Athyreacarus indicus Khaustov & Frolov 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Khaustov, Alexander A.
name: Frolov, Andrey V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Trombidiformes
Athyreacaridae
Athyreacarus
Athyreacarus indicus

description: Athyreacarus indicus sp. nov.
(Figs 1–7)
Description. Female. Body broadly fusiform. Length of idiosoma 415 (400–465), width 250 (230–280).
Gnathosoma (Figs 6C, D, 7D). Gnathosomal capsule, excluding palps, almost oval, length 65 (60–66), width 71 (69–72). One pair of barbed, blunt-ended cheliceral setae cha 30 (27–31). Postpalpal setae (pp) 9 (8–9) blunt-ended, with tiny subapical barbs. Setae m 19 (17–20) and n 59 (57–63) pointed. Setae m smooth, n barbed. Setae dFe 23 (21–26) and dGe 40 (35–43) weakly barbed; setae dFe blunt-ended, dGe pointed. Tibial claw slightly hooked, with distinct basal projection (Fig. 7D). Pharynx typical for the genus.
Idiosomal dorsum (Figs 1A, 4A, 5A, C, 6A, B, 7A). All dorsal shields with numerous sparsely distributed dimples. Hysterosomal shields D and EF relatively narrow, not covering approximately 1/3 of hysterosomal dorsum. Prodorsal shield with lateral projections. Setae sc 1 completely absent. Setae v 2 and e blunt-ended, other dorsal setae pointed; setae sc 2, c 1, c 2, and d smooth or with few very small barbs, other dorsal setae clearly barbed. Cupules ia on tergite D and im, ip on tergite EF small, round; cupules ih absent. Tergites C, D, and EF with pore-like structures typical for the genus. Stigmata oval (Fig. 7A). Pseudanal segment shorter than tergite H. Lengths of dorsal setae: v 1 75 (73–79), v 2 29 (25–31), sc 2 125 (120–150), c 1 125 (120-130), c 2 155 (145–160), d 125 (120–135), e 27 (25–40), f 135 (125–140), h 1 105 (96–110), h 2 93 (82–100). Distances between setae: v 1 –v 1 48 (45–49), v 2 –v 2 70 (69–77), sc 2 –sc 2 92 (88–105), c 1 – c 1 76 (75–93), c 1 – c 2 54 (50–62), d–d 95 (86–105), e–e 75 (67–81), f–f 83 (75–92), h 1 – h 1 62 (58–66), h 1 – h 2 17 (13–18).
Idiosomal venter (Figs 1B, 4B, 5B, D–F, 7B, C). All ventral plates with numerous dimples. Setae 3b, 4a, and 4b smooth, other ventral setae weakly barbed. Setae 1 b, 2 c, 3 a, ps 1-3 blunt-ended, other ventral setae pointed.Ap5 short, located near base of legs IV. Aggenital plate usually with three pairs of aggenital setae (Fig. 5D), in some specimens one seta from setal pair absent (Figs 5 E, 7C) or only two pairs of aggenital setae present (Fig. 5F). In some specimens one seta from pseudanal setal pair absent (Fig. 1A). Anal opening terminal. Length of mid-sternal plate 77 (61–80), width 42 (38–42); ratio length/width 1.6–1.8. Lengths of ventral setae: 1 a 48 (42–55), 1 b 18 (13–19), 1 c 32 (30–38), 2 a 61 (55–70), 2 b 44 (37–51), 2 c 19 (18–21), 3 a 18/24 (17–26), 3 b 51 (46–58), 3 c 42 (36–49), 4 a 52 (37–62), 4 b 57 (44–65), 4 c 33 (31–39), ag 1 46 (40–55), ag 2 52 (44–60), ag 3 62 (43–68), ps 1 55 (50–66), ps 2 61 (57–70), ps 3 41 (38–58).
Legs (Figs 2, 3). Leg I (Fig. 2A): setae l’, v” of femur, d, l’, v’, v” of genu, l’, v” of tibia, and pl” of tarsus weakly barbed, other leg setae smooth; setae l’, v’ of femur, v’ of genu, v’ and k of tibia blunt-ended, other leg setae (except eupathidia) pointed; lengths of solenidia ω 1 13 (13–14), ω 2 9 (9–10), φ 1 12 (12–13), φ 2 8 (8–10); all solenidia digitiform. Leg II (Figs 2B): solenidia ω 10 (10–12) and φ 9 (9–10) digitiform; setae v’ of trochanter, d, v” of femur, (u) and tc” of tarsus smooth, other leg setae weakly barbed; seta l’ of femur blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed. Leg III (Fig. 3A) similar in shape and length to leg II; solenidion φ 10 (9–10) digitiform; all leg setae pointed; setae d, v’ of femur, d of tibia, (u) and tc” of tarsus smooth, other leg setae weakly barbed. Leg IV (Fig. 3B): solenidion φ 0 (9–10) digitiform; all leg setae pointed; setae d of tibia and u’ of tarsus smooth, other leg setae weakly barbed; seta p’ of tarsus blunt-ended, other leg setae pointed.
Type material. Female holotype, slide No. ZISP T-Ath-005, India, Madhya Pradesh, Ratlam, on a beetle Bolbohamatum laevicolle. Paratypes: 11 females, same data; 15 females, India, Puducherry, Mahé, 1902, on a beetle Bolbohamatum marginale.
Type deposition. The holotype and five paratypes are deposited in the collection of the 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 is most similar to A. similis Khaustov and Frolov, 2019 by the absence of setae chb, presence normally of three pairs of aggenital setae, tectal setae on tarsi II-IV not modified, and setae c 1 well developed. The new species differs from A. similis by the absence of setae or alveolus sc 1 (vs. microseta sc 1 present in A. similis), absence of cupules ih (vs. present in A. similis), and by pointed setae ag 1 (vs. setae ag 1 distinctly blunt-ended in A. similis).
Etymology. The name of the new species refers to its geographical distribution in India.
description: Published as part of Khaustov, Alexander A. & Frolov, Andrey V., 2020, First record of Athyreacaridae (Acari: Heterostigmata) from Asia with description of two new species of Athyreacarus from India and Sri Lanka, pp. 260-272 in Zootaxa 4779 (2) on pages 261-266, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4779.2.7, http://zenodo.org/record/3833553