Spatulaphorus reductus Khaustov, Frolov & Akhmetova, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Khaustov, Alexander A.
name: Frolov, Andrey V.
name: Akhmetova, Lilia A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Pygmephoridae
Spatulaphorus
Spatulaphorus reductus

description: Spatulaphorus reductus sp. nov.
(Figs 21–24)
Description. FEMALE. Body weakly sclerotized. Length of idiosoma 155 (150–175), width 105 (100–110).
Gnathosoma. Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, subrectangular, length 19 (19–21), width 23 (20–23). Dorsum with one pair of pointed cheliceral setae (cha) 10 (6–10). Dorsal median apodeme present, poorly developed. Postpalpal setae (pp) 4 (5) baculiform, situated laterad setae cha. Ventral gnathosoma with one pair of smooth, pointed subcapitular setae m 8 (8–9) and round pits n situated posteriad m. Palps with smooth and pointed setae dFe 7 (6–7) and dGe 8 (8–13) dorsolaterally. Palps ventrally each with mushroom-like accessory setigenous structure (ass) and tiny solenidion ω. Palps terminated with small blunt-tipped tibial claw and tiny eupathid-like seta. Pharyngeal pumps poorly visible.
Idiosomal dorsum (Figs 21A, 24A). All dorsal shields smooth. Prodorsal shield with three pairs of setae (v1, v2, sc2), one pair of weakly barbed capitate trichobothria (sc1) and one pair of oval stigmata. Stigmata associated with well-developed tracheal trunks. Setae e, h1 and h2 pointed; other dorsal setae blunt-tipped; all dorsal setae barbed. Alveoli of setae e and f distinctly separated. Cupules ia on tergite D, im on tergite EF and ih on tergite H large, round; im much larger than subequal ia and ih. Lengths of dorsal setae: v1 21 (20–22), v2 16 (15–17), sc2 30 (30–33), c1 21 (21–23), c2 33 (30–33), d 24 (24–25), e 20 (19–20), f 25 (25–27), h1 36 (33–36), h2 20 (13–20). Distances between setae: v1–v1 19 (18–20), v2–v2 34 (32–35), sc2–sc2 32 (32–36), c1–c1 32 (32–35), c1–c2 20 (19–21), d–d 43 (43–52), e–f 6 (6–9), f–f 36 (36–39), h1–h1 37 (36–43), h1–h2 5 (5–6).
Idiosomal venter (Figs 21B, 24B). All ventral plates smooth.All ventral setae pointed; setae ps1-3 barbed, other ventral setae smooth. Bases of setae ps3 situated slightly anteriad bases of setae ps1-2; alveoli of setae ps1 and ps2 clearly separated. Ap1 and ap2 well-developed and joined with thick appr; apsej absent; ap3 not evident; ap4 well developed, exceeding beyond bases of setae 3b; ap5 absent.Ags small, cup-like; pgs small, oval. Posterior margin of posterior sternal plate straight in middle part. Posterior margin of aggenital plate rounded. Lengths of ventral setae: 1a 12 (11–12), 1b 14 (14–16), 1с 13 (13–15), 2a 11 (11–13), 2с 12 (11–12), 3a 14 (13–14), 3b 12 (12–13), 3c 14 (13–14), 4a 13 (10–13), 4b 15 (15–16), 4c 16 (12–16), ps1 13 (12–13), ps2 13 (12–13), ps3 16 (15–16).
Legs (Figs 22, 23). Setation of legs as in S. brevisetosus except presence of solenidia φ on tibiae II-III and absence of seta pl” on tarsus IV. Leg I (Fig. 22A). Tibiotarsus enlarged, with large and thick claw; tibiotarsus internally with oval strongly sclerotized structure near solenidion φ2. Setae (u) consolidated into a horn-like structure opposing claw. Tarsal claw blunt-tipped. Seta d of femur spatulate, with short subterminal projection. Setae l’ of femur and k of tibiotarsus smooth, other leg setae (except eupathidia p’, p”, tc’, tc”, ft’, ft”) barbed. Setae l’ of femur and k of tibiotarsus weakly blunt-tipped; other leg setae (except eupathidia) pointed. Lengths of solenidia ω1 6 (6), ω2 3 (3), φ1 5 (5), φ2 4 (4); solenidia ω1 and φ1 thick, clavate; other solenidia weakly clavate. Leg II (Fig. 22B). Tarsus with simple claws and pad-like empodium. Solenidion ω 6 (5–6) weakly clavate, solenidion φ 2 (2) very short. All leg setae barbed and pointed. Leg III (Fig. 23A). Femur divided into basi- and telofemur. Claws and empodium of same shape as on tarsus II. All leg setae barbed and pointed; solenidion φ very small (less than 0.5). Leg IV (Fig 23B). Femur divided into basi- and telofemur. Claws and empodium as on tarsi II and III. All leg setae barbed and pointed; external part of solenidion φ absent, but subcuticular very small cup-shaped structure situated at typical insertion point of solenidion.
MALE unknown.
Type material. Female holotype, slide ZISP T-Pygm-015 Argentina, Santiago Del Estero, Salado River, on Parataenius simulator (Harold); paratypes: same locality data, 47 females on 9 Parataenius simulator beetles; 38 females on 7 Ataenius picinus Harold beetles; 8 females on 2 Ataenius clavatus Schmidt beetles; 5 females on one Ataenius platensis (Blanchard) beetle. All host beetles are housed in ZIN.
Type deposition. The holotype and four paratypes are deposited in the collection of Zoological Institute of RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia; other paratypes are deposited in the collection of the Tyumen State University Museum of Zoology, Tyumen, Russia.
Differential diagnosis. The new species significantly differs from other species of the genus Spatulaphorus in having tarsus IV with five setae (pl” absent) and the alveoli of setae ps1 and ps2 clearly separated. In other species of Spatulaphorus tarsus IV has six setae (pl” present) and the alveoli of setae ps1-2 are contiguous.
Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from Latin reductus meaning reduced, and refers to reduced number of setae on tarsus IV.
description: Published as part of Khaustov, Alexander A., Frolov, Andrey V. & Akhmetova, Lilia A., 2024, Seven new species of Spatulaphorus Rack (Acari: Pygmephoridae) phoretic on scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), pp. 337-368 in Zootaxa 5497 (3) on pages 357-361, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5497.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/13618611