Lohmanniid mites (Acari, Oribatei) from Kerala, India 1. A ...

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LOHMANNIID MITES (ACARI : ORIBATEI) FROM KERALA, INDIA

1. A NEW SPECIES OF MERISTACARUS GRANDJEAN, 1934

BY M.A. HAQ AND M. JAIKUMAR *

ORIBATIDAE

NEW SPECIES

KERALA

BIODEGRADATION

ABSTRACT : An extensive survey on the oribatid fauna of Kerala and neighbouring areas revealed the occurrence of several new species. The preliminary study on the biology indicates their potential in the biodegradation of the residues of higher plants, particularly materials of woody and leafy nature. In the present paper is found the description of a new species of Meristacarus.

ORIBATES

ESPÈCE NOUVELLE

KERALA

BIODÉGRADATION

RÉSUMÉ : Une inspection extensive de la faune des oribates du Kerala et des régions avoisinantes a révélé l'existence de plusieurs espèces nouvelles. L'étude préliminaire de leur biologie indique un potentiel de dégradation biologique des résidus des plantes les plus évoluées, particulièrement les feuilles et le bois. Dans cette note-ci se trouve la description d'une espèce nouvelle de Meristacarus.

Meristacarus degradatus sp. nov.

(Fig. 1-4)

C%ur : Yellowish brown. M easurements :

Length : 918 ~m (range: 791-956 ~m). Width : 676 ~m (range: 510-676 ~m).

Prodorsum (figs 1 and 2).

Prodorsum more or less triangular in outline rostrum progressively narrowing to form a pointed apex; a distinct medially pointed transverse ridge present at the rostral region which extends to the lateral borders of the prodorsum (fig. lB); in dissected out and weIl mounted rostral region of one specimen, this ridge appears discontinuous at the lateral region of the rostral margin, presenting a broad and stretched inverted 'V'; in such specimen the rostral tip broadly rounded; aIl prodorsal hairs long and barbed; seta ro inserted just below the transeverse ridge, directed outwards and measuring 140 ~m ; seta /e placed slightly but lateral to ro and mesuring 185 ~m ; seta in located

slightly above the bothridial cups and measuring 191 ~m; anterior and posterior exostigmatic hairs (exa and exp) of the same nature and length, 179 ~m each ; bothridial cups (bo) small and orien­ted lateraIly, a more or less oblique ridge present in front of bo; sensillus (ss) unilaterally barbed with not less than 20 thin bristles, the length of which gradually decreases distaIly; a more or less arched transverse band originating from the postero-Iateral margins of the prodorsum runs through the basal part of the oblique ridge, between the level of bothridium and lamellar setae, this band consists of serially arranged polygonal cells ranging from 2-4 rows; entire surface of the prodorsum except regions adjacent to dors ose jugal suture ornamented with weIl pronounced and clearly marked large rounded area porosae, sun ken and indistinct round foveolae and fine micro-punctations; adjacent region of the dors ose jugal suture bears only micro­punctations.

Notogaster (figs. 1 and 2).

* Division of Acarology, Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Kerala State- 673 635, India.

Acarologia, t. XXXIV, rase. 4, 1993.

-388-

FIG. 1 : Meristacarus degradatus sp. nov.

A. - Dorsal view. B. - Rostral region showing tranverse ridge and lateral prodorsal part (paratype). C. - Interlinking rods of the round pores of the notogastral bands.

Cylindrical and broad with a convex anterior margin; 9 wavy, curved or looped notogastral bands present each formed of round pores often connected by interlinking rods to give a chain-like appearance (fig. 16), band 1 incomplete and placed above setae CI' C2 and C3, bands 2 and 3 complete

while band 4 represented only medially in the form of incurved loops, bands 5 and 6 connected medially forming another loop while 7, 8 and 9 complete; notogastral integument densely porose and ornamented with scattered, pronounced area porosae; 16 pairs of barbed setae of varying size

-389-

FIG. 2 : Meris/acarus degrada/us sp. nov., IateraI view.

arranged on the notogaster as shown in figure lA; marginal and posterior setae very long when compared to the median setae, seta el exhibits asymmetry in the holotype, PS2 forms the longest seta measuring 225 ~m and dl' the shortest, rea­ching 77 ~m in length; fissure im seen somewhat medio-laterally, near seta d2 •

Lateral region : (fig. 2)

Lateral margin of the prodorsum slightly incised ; rostral apex with a pointed tip, directed down­wards ; anterolateral corners of the notogaster with a ventral extension which carries lyrifissure ia, this ext{!nsion runs downwards along the lateral border of the notogaster ; lyrifissures ip and ih located near to setae e2 and h3 respectively ; ace tabula of aIl legs clearly visible lateraIly.

