Corresponding author: Jenő Kontschán (
Academic editor: F. Faraji
A new genus
Kontschán J (2015)
The
The family
In 2014, some days were spent in the
Specimens of this unusual species were cleared in lactic acid, investigated on half-covered deep slides and illustrations were made with the aid of a drawing tube. Photographs were taken with a Nikon CoolPix900 digital camera. All specimens are stored in ethanol and deposited in the Natural History Museum in Geneva (NHMG). All measurements are given in micrometres (μm).
Idiosoma small, oval, posterior margin rounded and very convex. All part of marginal shield wide and fused anteriorly to dorsal shield. Dorsal and ventral setae smooth and needle-like. Genital shield of female octagonal, without sculptural pattern and anterior process. Dorsal and marginal shields neotrichous. Corniculi horn-like, internal malae with several long branches. Hypostomal setae h3 longer than others, h2 situated outside the longitudinal row h1–h4 and shorter than others. Tritosternum with narrow basis, laciniae divided into two short and two long pilose branches. Epistome hemispherical and marginally pilose. Leg I without claw, trochanters II-IV with a triangular process.
The name of the new genus refers to the name of island where the specimens were collected. Gender feminine.
On the basis of the shape of internal malae (divided into pilose branches), the absence of the T-shaped dorsal setae and the hypostomal setae h2 position lateral to row h1–h4, I refer this genus to
The distinguishing characteristics between
|
|
|
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Length of idiosoma | 1000< | 600> |
Width of marginal shield | only on anterior area | on all area |
C-shaped strongly sclerotized dorsal lines | present | absent |
Transverse furrow near coxae IV on ventral idiosoma | present | absent |
Shape of female genital shield | linguliform | octagonal |
Shape of peritreme | long, hook-like, mushroom-like or R-shaped | short, C-shaped |
Epistome | triangular | hemispherical |
Triangular process on trochanters of legs II–IV | absent | present |
Claws on leg I | present | absent |
As for the genus.
Length of idiosoma 560–580 µm, width 470–510 µm, height 560–570 µm (n=11). Shape oval, posterior margin rounded and dorsally extremely domed (Figs
All setae on palp smooth and needle-like (Figure
Photos about
Male, nymph and larva are unknown.
The name of the new species refers to the raised shape of the mite body which is reminiscent of a turtle.
Species of the probably closely related genus
I am very grateful to Dr. Peter Schwendinger for his kind hospitality during my study in Geneva. I would like to thank to Dr. Jason Dunlop for his linguistic revision.