Aleurodamaeus prominens, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Sarcoptiformes
Aleurodamaeidae
Aleurodamaeus
Aleurodamaeus prominens

description: Aleurodamaeus prominens sp. nov.   
(Figs 13 B, 14)  
 Specific diagnosis. Aleurodamaeus prominens sp. nov. has a very strong, prominent discidium and long setae h1 and p1.   
 Measurements. Length: females (n = 5) mean 591 (range 569–620), males (n = 5) mean 549 (range 543–555). Width: females mean 341 (range 318–365), males mean 311 (range 302–322). Holotype (female): length 584, width 342.   
 Integument (Figs 14 A, 13B). Prodorsum and notogaster covered by cerotegument and cerotegumental granules; cerotegument on notogaster arranged in four thin bands and in a mass anteriorly, on discidium and on posterior end, on prodorsum cerotegument laterally in lamellar region; all body setae (except in, genital and anal) and sensillus covered with granules, sensillus with spine-like cerotegument, legs and leg setae covered by granules, granules in bands especially seen on Ti I; body surface smooth; exuvial scalps not found.   
 Prodorsum (Fig. 14 A, D). Rostrum rounded in dorsal view, slightly projecting forward in lateral view; ro (79) and le (82) slender, smooth, curving inward, ro inserted ventrally to le, almost in the same line, a thin line between le and le; in (13) spiniform, thickened, ex long (43), very thin, inserted anterior-laterally to bothridium; le, in, ex inserted on tubercles, tubercle of ex very distinct; ss long (167), slender, smooth; two distinct internal apophysis in the form of square brackets “[]” dorsolaterally between interlamellar and lamellar regions.   
 Notogaster (Fig. 14 A, C, D). Convex in lateral view; the ‘rim’ not completely around the entire notogaster in dorsal view; a distinct discidium present between insertion of leg III and IV; lyrrifissures ia, im, ip, ih and ips present (10); four pairs of notogastral setae on posterior edge, setae h1, p1 long (h1 = 125, p1 = 173), other setae shorter (p2 = 65, p3 = 43), seta p 1 in a question mark shape (“?”) in dorsal view, seta p2 bending medially, setae h1, p1 and p2 on tubercles, tubercle of p2 small.   
 Gnathosoma. Subcapitulum longer than wide, hypostomal setae a, m, h densely barbed; chelicera and palp similar to A. vicinus sp. nov. (Fig. 6 E, F).   
 Epimeral region (Fig. 14 B). Sejugal apodeme well developed, other apodemes shorter, number of setae on epimeres (from I to IV) 3-1-3-3, all epimeral setae very thin, smooth, setae 1b, 1c, 3c, 4c longer (52-62) than 1a, 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b (20-39); Sp distinct.   
 Anogenital region (Fig. 14 B). Genital plates often with a vertical fold; genital setae spiniform, almost in a straight line, g2 posterior-laterally to g1, g1 longer (14) than other setae (9); an spiniform, an1 (32) longer than an2 (14); ad, ag similar to epimeral setae, ag (32), ad2 (39) longer than ad3 (31).   
 Legs (Fig. 13 B). Leg I, IV as long as body, leg IV (584) ~ leg I (584)> leg III (481)> leg II (375); claws of legs becoming progressively larger from leg I to IV; legs similar to A. salvadordalii sp. nov. (Table 1, Fig. 3 A–D); setae on tarsi, tibiae and genua with barbs, on femora only seta d with barbs.   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word ‘prominens’ meaning ‘prominent’ or ‘projecting’ and refers to the prominent discidium.   
 Type material and collection data. The holotype and 10 paratypes were sampled in the Fynbos biome in the Western Cape, between Sedgefield and Karatara (33º58’S, 22º49’E) in dense wooded vegetation on the edge of the forest by L. Coetzee on 28.xii.2012 (indicated with a filled diamond, Fig. 10). The holotype (NMB 4580.1.1) and six paratypes (NMB 4580.1) are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Four paratypes are deposited in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany (SMNK-ORIB 0503).   
Although a number of specimens with a prominent discidium (sampled across South Africa) were found in the collection, most of the notogastral setae were broken off, and a definitive identification of these specimens could not be made.
description: Published as part of Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2013, New species of Aleurodamaeus Grandjean, 1954 (Oribatida: Aleurodamaeidae) from South Africa, pp. 531-556 in Zootaxa 3670 (4) on pages 552-554, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3670.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/217577