Nilotonia (Cookonia) avomonina Goldschmidt 2008, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Goldschmidt, Tom
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Actinedida
Anisitsiellidae
Nilotonia
Nilotonia avomonina

description: Nilotonia (Cookonia) avomonina sp. nov.   
(Figs 112–120, Table 6)  
 Type: Holotype female, MD 106 a, Ankaratra (Antananarivo), Reserve Manjakatompo, Mont Ambohimirandrana, spring area exposition south-east (drainage Rivière Mahiavona), upper spring, 2350 m asl, 13.4 °C, 2 µS/cm, 07.10.2001, mounted.   
 Habitat: Spring at 2350 m asl.   
 Distribution: Madagascar (Central Highland – Ankaratra mountains).   
 Derivatio nominis: Avo (Malagasy) — high; monina (Malagasy) — to live; referring to the high elevation (highest sample site within the water mite samples from Madagascar) where the type locality (and only locality) is situated.   
 Diagnosis: Characters of the genus; integument lined; caudal and lateral margins of Cx-IV widely extended; postgenital sclerite widely extended, separated from secondary extension of Cx-IV by very narrow stripe of soft integument; Vgl-2 and -4 individually on large platelets; Cx-I medially approximate but not fused, Cx-III medially with slight secondary sclerotization, approximate to each other; genital field elongated trapezoid, acetabula mid-sized, elongated-oval, touching each other; sub-terminal seta on leg-IV-6 relatively short, inserted far proximal, not reaching distal tip of segment; capitulum stout, nearly rectangular; palp relatively slender, P1 without dorsal seta, P4 ventrally with small protrusion, P5 slender.   
 Description, female (n = 1): Idiosoma rounded-oval (Fig. 112); dorsum mainly covered by large plate (L/ W 775/544), including Dgl-3 to -6, Lgl-4 and post-ocular setae, colour slightly dark-purple; lateral eyes small, oval, separated on both sides, lying free under integument; Dgl-1 far anterior; soft integument around dorsal plate lined, bearing slightly extended Dgl-2, Lgl-2 and l1-4; setae of Dgl-1, -3, -4 and -5 mid-sized, setae of other glandularia small (Fig. 113); Lgl-1 fused with lateral secondary sclerotization of Cx-IV; Lgl-3 and l 5 in soft integument on ventral side, secondary sclerotization of Cx-IV forming a nearly closed, rounded ventral shield (L/W 706/755), extended also latero-dorsally of the Cx-I/II/III; Cx-I medially approximate, posterior half overlapping, but separated, postero-lateral margin of Cx-II lying over Cx-III, postero-medial margin of Cx-II lying under Cx-III; Cx-III medially approximate, medial margin of Cx-III extended by fine secondary sclerotization; suture line between Cx-III and Cx-IV incomplete, medially curved towards anterior, medial margin of Cx-IV straight to slightly concave, forming very narrow genital bay, caudal margin short, rounded, latero-caudal margin oblique towards anterior, insertion of leg-IV far anterior (Fig. 112); medial and caudal margin of Cx-IV clearly visible, lateral margin unclear; setae at postero-lateral margin of Cx-I and medial margin of Cx-III/IV very small (Fig. 112); genital bay narrow, approximate to genital field, formed by medial margins and caudal secondary sclerotization of Cx-IV as well as post-genital sclerite; genital flaps elongated, anteriorly and postero-laterally smoothly rounded, laterally nearly straight, broadened towards cauda; acetabula mid-sized, elongated-oval, slender, touching each other, Ac1 distant from anterior margin of genital flaps, Ac3 slightly distant from posterior margin; pre-genital sclerite triangular, laterally protruding genital flaps, post-genital sclerite large, greatly extended by secondary sclerotization, including setae of Vgl-1, forming caudal segment of ventral shield (Fig. 112); Vgl-3 very close to caudal margin of Cx-IV, included in secondary sclerotization of Cx-IV; Vgl-2 and Vgl-4 on relatively large, irregular platelets; excretory pore without sclerotization (Fig. 112); legs with several large setae; claws on leg-I to -III with one small dorsal and one larger ventral clawlet (Figs 114, 115), leg-IV-6 distally tapering, with two small, peg-like terminal setae (Fig. 116); capitulum very short, relatively high, dorsal and ventral margins nearly parallel (Fig. 117); chelicera strong, proximally high, claw very heavy, dorso-distally serrate (Figs 118, 119); palps slender, P1 without setae, P2 with one latero-ventral seta and six dorsal setae, ventral margin straight, P3 with one lateral and three dorsal setae, P4 distally curved, dorso-distal corner rounded, ventral setae slightly in distal half, ventral margin with slight protrusion, P5 slender, cone-shaped with long slender terminal claws (Figs 117, 120).   
 Male: Unknown   
 Remarks: The two species of Cookonia are separated by the degree of fusion of their ventral shield (postgenital plate and Cx-IV fused in N. (Cookonia) anjozorobe, not fused in N. (Cookonia) avomonina), the extent of the female dorsal plate (in N. (Cookonia) anjozorobe not including Dgl-6 and Lgl-4) and proportions of the palps and legs (slenderer in N. (Cookonia) avomonina). A sexual dimorphism similar to N. (Cookonia) anjozorobe in the extent of the ventral shield (larger in male) is found in Bharatonia Cook, 1967 from India.
description: Published as part of Goldschmidt, Tom, 2008, Taxonomical, ecological and zoogeographical studies on anisitsiellid water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Anisitsiellidae Koenike, 1910) from Madagascar, pp. 1-120 in Zootaxa 1954 (1) on pages 56-58, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1954.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5240917