Xystonotus (Xystonotus) phytotelmaticola Pesic, n. sp.
Creators: name: Pešić, Vladimir
name: Piccoli, Gustavo Cauê De Oliveira
name: Araújo, Marcel Santos De
name: Rezende, José Marcos
name: Gonçalves, Ana Zangirolame
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Mideopsidae
Xystonotus
Xystonotus phytotelmaticola

description: Xystonotus (Xystonotus) phytotelmaticola Pešić n. sp.
(Figs. 1A–H, 2A–B)
Type series. Holotype male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid, Brazil, São Paulo, Cananéia, Ilha do Cardoso, 25°04′ 16′′ S, 47°55′23′′ W, in Vrisea procera (Martius ex Schultes f.), xii.2011 col. Ana Zangirolame. Paratype: one male, same data as holotype.
Diagnosis. Male (Female unknown). Dorsal shield with U-shaped area of smaller pores only slightly raised laterally, not reaching caudal margin of dorsal shield, more close to each other in the middle part; gnathosomal bay V-shaped; a short ridge extending anterolaterally from suture line between Cx-III and Cx-IV; Cxgl–2 anterior to gonopore, the gland portion absent; three pairs of acetabula; swimming setae absent; I–L-6 slender (L/H ratio 3.0); P-4 stout (L/H ratio 2.1) with an enlarged, forward-directed tubercle bearing two small setae.
Description. Male (holotype, in parentheses some measurements of paratype): Idiosoma (ventral view: Fig. 1B) L/ W 506 (494)/451 (459). Dorsal shield (Figs. 1A, 2A) L/W 453/400, ratio 1.13; gnathosomal bay L 81; gonopore L/W 55/ 28, ratio 1.96; ejaculatory complex (Fig. 1H) L 166. Palp (Figs. 1C–D): total L 169; L/H, L/H ratio: P-1, 22/23, 0.94; P- 2, 42/39, 1.08; P-3, 32/33, 0.98; P-4, 52/25, 2.09; P-5, 21/9, 2.4; gnathosoma vL 75; chelicera total L 89, maximum H 39, L/H ratio 2.25, basal segment L 54, claw L 41, L basal segment/claw ratio 1.3. Legs: dL of I–L-3–6 (Fig. 1F): 57, 54, 74, 90; I–L-6 H 30, I–L-6 dL/H ratio 3.0; dL of IV–L-1–6 (Fig. 1G): 68, 63, 64, 85, 119, 114.
Female: Unknown.
Etymology. Named for its occurrence in bromeliad phytotelmata (singular phytotelm = “ plant that holds water ”).
Remarks. The only Xystonotus species known fom the Neotropical region, X. mexicana (Cook, 1980) from Mexico differs from the new species in the V-shaped area on the dorsal shield opening in a wider angle, more distanced to each other in the middle part, leaving a broader medial, and narrower lateral area; P-4 comparatively slender, with a small dorsal hump and I–L-6 being more stout (L/H ratio 2.2, calculated from figure, see Cook 1980: fig. 1595).
Distribution. Brazil; only known from the type locality.
Habitat. The mites were found in the water-filled leaf axils of the epiphytic bromeliad Vriesea procera (Martius ex Schultes f.). A diverse aquatic arthropod fauna is associated with this bromeliad species, composed mainly of aquatic insect larvae of several groups such as dipterans (Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae, Psychodidae, Culicidae, Corethrellidae, Tabanidae and others), beetles (Scirtidae, Hydrophillidae and Dytiscidae) and damselflies (Coenagrionidae), but also small non-insect invertebrates, such as Crustacea (ostracods), Annelida (oligochaetes) and mites (Mideopsidae—described in this study).
description: Published as part of Pešić, Vladimir, Piccoli, Gustavo Cauê De Oliveira, Araújo, Marcel Santos De, Rezende, José Marcos & Gonçalves, Ana Zangirolame, 2015, A new species of Xystonotus Wolcott, 1900 (Acari, Hydrachnidia, Mideopsidae) from bromeliad phytotelmata in Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, pp. 147-150 in Zootaxa 3981 (1) on pages 149-150, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3981.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/244953