, c2 95, c3 90, c p 100, d1 85, d2 80, e1 100, e2 105, h1 105, h2 95, h3 85, ps1 100, ps2 100, ps3 85, ps4 70; distance between setae: c1-d1 95, d1-e1 186, e1-h1 95, h1-ps1 100; ventral region: ad1 85, ad2 115, ad3 40, an1 55, an2 55; genitoaggenital plate 145×120, anoadanal plate 202×110.
Colour brown. Surface of body foveolate.
Prodorsum with one pair of short lateral carinae, weakly developed, not reaching sinus; dorsal and lateral region distinct; posterior furrows present; sensilli short and smooth, with narrow pedicel and rounded head; interlamellar setae long, robust, erect, covered with small spines in distal half; lamellar setae thin, short, semi-erect and smooth; rostral setae thin, smooth and procumbent; exobothridial setae short and fine; comparative length: in>ss> ro>le> ex.
Notogaster with 15 pairs of setae, relatively long (c1> c1-d1), robust, covered with small spines in distal half, setae e2 and h1 longest, setae ps4 shortest; setae c1-3 slightly remote from anterior border, setae c2 more so than c1 and c3; vestigial setae f1 not observed; two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present.
Nine pairs of genital setae present, arranged in two rows with formula: 7(4+3): 2; one pair of aggenital setae present; anoadanal plates each with five well-developed setae, setae ad2 longest, setae ad3 shortest, shorter than anal setae.
Setae h of mentum longer than distance between them; chaetotaxy of legs (without tarsi): I: 1-4-2(2)-5(1); II: 1-3-2(1)-3(1), III: 2-2-1(1)-2(1), IV: 2-1-1-2(1); v’’ / v’ (femora I)=3; setae d on femora I situated near distal end of article; setae a’’ on tarsi I, setae a’’ and ft’’ on tarsi II straight distally; setae s and pv’ on tarsi IV and setae s on tarsi I and II present; setae l’ on genua IV reduced; setae d on tibiae IV long, independent of solenidions; all legs monodactylous.
Distribution. China (Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi).
Remark. This new species is similar to P. rotundus sp. nov., but differs by the following characters: In P. rotundus, prodorsum with two pairs of distinct dorsal carinae; lateral carina absent; genital setae with formula: 6(4+2): 3. In P. foveolatus, prodorsum without dorsal carina; lateral carinae present; genital setae with formula: 7(4+3): 2. In addition, these two species differ from each other by different shape of sensilli.
This new species is also similar to P. kugohi (Aoki, 1959), but can be easily distinguished by the following characters: In P. kugohi, lateral carinae strong and long, extend beyond sinus and reach end of rostrum; sensilli long with narrow pedicel and sickle-like head, covered with short spines; rostral setae semi-erect; genital setae with formula: 6(4+2): 3; setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them. In P. foveolatus, lateral carinae short, weakly developed, not reaching sinus; sensilli short and smooth, with narrow pedicel and rounded head; rostral setae procumbent; genital setae with formula: 7(4+3): 2; setae h of mentum longer than distance between them.
description: Published as part of Liu, Dong, Wu, Donghui & Chen, Jun, 2011, Review of Plonaphacarus (Acari: Oribatida: Steganacaridae), with descriptions of eight new species from China, pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 2739 on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.201395