Ventral region (fig. 3). Gnathosomal region (fig. 3B).

Labiogenal articulation stenarthric; rutellum (fig. 36) sclerotized with blunt teeth; 4 pairs of weakly barbed infracapitular setae a, ml' m2 and h detected, a shortest; mentum with thick puncta­tion: chelicerae (fig. 3D) with strong and weIl

sclerotized digits, each carries 3-4 prominent, blunt teeth, seta chb long and barbed while cha repre­sented by a very minute hair; pedipalp (fig. 3E) 5 segmented with a chaetotaxy of 0-1-0-2-1-10(1).

Epimeral region :

Epimeral plates distinct, se jugal apodeme weIl developed, apodeme 3 of both si des continuous medially and produced into a posterior extension, setal formula of the epimerata 3-1-3-4, aIl setae barbed and of varying size, epimeral plates densely punctated.

Anogenital region :

Anogenital region of hologastric type; genital plates elongate, each plate broader posteriorly, carrying 10 barbed setae arranged in two rows of 5 each ; preanal plate broad, anal plates thin, narrow and devoid of setae while adanal plates well developed carrying 4 barbed setae which decrease in length in the order adl > ad2 > ad4 ; adanal plates ornamented variously, more often with polygonal cells ; fissures ia, ip and ih clearly visible ventrally as shown in figure; anoadanal plates bordered by porose ~hitinous tubercles and polygonal cells, the

D

chb

~ cha

-390-

B

inf E

FIG. 3 : Meristacarus degradatus sp. nov. A. - Ventral view. B. - Gnathosoma (paratype). C. - Rutellum (paratype). D. - Chelicerae with weil developed teeth (paratype)

E. - Pedipalp (paratype).

-391-

(tC)

d

cr"

1 Il

\J

FIG . .4 : Meristacarus degradatus sp. noV. leg 1

-392-entire ventral surface porose, region outside and lateral to genital and anal plates boarded by sculptures similar to anterior prodorsal part.

Legs AlI legs monodactylous ; chaetotaxy of leg-l (fig.

4) : 0-5-2(2)-4(1)-18(2); femur-l carries 5 setae barbed in various degrees, a weIl developed notch dorsally and a keel ventraIly; genu-l bears 2 solenidia cr' and cr", the latter thicker th an the former, seta d thin and smooth while seta l' thick and serrate; tibia -1 carries a stout and long solenidion <p, d seta coupled with this solenidion; seta xt J thicker than xt2, l' barbed ; tarsus-l carries 20 setae, including 2 solenidia ül J and ül2 , setae p', p", sand m" eupathidic, te' and te" thick, curved apically and bearing small barbs intermittently, a famulus E placed in between ül J and ül2, setae pv', pv", ft', ft", n', il', it", a', a" and u" variously barbed, aIl segments with a po rose integument.

M aterial examined :

Holotype ~ ; paratypes 9 d'd'and 7 ~~ collected from the litter and soil samples, 4 kms away from Calicut University Campus, Kerala, India on 1O.IV.1989; collected by M. A. HAQ. The holotype will be deposited at the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, India.

REMARKS

GRANDJEAN (1934) erected the genus Meristaca­rus from Central America with M. porcula as the type species. Later additions to the genus were made by BALOGH (1958, 1961 and 1962), BALOGH and BALOGH (1983), BULANOVA-ZAKHVATKINA (1960), CSISZAR (1961), AOKI (1965), PÉREz-INIGO (1968), HAMMER (1972, 1980), MAHUNKA (1978, 1988), CORPuz-RAROS (1979), and HAQ and CLE­MENT (1991). BALOGH (1987) compiled the familly Lohmanniidae, Berlese 1916, wherein he included thirteen species of this genus. Comparative studies on the members of the genus Meristacarus show that the present species resembles M. wynadensis Haq and Clement, 1991 in having a general appea­rence of the body and ornamentation and disposi-

tion of its body setae. In addition, presence of prodorsal and notogastral bands, decrease in length of adanal setae from ad! to ad4 are sorne of the other points of similarity of the present species with M. wynadensis.

