Platyacarus caulifer Mironov & Literak & Sychra & Capek 2017, sp. n.
Creators: name: Mironov, Sergey V.
name: Literak, Ivan
name: Sychra, Oldrich
name: Capek, Miroslav
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Astigmata
Proctophyllodidae
Platyacarus
Platyacarus caulifer

description: Platyacarus caulifer Mironov sp. n.
(Fig. 13–15)
Type material. Male holotype (ZISP 6509), 10 male and 7 female paratypes from Glyphorynchus spirurus (Vieillot, 1819) (Furnariidae), COSTA RICA, Tapantí National Park, Sector Tapantí, Cordillera de Talamanca Mts., 09°46'N, 83°47′W, 8 August 2009, collectors I. Literak, O. Sychra and M. Capek.
Depository. Holotype, 7 male and 4 female paratypes (ZISP 6510–6520)—ZISP; 2 male and 2 female paratypes—UMMZ (BMOC-15-1028-006), 1 male and 1 female paratype—IMUCR.
Additional material. 14 males and 6 females (ZISP 6464–6483) same collection data as for the type material, except date, 7 August 2009.
Description. MALE (holotype, range for 10 paratypes in parentheses). Idiosoma, length × width, 320 (310– 325) × 140 (140–150), length of hysterosoma 215 (200–220). Prodorsal shield: entire, antero-lateral extensions rounded, lateral margins with incisions extending to bases of setae se, posterior margin with short blunt-angular median extension, 105 (100–110) in length, 95 (90–105) in width, surface with minute poorly distinct lacunae (Fig. 13 A). Setae ve absent. Bases of scapular setae se separated by 50 (47–52). Setae c2 and cp on humeral shields. Setae c3 lanceolate, 22 (20–22) × 6 (6–7.5). Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields 15 (10–15). Hysteronotal shield: 200 (195–210) in length and 75 (72–80) in width; anterior margin straight, anterior and lateral parts with poorly pronounced ovate lacunae. Supranal concavity poorly expressed, ovate, length from anterior end to anterior margin of terminal cleft 28 (25–30). Opisthosomal lobes small, roughly trapezoidal, lateral margins with truncate extension bearing bases of setae h2. Terminal cleft small semiovate, length from anterior end to level of setae h3 28 (25–28), greatest width 9 (9–12). Terminal lamellae long spatuliform, parallel-sided, rounded terminally, with wide dorsal costa, 68 (65–70) in length, 12 (11–13) in wide at base. Setae c1 and f2 absent. Setae ps1 situated near inner margins of opisthosomal lobes, approximately at level of setae h2. Setae h1 at level of supranal concavity and close to lateral margins of hysteronotal shield. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 65 (60–65), d2:e2 90 (80–90), e2:h3 52 (50–58), h2:h2 55 (55–60), h3:h3 40 (40–48), ps2:ps2 60 (60–68), h1:h3 38 (36–40), d1:d2 20 (20–22), e1:e2 38 (35–40).
Epimerites I fused into a Y, sternum about 2/3 of the total length of epimerites, slightly enlarged posteriorly (Fig. 13 B). Inner margins of epimerites II with short and blunt extension. Epimerites IVa small. Rudimentary sclerites rEpIIa present. Bases of epimerites I, II not inflated. Genital arch of moderate size, with base at midlevel of trochanters IV, 32 (30–33) long and 27 (25–28) wide; genital organ whip-shaped, 182 (180–185) long, extending to or beyond midlength of terminal lamellae (Fig. 15 A). Distance from genital arch apex to level of setae h3 140 (135–140). Bases of genital papillae touching, situated slightly posterior to genital arch apex. Paragenital apodemes represented by a pair of thin longitudinal sclerites lateral to genital arch. Antero-lateral pieces of adanal shields absent; postero-medial pieces of adanal shields flanking anal opening and bearing setae ps3. Anal field flanked laterally with wide bow-shaped adanal apodemes. Adanal suckers cylindrical, 12 (12–14) in diameter; corolla with 9 denticles similar in size. Setae 4b slightly posterior to level of setae 3a. Distance between ventral setae: 4b:3a 5 (5–8), 4b:4a 25 (22–25), 4a:g 47 (45–50), g:ps3 40 (37–40), g:g 12 (12–13), ps3:ps3 17 (17–18), ps3:h3 55 (52– 558).
Femora I, II with narrow ventral crest. Solenidion σ 1 I slightly longer than genu I and situated at its midlevel (Fig. 15 B, C). Solenidion σ of genu III situated slightly closer to base of this segment. Legs IV with ambulacral disc extending to level of setae h2. Tarsus IV 30 (28–30) long, without apical or dorsal processes; button-like seta d situated in basal half of this segment (Fig. 15 D). Solenidion φ of tibia IV extending almost to midlevel of ambulacral disc. Length of solenidia: σ 1 I 28 (25–29), σ III 15 (15–16), φ IV 38 (35–40).
