NORTH-WESTERN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 8 (1): 22-26 ©NwjZ, Oradea, Romania, 2012 Article No.: 111140 http://biozoojournals.3x.ro/nwjz/index.html A new species of myrmecophile mite from Romania (Acarina: Anactinotrichida: Uropodina) Ioana C. CONSTANTINESCU Muzeul Judeţean Argeş, Str. Armand Călinescu, nr. 44, Piteşti, jud. Argeş, cod: 110047, Romania, E-mail: [email protected] Received: 22. June 2010 / Accepted: 19. September 2011 / Available online: 03. November 2011 / Printed: June 2012 Abstract. A new species of myrmecophile mite, Oplitis hutae sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected in central-southern Romania (Arges District). Oplitis hutae sp. nov. belongs to the species group conspicua. The new species differs from the other species of this group in adults by the distinct ornamentation of ventral shields and by the presence of a pair of short simple setae with large pores and lyrifissures on the ventral shield. It differs in females by the shape of endogynium. Keywords: taxonomy, Acarina, Uropodina, Oplitis, new species, Romania. Introduction 24°54’E). Additional material: 1 female from anthills, Ne- The genus Oplitis (Berlese, 1884) (Uropodina) is grasi village (44°36’N, 25°08’E) at 29.04.2009; 5 fe- represented all over the world by more than 148 males, 1 male, 2 deutonymphs and 1 protonymph species of ant or termite commensals (Wiśniewski from anthills from Davidesti village, near Lake & Hirschmann 1995). These mites attach to the Barca (44°59’N, 24°59’E) at 7.04.2009; 2 females body of their hosts, specifically close to the man- and 1 deutonymph found in the same place, on a dibles, picking up the pieces of host food, or different collection date 21.07.2009; 1 deuto- around the anus where they suck on the excre- nymph, 9 females and 1 male found in Smeura vil- ments, thus contributing to the hygiene of the host lage (44°50’N, 24°48’E) at 16.08.2009. (Mašan 2001). The type material is deposited at the “Grigore The genus Oplitis was reviewed by Hirsch- Antipa” National Museum of Natural History in mann (1991) and divided into 16 groups based on Bucharest, Romania: holotype female (inventory the data of external morphology. Since then, sev- number ACR 73), and 2 paratypes, a male and a eral new species of this genus were described deutonymph (inventory number ACR 74 and ACR throughout the world (Gorirossi-Bourdeau 1993, 75), and in the author personal collection, in Arges Wiśniewski & Hirschmann 1995, Mašan 1999, Bal County Museum, Romania. & Özkan 2006, Kontschán & Salmane 2008). Etymology: This new species is named after Dr. Marina Hutu in recognition of her studies on Uro- Material and methods podina mites. Description: Female (holotype): Length of idio- The mites from the material collected from the anthills soma 430, width 375, body colour brown-red, oval were extracted in Berlese-Tullgren devices, clarified with in outline. Size range of idiosoma: 401-437×356- lactic acid and identified with the help of a microscope 375 (5 specimens measured). (Type III, Optic Romanian Industry). The drawings were Dorsum (Fig. 1A): Idiosoma covered with done with the help of a camera lucida, attached to a mi- scimitar-shaped setae, usually inserted on small croscope. All mite specimens are stored in alcohol (96%). All measurements are given in μm, and setal nomencla- plates; submarginal shield fused with marginal ture is after Hirschmann (Hirschmann 1957). shield in apical area. Marginal shield displays an alveolar ornamentation and short simple setae. Submarginal shield displaying same ornamenta- Results tion, with small alveolar depressions, and covered Oplitis hutae sp. nov. (Figs 1-4) with long scimitar-shaped setae, lined in 3 rows Type material: Holotype (female), and 10 paratypes (apical and basal) and in 2 rows (on lateral parts). (5 males, 4 females and 1 deutonymph) were col- Dorsal shield lacks ornamentation and dis- lected by the author at 22.01.2009, from anthills; plays scimitar-shaped setae, shorter in anterior Romania, Arges District, Faget village (44° 53’N, area and longer in other areas (length between 17 A new species of Uropodina mite 23 Figure 1. Oplitis hutae sp. nov. female (A: idiosomal dorsum; B: idiosomal venter). and 22). Central area of this shield with 3 pairs of thickened. large pores, symmetrically displayed, and apical Gnatosoma: Tritosternum (Fig. 2A), chelicera area with some smaller pores, asymmetrically dis- (Fig. 2B) and epistome (Fig. 2C) displaying generic played. characteristics. Hypostome (Fig. 2D) with horn- Venter (Fig. 1B): Genital shield (epigynium) like corniculi, and laciniae feather-like. Hy- almost oval in shape, length 124, width 107, with- postomal seta c1 needle-like, c2-c4 setae denticulate, out ornamentation, with concave anterior margin. c4 seta thicker than other setae, and c3 longer than Endogynium iris - shaped. Perigenital line undu- all other setae. late, with incisions