Tectoribates campestris Behan-Pelletier & Walter, 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M.
name: Walter, David E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Oribatellidae
Tectoribates
Tectoribates campestris

description: Tectoribates campestris sp. nov.
(Figs. 11F, 12)
Material examined. Holotype, adult female, USA, Kansas, Konza LTER, US-UK grassland Project, Site B4, 4 yr. burn cycle, 18.v.1999, 39° 4.78N 96° 35.847W (V. Behan-Pelletier) from rocky slope with Baptesia, deposited in the CNC, type number 24150. Paratypes, 8 with same data as holotype; with same data as holotype, except, 4 from upper litter and soil in depression; 3 from seep in depression; Konza LTER, Gallery Forest along King Creek, 39°04N 96°35W, 19.v.1999 (V. Behan-Pelletier & M. St.John) 2 from litter and soil under riparian grasses; Canada, Ontario, Almonte, Alvar burnt Lands, 26.vi.1990 (V. Behan-Pelletier & B. Eamer) 4 from Penstamon, Campanula under Juniper. Paratypes deposited in the CNC, PMAE.IZ, USNM and RNC.
Diagnosis. Adult. Total length 280–300. Integument with micropuncta between genital and anal plates subequal in size, though more spaced than micropuncta on rest of body. Rostral margin dentate, with medial small U-shaped indentation. Notogaster anteriorly with distinct hexagonal pattern. Octotaxic system expressed as saccules about 5 in diameter. Notogastral setae slightly roughened, 13–21, with seta c longest; mutual distance of h1–h1 about 15, of p1–p1 about 30. Lamella 75–78 long, of which cusp 43–47; about 16 wide at level of insertion of seta le. Lamellar cleft extending posteriorly about 14 from region of attachment of lamella to prodorsum; distance between lamellae in this region (width of cleft) about 2. Lamellar cusp with short tapered medial and lateral dentes, 11–16 and 10–14 long, respectively. Lamellar seta arising anteriorly on cusp, about 41 long. Bothridial seta clubshaped, 49–57. Tutorium 68–73 long, of which cusp 21–26. Custodium about 12 long. Epimeral seta 1c 26–30.
Description. Adults. Dimensions: Total length: females (n = 7) 298 (290–300); males (n = 7) 292 (range 290– 300). Notogastral width: females (n = 6) 191 (185–200); males (n = 6) 186 (range 175–190).
Integument: Prodorsum, notogaster, pedotecta, anal plates, genital plates, venter and mentum punctate; puncta between genital and anal plates subequal in size, more widely spaced than puncta elsewhere on body. Lamellae, pedotectum, mentum, coxisternal region with fine irregular striae; tutorial cusp with distinct striae. Rostrum without distinct striae close to medial indentation.
Prodorsum: Rostrum with distinct, convex medial crest proximally, rostral margin dentate, with medial small U-shaped indentation. Rostrum without deep groove ventral to seta ro. Lamella 75–78 long, of which cusp 43–47; about 16 wide at level of insertion of seta le. Lamellar cusps parallel and closely adjacent medially. Lamellar cleft extending posteriorly about 14 from region of attachment of lamella to prodorsum; distance between lamellae in this region (width of cleft) about 2. Lamellar cusp with two short, tapered dentes; medial dens longer than lateral dens, 11–16 and 10–14 long, respectively. Seta ro 44–54 long, strongly barbed along length, acuminate, curved anteromedially. Lamellar seta arising anteriorly on cusp, about 41 long, heavily barbed, acuminate distally. Seta in about 72 long, barbed (subequally to le), acuminate; mutual distance about 23–33. Bothridial seta club-shaped, 49– 57, head directed slightly anteromedially (Fig. 12). Seta ex 16–23. Dorsophragmata separate.
Lateral region of podosoma: Tutorium 60–72 long, of which cusp 21–26, extending anterior of insertion of rostral seta. Custodium about 12 long. Porose area Al about 8 in diameter (difficult to see because of proximal position close to base of tutorium).
Notogaster: Longer than wide: 1.2:1. Anteriorly with distinct hexagonal pattern (Figs. 11F, 12). Octotaxic system expressed as saccules about 5 in diameter (Fig. 11F, insert). Notogastral setae slightly roughened, 10–21 long, with seta c longest; lm posteromediad Sa and lp anteromediad S1; mutual distance of h1–h1 about 15, of p1–p1 about 30.
Ventral Region: Epimeral setae mostly 7–15 long, weakly barbed, with 1c more heavily barbed, and thicker than other epimeral setae, 26–30. Genital, aggenital, anal and adanal setae weakly barbed; genital setae about 12, other setae about 6. Genital setae 2+4 or 3+3. Lyrifissure iad anterolateral of anal plate. Postanal porose area about 11 x 5.
Gnathosoma: Axillary saccule at base of palp 6 x 2. Mentum with small tecta, anterolateral of seta h. Relative lengths of setae: m>a>h.
Legs: Setae l” of genu and tibia I more barbed than other setae on these segments, that of genu I spinose; about 13 and 17, respectively. Small knob lateral of solenidia on tibia I.
Immatures. Unknown.
Etymology. The specific epithet campestris comes from the Latin meaning ‘associated with fields’ and refers to the distribution of this species in grassland.
Remarks. This species is most similar to the type species Tectoribates proximus with which it shares notogastral saccules and a dentate rostral margin. It differs in having: medial and lateral dentes on the lamellar cusps subequal in length or with the medial dens slightly longer (medial shorter than lateral in T. proximus); an epimeral setation of 3-1-2-3 (3-1-3- 3 in T. proximus according to Bernini 1973); a shorter body length, 280–300 (315–335 in T. proximus).
Populations from the Konza Tallgrass prairie site collected in May 1999 had a sex ratio of 1:1. The only study of population dynamics and reproduction in Tectoribates is that of Smelyansky (2006) who studied characteristics of reproduction in field populations of T. ornatus from the Trans-Volga region of the Russian steppe during June to August. He found that gravid females decreased from over 80% of female specimens collected to 0% during the 3 months, while sex ratio changed from 21% male to 62% male.
description: Published as part of Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M. & Walter, David E., 2013, Phylogenetic relationships of Tectoribates: nymphal characters of new North American species place the genus in Tegoribatidae (Acari, Oribatida), pp. 459-489 in Zootaxa 3741 (4) on pages 479-481, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3741.4.2, http://zenodo.org/record/247812