FEMALE (range for 7 paratypes). Idiosoma, length × width, 435–465 × 165–180, length of hysterosoma 330– 340. Prodorsal shield: entire, anterolateral extensions rounded, lateral margins without incisions, posterior margin with blunt-angular median extension, 115–120 long and 115–130 wide, surface without ornamentation (Fig. 14 A). Setae ve absent. Bases of setae se separated by 65–70. Setae c2 and cp on humeral shields. Setae c3 lanceolate, 22– 25 × 7–7.5. Distance between prodorsal and hysteronotal shields 15–20. Hysteronotal shields completely split into anterior and lobar shields. Anterior hysteronotal shield: 220–240 in length and 950– 110 in width at anterior margin, 120–130 wide in posterior part, anterior margin straight, posterior margin slightly convex, surface with minute circular and ovate lacunae in median part. Setae c1 and f2 absent. Lobar shield: 88–100 in length and 100–110 in width. Opisthosomal lobes slightly longer than wide at base. Terminal cleft almost rectangular, lateral margins slightly convex, 62–70 in length, 16–18 in width at midlevel. Supranal concavity absent. Setae h2 with spindle-like basal enlargement and with filiform apical part, 100–110 in length, 7–7.5 in width; setae h3 45–55 in length, about 1/3 of terminal appendages. Setae h1 inserted on soft tegument between anterior hysteronotal and lobar shields. Setae ps1 on lateral margins of terminal cleft, closer to lobar apices than to level of setae h2. Distance between dorsal setae: c2:d2 80–85, d2:e2 135–140, e2:h 2 27–30, h2:h3 60–65, h1:h 2 25–30, d1:d 2 30–35, e1:e2 60–65, h1:h1 50–53, h2:h2 85–88, h2:ps 1 30–38.
Epimerites I with posterior tips connected by very thin commissure; epimerites I, II without sclerotized fields (Fig. 14 B). Epimerites IVa absent. Bases of epimerites I, II not inflated. Epigynum semicircular, thick, with acute tips extending to level of setae g, 47–53 in length, 62–68 in width, without lateral extensions. Genital papillae not connected at bases. Setae ps2 at midlevel of anal opening. Translobar apodemes fused to each other anterior to terminal cleft. Copulatory opening situated ventrally, near anterior margin of translobar apodemes, and covered with posterior ends of anal flaps. Head of spermatheca small, hemispherical; primary spermaduct slightly enlarged near head of spermatheca, distal half 3-4 times wider than proximal part; secondary spermaducts 4–5 long (Fig.15 E). Distance between pseudanal setae: ps2:ps2 60–62, ps3:ps 3 25–28, ps2:ps 3 8–10.
Legs I, II as in male. Solenidion σ of genu III situated in basal part of this segment. Legs IV with ambulacral discs extending to level of lateral extensions of lobar region. Solenidion φ of tibia IV half as long as corresponding tarsus. Length of solenidia: σ 1 I 25–32, σ III 12–15, φ III 32 –36, φ IV 17–20.
Differential diagnosis. The new species Platyacarus caulifer sp. n. strongly differs from all other Platyacarus species and therefore is referred here to a separate species group. Among previously known species, P. caulifer is probably closest to species of the oligolaccius group based on the absence of setae f 2 in both sexes and in having, in males, the terminal lamellae relatively wide and rounded apically. Platyacarus caulifer is readily differentiated from all previously known species by the following unique features: in both sexes setae c1 are absent; in males, the terminal lamellae are spatuliform, parallel-sided and about 3 times longer than wide, the anal field is flanked by large bow-shaped adanal apodemes, the aedeagus is very long and extends beyond the midlength of the terminal lamellae; in females, the enlarged distal part of the primary spermaduct (bursa copulatrix) is approximately half the length of the total spermaduct. In all other known species of the genus Platyacarus, setae c1 are present in both sexes; in males, the terminal lamellae are of a different form (triangular or narrowly lanceolate) or, if tongueshaped, are shorter (1.5–2 times longer than wide), the adanal apodemes are absent, the aedeagus is much shorter and never extends to the level of the terminal cleft; in females, the enlarged distal part of the primary spermaduct that opens into the copulatory opening is not longer than 1/8th of the total length of the spermaduct.
Etymology. The specific epithet derives from kaulos (stem, stalk, Gr.) and ferre (to carry, to bear, L.) to refer to the extraordinarily long aedeagus in male and is a noun in nominative case.
description: Published as part of Mironov, Sergey V., Literak, Ivan, Sychra, Oldrich & Capek, Miroslav, 2017, Feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Costa Rica, pp. 1-105 in Zootaxa 4297 (1) on pages 26-30, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4297.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/840212