on anterior part not as deep as Male (paratype): Length of idiosoma 385, width ones on the posterior part, and between them 325, body colour brown-red, oval-shape and there is a pair of short simple sternal setae (v1), as- smaller than of female. Size range of idiosoma: sociated with a pair of lyrifissures and 2 pairs of 356-385×321-330 (5 specimens measured). small glandular pores. Posterior part of perigenital Dorsum: Identical to female. line with 5 incisions and 1 pair of short simple Venter: (Fig. 2E): All characteristics identical to sternal setae (v5) associated with glandular pores. female, except for sex characters, number and lo- Perigenital area 169 length and 124 width. Close cation of lyrifissures, shape of perigenital line and to the lateral margins of genital operculum, 5 pairs number and arrangement of setae in sternal, peri- of short simple sternal setae (v2, vx2, v3, vx3, v4) are genital and ventral areas. Genital operculum 36 in present, some of them associated with glandular diameter, surrounded by chitinous ring and by 3 pores. Ventral shield with 2-3 pairs of long simple pairs of simple genital setae, and anterior pair as- setae (V2 = V6 = 10), and 1 pair of short simple se- sociated with pores. Perigenital area 160 long and tae (x1 = 3) with large glandular pores and small 90 wide, with a pair of small lyrifissures. Perigeni- lyrifissures. Anal opening surrounded by soft cu- tal line less undulate in lateral parts of anterior ticle, and has short simple adanal (V4 = 4) and half. Its anterior part with 4 incisions and 1 pair of postanal (U = 4) setae. V3 and V8 setae long and short simple setae, and posterior part with 4 inci- simple (V8 =17, V3 = 13). sions and 1 pair of short simple setae associated Sternal and genital shields and perigenital with pores. On lateral sides, around perigenital area without ornamentation. Ventral shield with line, 4 pairs of short simple sternal setae, 3 of them ornamentation of doted area on posterior part and with pores. One pair of large lyrifissures present small alveoli on lateral area (around the pedofos- on sternal shield, on anterior side, associated with sae of legs IV). Preanal structural line connects sternal setae (v1). Ventral shield with 2 (3 at most) pedofossae of legs IV. Peritrema with anterior ram pair of longer simple setae, and 1 pair of shorter v-shaped, and posterior prolongation short and simple setae with large pores and lyrifissures. In 24 Constantinescu, I.C. Figure 2. Oplitis hutae sp. nov. female (A: Tritosternum; B: Chelicera; C: Epistome; D: Hypostome) and male (E: idiosomal venter). some specimens 2 setae in the right ventral area tae, and 2 pairs of long scimitar-shaped setae. Be- and 3 setae in left ventral area are present. tween sternal and ventrianal shield, 1 pair of small Deutonymph: Length of idiosoma 385, width simple setae and another pair of long, scimitar- 320, colour of body yellow-red, with clear central shaped setae present, positioned on each side of red spot. Size range of idiosoma: 365-385×312-320 ventrianal shield. Peritrema with long anterior (2 specimens measured). ram and short and wide posterior ram. Dorsum (Fig. 3A): Dorsal shield entire lacks or- Protonymph: Length of idiosoma 375, width namentation in its upper third, but with ornamen- 320, and body yellow in colour. tation on rest of the surface (larger alveolus to- Dorsum (Fig. 4A): Podonotal shield length 258, ward centre and dots toward extremities) and width 223, almost oval in shape, with straight pos- covered with thin, long scimitar-shaped setae terior margin and alveolar ornamentation (alveoli (length between 22 and 26). Length of the setae on central part larger than the rest), with long longer than distance between them. Marginal scimitar-shaped setae (length range 17-31). Py- shields with short, simple setae. gidial shield length 27, width 151, with alveolar Venter (Fig. 3B): Sternal shield jug-shaped, ornamentation (alveoli small in shape) with 1 pair length 178, width 124, with 2 pairs of lyrifissures, 7 of long scimitar-shaped setae. Other setae also pairs of short simple setae, a dotted ornamentation scimitar-shaped placed around these 2 shields, on anterior third part and alveoli of different sizes most of them on small insertion plates. on the rest of surface. Ventrianal shield length 80, Venter (Fig. 4B): Sternal shield rhomboid- width 142, with dotted ornamentation, 1 pair of shaped, length 134, width 90, with 3 pairs of sim- lyrifissures, short simple adanal and postanal se- ple setae with longer v3 seta, and 3 pairs of pores. A new species of Uropodina mite 25 Figure 3. Oplitis hutae sp. nov. deutonymph (A: idiosomal dorsum; B: idiosomal venter). Figure 4. Oplitis hutae sp. nov. protonymph (A: idiosomal dorsum; B: idiosomal venter). Ornamentation of shield dotted on anterior part Discussion and with alveoli toward margins, while central Differential diagnosis area with no ornamentation.