Pediculaster lignarius Khaustov, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Khaustov, Alexander A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Prostigmata
Siteroptidae
Pediculaster
Pediculaster lignarius

description: Pediculaster lignarius Khaustov sp. nov.
(Figs. 8–11)
Description. PHORETIC FEMALE (Figs. 8–11). Length of idiosoma 280 (270–300 in 7 paratypes), width 130 (125–140).
Gnathosoma (Figs. 8–9). Gnathosoma similar to that of P. ermilovi sp. nov., but dorsal gnathosomal setae needle-like and dorsal gnathosomal apodeme absent. Setae cha 7 (7–9) subequal to chb 8 (7–8). Setae m 9 (9–10). Pharyngeal pump I small, situated inside gnathosomal capsule; pharyngeal pumps 2 and 3 well-developed, subequal, situated closely to each other (Fig. 9).
Idiosomal dorsum (Fig. 8 A). Prodorsum with 3 pairs of setae, a pair of smooth capitate trichobothria, and 1 pair of oval one-chambered stigmata. All dorsal shields with numerous small dimples. Setae e and h 2 small smooth, needle-like, other dorsal setae distinctly barbed. Setae c 2 pointed, other dorsal setae blunt-ended. Cupules ia on tergite D and ih on tergite H large, round. Cupules im on tergite EF weakly discernible. Setae e situated distinctly anteriorly to bases of setae f. Setae c 1 situated distinctly anterior to setae c 2. Length of dorsal setae: v 1 27 (26–32), v 2 24 (22–26), sc 2 53 (51–56), c 1 33 (32–42), c 2 58 (55–65), d 39 (38–43), e 7 (7–8), f 42 (42–45), h 1 36 (34–40), h 2 7 (7–8). Distances between setae: v 1– v 1 9 (9–10), v 2 –v 2 19 (18–21), sc 2 –sc 2 34 (33–36), c 1– c 1 46 (45–51), c 1– c 2 25 (23–28), d–d 77 (74–86), e–f 6 (6–8), f–f 76 (76–83), h 1– h 1 66 (65–72), h 1– h 2 5 (5–6).
Idiosomal venter (Fig. 8 B). All ventral plates with numerous small dimples. All setae of anterior and posterior sternal plates smooth, needle-like. Setae ps 2 barbed, blunt-ended. Setae ps 1 and ps 3 subequal, blunt-ended. Ap1 and ap2 well developed and joined with appr; appr and apsej well developed; ap3 well developed, arch-like. Ap4 well developed and long, ap5 absent. Posterior margin of posterior sternal plate tripartite. Posterior margin of aggenital plate almost v-shaped. Genital sclerite long and narrow, with lateral projection. Lengths of ventral setae: 1 a 10 (10–11), 1 b 14 (14–16), 1 c 13 (12–14), 2 a 14 (12–14), 2 b 14 (13–14), 2 c 9 (8–9), 3 a 12 (11–12), 3 b 10 (10–12), 3 c 15 (14–16), 4 a 11 (11–12), 4 b 16 (1517), 4 c 14 (14–15), ps 1 5 (5–6), ps 2 26 (24–26), ps 3 5 (5–6).
Legs (Figs. 10–11). Leg setation typical for genus. Leg I (Fig. 10 A). Tibiotarsus cylindrical, tarsal claw terminal. Lengths of solenidia ω 1 6 (6–7)> ω 2 5 (5–6) = φ 1 5 (5–7) = φ 2 5 (5–6); ω 2 and φ 2 baculiform, φ 1 clavate, ω 1 finger-shaped. Setae dFe spatulate distally. Setae k blunt-ended. Seate l’, l” of genu, l’ of femur and v’ of trochanter blunt-ended. Leg II (Fig. 10 B). Tarsus with padded claws bifurcate at tips and well-developed empodium. Solenidion ω 5 (5–6) finger-shaped, solenidion φ 3 (3) weakly clavate. Setae v’ of trochanter, u’ of tarsus and d of femur blunt-ended. Leg III (Fig. 11 A). Claws of same shape as on tarsus II. Solenidion φ 3 (3) weakly clavate. Setae u’ of tarsus and all setae of femur blunt-ended. Femur divided into basi- and telofemur. Leg IV (Fig. 11 B). Tarsal claws simple, empodium small. Solenidion φ 3 (3), weakly clavate. Setae v’ of trochanter, d of femur, d and v” of tibia blunt-ended. Femur divided into basi- and telofemur.
MALE and LARVA unknown.
Type material. Female holotype, slide AK 170514, RUSSIA, Tyumen Province, vicinity of Tyumen, in rotten log of birch (Betula pendula), 57o09’50.5” N, 65o27’24.2” E, 17 May 2014, coll. A.A. Khaustov; paratypes: 7 phoretic females, same data.
Etymology. The name of the new species is referring to habitat of a new species in the rotten wood.
Differential diagnosis. Phoretic females of a new species are most similar to P. mesembrinae (Canestrini, 1881) based on redescription of P. mesembrinae by Camerik et al. (2006) by the absence of apodemes 5, three pairs of setae on coxal fields I and II, one-chambered stigmata, subequal and smooth setae e and h 1, subequal setae 2 a and 2 b, setae c 2 distinctly longer than c 1. It differs from P. mesembrinae by the position of setae e distinctly anterior to bases of setae f (vs. situated slightly posterior to bases of setae f in P. mesembrinae) and by the position of setae c 1 distinctly anterior to setae c 2 (vs. situated distinctly posterior to c 2).
description: Published as part of Khaustov, Alexander A., 2015, Two new species of the genus Pediculaster (Acari: Pygmephoridae) from Western Siberia, Russia, pp. 413-429 in Zootaxa 3926 (3) on pages 422-425, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3926.3.6, http://zenodo.org/record/245190