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

description: Aleurodamaeus vicinus sp. nov.   
(Figs 5, 6)  
 Specific diagnosis. Aleurodamaeus vicinus sp. nov. can be differentiated from its congeners by the following characteristics: the notogaster is flat to convex in the middle; thick, mass-like cerotegumental granules on setae h1 and p1, and also on the legs and leg setae; setae p2 and p3 very close together, their alveoli almost touching each other; hypostomal seta h directed medially.   
 Measurements. Length: females (n = 5) mean 539 (range 520–550), males (n = 5) mean 495 (range 491–505). Width: females mean 284 (range 272–295), males mean 256 (range 253–262). Holotype (female): length 525, width 276.   
 Integument (Figs 5 A, 6B). Body covered by cerotegument consisting of spherical granules and a cerotegumental mass anterior and posterior of the notogaster and anterior on prodorsum, all setae (except in, genital and anal setae) and sensillus thickly covered with cerotegumental granules, setae h1 and p1 characteristically very thickly covered with granules, parts of the legs and setae on legs thickly covered with granules, almost forming a mass of cerotegemunt, sensillus with spine-like cerotegument; body surface smooth; exuvial scalps absent.   
 Prodorsum (Fig. 5 A, D). Rostrum rounded in dorsal view, slightly projecting in lateral view; ro (66) and le (74) long and slender, curving inward, ro inserted posterior-ventrally to le, le close to lateral margin of prodorsum, in short (7), spiniform, le, in on small tubercles, ex (17) very thin, inserted anterior to bothridium, almost at the level of in, ss (130) long, slender, smooth.   
 Notogaster (Fig. 5 A, C, D). In lateral view notogaster flat to convex; distinct wide rim around the notogaster in dorsal view; lyrifissures ia, im, ip, ih and ips distinct, of similar length (9); four pairs of notogastral setae on posterior edge, setae thin, smooth, setae h1 and p1 on distinct tubercles, seta p1 (68) slightly longer than h1 (60), seta p 1 in the form of a question mark (“?”), setae p2 and p3 of similar length (14) shorter than h1 or p1, not on tubercles, very close together (looks like both are inserted in a large alveolus in dorsal view); Sp present.   
 Gnathosoma (Figs 5 B, 6E, F). Subcapitulum longer than wide, hypostomal setae a, h, m, barbed, seta h with dense granular cerotegument, strongly directed medially; chelicera chelate-dentate, seta cha longer than chb, barbed, palpal setation 0-2-1-3-9 (+1w); setae on first three segments lightly barbed.   
 Epimeral region (Fig. 5 B). Apodeme II well developed, number of setae on epimeres (from I to IV) 3-1-3-3, all epimeral setae thin, smooth, setae 1a, 1c, 2a and 3a shortest (10–11), 3b, 3c longer (14–16) and 1b, 4a, 4b, 4c longest (18–24).   
 Anogenital region (Fig. 5 B). Genital setae, short, in a more or less straight row, g1 longer (24) than the rest (6– 13), g1 curving medially, seta g7 on posterior edge of genital plates, anal setae, short, spiniform, an2 (12) shorter than an1 (15), ag slender, long (32) similar to epimeral setae, ad of similar length (18–19); lyrifissure iad not evident.   
 Legs (Fig. 6 A–D). Leg IV (456)> leg I (404)> leg III (373)> leg II (299); claws of legs becoming progressively larger from leg I to IV; leg setal formula similar to A. salvadordalii sp. nov. (Table 1); all genua and tibia II–IV with dorso-distal projections, form of solenidia similar to A. salvadordalii sp. nov. except solenidia ω1 and ω2 on Ts II further apart; the chitin-like structure around the famulus in the shape of an ‘H’; setae on tarsi with very strong barbs, setae v’ and l’ on Tr III and IV of medium length, shorter than A. salvadordalii sp. nov..   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin ‘vicinus’, meaning ‘neighbor’, ‘near’ or ‘adjacent’ and refers to notogastral setae p2 and p3 being very close to each other.   
 Type material. The holotype and 10 paratypes were sampled in the savanna biome, in KwaZulu-Natal at Cape Vidal State Forest (28º02’S, 32º32’E) in an indigenous forest by J.P. Eksteen, 9.xi.1993. The holotype (NMB 3737.9.1) and six paratypes (NMB 3737.9) 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 0496).   
 Collection data. This species occurs mostly in the western part of South Africa. For distribution of A. vicinus sp. nov. see Fig. 4, indicated by filled triangles.   
 Grassland biome: near Winterton KZN (28º46’S, 29º28’E, humid and decomposed grass); between Pomeroy and Dundee KZN (28º11’S, 30º16’E, slightly humid soil under cabbage trees); Umzimkulu District KZN (30º18’S, 29º56’E, moist soil and decomposed plant debris); between Ixopo and Umzimkulu KZN (30º13’S, 29º59’E, humid soil and decomposed leaf litter under dense indigenous shrubs); Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve, near Theunissen FS (28º30’S, 26º48’E, grassland vegetation), Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve FS (28º15’S, 27º08’E, grassland vegetation); Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biome: Port Shepstone KZN (30º44’S, 30º27’E, humid soil and decomposed leaf litter under dense indigenous trees); St Lucia Mission Rocks KZN (28º02’S, 32º32’E, coastal dune forest, Acacia trees and open grassland); St Lucia Mission Rocks KZN (28º16’S, 32º29’E, edge of pine forest ); Mapelane KZN (28º26’S, 32º20’E, costal dune vegetation); St Lucia Dukuduku KZN (28º26’S, 32º13’E, indigenous riverine and coastal forest, surrounded by pine trees); St Lucia Fanie’s Island KZN (28º11’S, 32º27’E, coastal dune forest on western shore); Savanna biome: near Sodwana Lake KZN (27º32’S, 32º40’E, decomposed grass litter in sandy soil); Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve KZN (30º22’S, 30º35’E, humid soil and decomposed plant debris under banana trees); Lenyenye LP (23º57’S, 30º15’E, dry loam soil with decomposed leaf litter under indigenous trees); The Downs LP (24º06’S, 30º08’E, slightly moist loamy soil with decomposed plant material).
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 538-541, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3670.4.7, http://zenodo.org/record/217577