Mahnertellina paradoxa Kontschán 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kontschán, Jenő
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Mesostigmata
Eutrachytidae
Mahnertellina
Mahnertellina paradoxa

description: Mahnertellina paradoxa sp. nov.
Figs 1-16
Specimens examined: MHNG; female holotype and 1 female paratype; “ Afrique Occidentale: Côte d’Ivoire, forêt de Tai, environs de la station, tamisage de bois mort”; 20 October 1980; leg. V. Mahnert and J.L. Perret.
Etymology: The epithet, an adjective, refers to the unusual character states of the new species.
Diagnosis: Same as for the genus.
Description of female: Dorsal idiosoma (Figs 1, 13-15). Idiosoma yellowish brown, triangular, with two posterior processes, 1290-1300 long and 715-720 wide (n=2), all setae on dorsal idiosoma smooth and needlelike. A pair of robust (110-115 long and 60-70 wide) idiosomal processes situated on posterolateral margin of body, these bearing six to seven 100-105 long setae (Fig. 4). Dorsal and marginal shields completely fused in anterior area. Dorsal shield covered by small (8×7) oval pits almost on whole surface except for narrow strips close to its lateral margins. Dorsal shield with 24-25 pairs of dorsal setae, these about 95-110 long and associated with gland pores (Fig. 5). Caudal area of dorsal shield with an elevated, rounded area bearing a pair of about 105-108 long setae. Two pairs of setae (about 103-108 long) situated on caudal margin of dorsal shield lateral to the elevated area. Marginal shields reduced at level of posterolateral processes, with reticulate sculptural pattern (Fig. 3). Thirty-nine to forty pairs of about 107-115 long setae presented on marginal shields and situated on small protuberances. Pygidial region unsclerotized, with soft membraneous integument, lacking scutal elements.
Ventral idiosoma (Figs 2, 16). Base of tritosternum narrow, with two anterolateral humps; tritosternal lacinia three-tined, lateral tines each with a small medial spine and pointed, central tine slightly longer and smooth (Fig. 6). Sternal shield with two anterior incisions and without sculptural pattern. Sternal setae st1-st3 minute (about 13-17), st4 (about 114-120) and st5 (about 60-70) longer. All sternal setae smooth and needle-like. Setae st1 situated close to each other and close to anterior margin of genital shield, st2 close to st1, st3 at level of anterior margin of coxae III, st4 at level of anterior margin of coxae IV, and st5 close to posterior edge of genital shield. Two pairs of lyriform fissures and three pairs of gland pores situated around st5. One pair of large fields of oval pits situated posterior to coxae IV, and another pair of large fields of oval pits visible lateral to anal opening on ventral shield. Eight pairs of smooth and long (about 95-130) ventral setae in three groups situated on ventral shield. Three pairs of setae (JV1, ZV1, ZV2) placed anterior to first fields of oval pits, two pairs (JV3, ZV3) posterior to these fields, three pairs (JV4, JV5, ZV4) of strongly curved setae present lateral to anal opening. Anal opening very small (about 20-24×19-22), two pairs of long (about 135-145), smooth and needle-like adanal setae present; postanal seta absent. Genital shield about 245-250 long and about 180-185 wide, scutiform, its anterior margin straight, not pointed as in other eutrachytid mites, its surface smooth. Tracheal stigmata situated between coxae II and III; prestigmatic section of peritremes long, with two anterior bends, poststigmatic part short and straight. Leg grooves (pedofossae) absent. Gnathosoma (Fig. 7). Corniculi horn-like, internal malae markedly longer than corniculi and apically pilose. Hypostomal setae h1 long (about 135-140 in length), smooth and needle-like; h2, h3 and h4 shorter (about 22- 33) and marginally serrate. Setae v1 on palp trochanter robust, serrate and situated on a long and apically curved process. Setae v2 on palp trochanter marginally serrate, other setae on palp smooth. Epistome apically pilose and densely serrate (Fig. 8). Fixed digit of chelicerae longer than movable digit, other details not visible without breaking the type specimens.
Legs (Figs 9-12). Legs I 570-585 long, legs II 685-690, legs III 645-655, legs IV 900-910. Legs I without tarsal claws. Leg setae mostly smooth and needle-like.
description: Published as part of Kontschán, Jenő, 2020, A second species of the family Eutrachytidae (Acari: Uropodina) in Africa: Mahnertellina paradoxa gen. nov., sp. nov. from the Ivory Coast, pp. 75-81 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (1) on pages 76-79, DOI: 10.35929/RSZ.0007, http://zenodo.org/record/5743545