However, M. degradatus can be distinguished from M. wynadensis in the possession of the following characters :

1. A prominent rostrum with pointed tip. 2. Presence of a medially pointed transverse ridge

at the rostral region. 3. WeIl developed prodorsum with an oblique ridge

in front of bothridia and an arched transverse band consisting of 2-4 layers of serially arranged polygonal cells below the bothridia.

4. Medially incurved nature of fourth notogastral band.

5. Existence of interlinking rods between the round pores of notogastral bands.

6. Difference in the epimeral setal formula and nature, arrangement and formula of setae on pedipalp and leg-l.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, in carrying out this work.

REFERENCES

AOKI (J.), 1965.0- Oribatiden (Acarina) Thailands. 1 -

Nature and Life in Southeast Asia, 4 : 129-193.

BALOGH (J.), 19580 - Oribatides nouvelles de l'Afrique tropicale - Rev. Zoo!. bot. Afn., 58 ; 1-34.

BALOGH (J.), 1961. - An outline of the family Lohman­niidae, Ber!. 1916 (Acari : Oribatei). - Acta Zoo!. Hung., 7 : 19-44.

BALOGH (J.), 1962. - Recherches sur la faune endogée de Madagascar VII. Oribates (Acariens) nouveaux II. -Naturaliste malgache, 13 : 121-151.

BALOGH (J.) and BALOGH (p.), 1983. - New Oribatids (Acari) from the Pacific region. - Acta Zoo!. Hung., 29: 303-325.

-393-BALOGH (J.) and BALOGH (p.), 1987. - A new outline of

the family Lohmanniidae Berl. 1916 (Acari : Oribatei). - Acta Zool. Hung., 33 : 327-398.

BULANOVA-ZACHVATKINA (E. M.), 1960. - New repre­sentatives of primitive oribatid mites from USSR -Perlohmannoidea Grandjean, 1958 (Acariformes, Ori­batei). - Zool. Zh., 39 : 1835-1848.

CSISZÂR (J.), 1961. - New Oribatids from Indonesian soils (Acari). - Acta Zool. Hung., 7 : 345-366.

CORPuz-RAROS (L.A), 1979. - Philippine Oribatei (Aca­rina) II. Family Lohmanniidae. - Descriptions of fort y new species. - Philippine Agriculturist, 62 : 1-82.

GRANDJEAN (F.), 1934. - La notation des poils gastro­no tiques et des poils dorsaux du propodosoma chez les oribates (Acariens). - Bull. Soc. Zool. France., 29: 12-44.

HAMMER (M.), 1972. - Investigation on 'the oribatid fauna of Tahiti, and on sorne oribatids found on the atoll Rangiroa. - Biol. Skr. Dan. Vid. Selsk., 22: 1-79, pl. XXVI.

HAMMER (M.), 1980. - Investigations on the Oribatid fauna of Java. - Biol. Skr. Dan. Vid. SeJsk., 22: 1-79, pl. I-XL VII.

HAQ (M. A.) and CLEMENT (A.), 1991. - Two new species of Lohmanniid mites (Acari : Oribatei) from Malabar, India. - J. Acar. (in press).

MAHUNKA (S.), 1978. - New and interesting mites from the Geneva Museum, Switzerland. XXIV. A first contribution to the oribatid fauna of the Dominican Republic (Acari : Oribatida). - Redia., 61 : 551-564.

MAHUNKA (S.), 1988. - New and interesting mites from Geneva Museum LXI. Oribatids from East Malaysia III (Acari : Oribatida). - Revue Suisse Zool., 95 (3) : 817-888.

PÉREz-INIGO (C.); 1968. - Âcaros Oribatidos de suelos de Espafia peninsular y Islas Baleares (la parte). -Graellsia, Revista Entomol. Iberic., 24 : 143-238.

Paru en Octobre 1993.