Sphaerochthonius litoralis
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| Sphaerochthonius litoralis | ||||||||||||
| Sweetheart , 2003 |
Sphaerochthonius litoralis is a horn mite species from the Sphaerochthoniidae family. It was discovered by Heinrich Schatz and described for the first time in 2003. This mite usually lives in the bank zone in dry or damp rotting leaf litter or black humus. The species name is derived from the Latin term litoralis - "belonging to the coast".
Occurrence
Horn mites occur in all zoogeographical regions, but mainly in the tropics and subtropics . The species Sphaerochthonius litoralis is known from 56 specimens that were collected between 1985 and 1988 in the shore area on eight islands of the Galapagos archipelago.
- Bartalomè Island , near Pinnacle Rock
- Floreana Island (Santa Maria), at the Flamingo Lagoon in Punta Cormoràn
- Santa Fe Island , northeastern part
- Genovesa Island , Darwin Bay
- Rábida Island
- Santa Cruz Island near Charles Darwin Research Station
- San Cristóbal Island
- Sombrero Chino Island , northern part
Morphology adults
- The surface structure on the back and on most of the Notogasters consists of an angular mesh with triangular thickenings in the corners; there is a nose-shaped hump on the back . All the prodorsal and lateral bristles are two-branched and papillary; the adoral , subcapitular , epimeral , genital and anal bristles are mostly flagellate. There are eight genital, nine to eleven anal and five adanal pairs of bristles .
- The total body size is 321 µm (value range 280–350) × 192 µm (value range 170–215). The length of the Notogaster alone is 217 µm (value range 195–225). The color is yellow to light brown. Prodorsum and most of the Notogasters are covered with an angular mesh ; The boundaries and especially the angles of the open areas have irregular thickenings and the surface is covered with grains. The lateral plates of the Notogaster, the chin, the epimeral, genital and the anoadanal plates are also covered with grains.
- Sphaerochthonius litoralis has an elongated shape, the lateral edges converge towards the front. On the medial surface there is a thickened nose-shaped outgrowth that protrudes slightly above the prodorsal carapace. The superficial structure is polygonal to hexagonal on the back, in the area between the interlamellar bristles there are larger polygons.
Notogaster
The shape is almost round. At the widest part of the Noto restaurant there are small angles on both sides, which are formed into an L by the side angles of the triangular lateral plate. There are 16 pairs of notogastric hairs. The hairs are short and smooth. Other notogastric hairs are two-branched, papilose (wart-like elevations).
Gnathosoma
The Mentum is small (35 x 30 microns), the hairs are subcapitularen setiform , basal slightly thickened, distal very thin, almost flagellenförmig . There are three pairs of Adoral hairs, the same shape as the subcapitular hairs. The jaws, with a size of 45–60 × 20–25 µm, are covered with movable fingers (20–25 long), both pairs are directed forward. The palps consist of five short segments .
Epimeral region
The Epimeralplatten I and II are separated, the plates III and IV are almost completely fused on each side. The hairs are quite long, setiform, slightly thickened at the base, very thin distally, almost flagellar, partly ciliate or smooth, partly long.
Anogenital region
Genital plates are small, 70–75 × 20 µm long, and oval in shape with a granular surface. There are eight pairs of genital hairs (20–27 µm long) that are the same shape as the epidermal hairs. The anal and adanal plates are fused. There are ten pairs of anal hairs (in some specimens there are nine or eleven), which are thickened at the base and very thin, almost flagellated, at the distal end. The hairs (12–15 µm) are curved in the middle and at the end. In addition, there are five adanal hairs that are single-branched with branched protuberances (papillae) (20–30 µm).
The legs are of an appropriate length (about a third of the length of the body, excluding claws). All legs have three toes with a small, strong central claw and two lateral, almost bristle-like claws.
Prodorsum
The outline of the prodorsum is elongated, lateral edges slightly cover the previous ones. The middle podium thickened, nose-shaped outgrowth, protruding slightly anteriorly behind the edge areas of the prodorsal carapace. The hairs are elongated prodorsally.
Gastronotum
Broad dorsal tear between two plates, which is well developed and deep. In addition, there is a crack along a row of bristles at the rear end.
Development of the Nyphmas
Nymphs are pale in color. Two larval stages were studied: protonymph and tritonymph . In the protonymph stage, the animals have a size of 190 × 130 µm and the Notogaster a length of 130 µm. In the tritonymph stage, the animals have a size of 260 × 170 µm and the Notogaster is 170 µm long. The surface structure in both larval stages does not differ from the surface structure of an adult animal. The adult animals of the new species differ from their conspecifics in the following points: The prodorsum shows a nasal structure in both larval stages just like in the adult. The shape of the prodorsal hairs is the same as in the adult animal.
Morphology of the nymphs
legs
All legs are monodactyl and constructed according to the same scheme as in the adult animal.
Abdominal region
The shape of the epimeral plates and their position and the number of bristles are the same as in adult animals. The genital plates have three pairs of genital papillae and seven pairs of genital bristles (10–12 µm). The anal and adanal plates are fused and have nine anal bristles (9–10 µm) and there are also five pairs of adanal bristles. The last bristle is 20 µm long. The shape of these bristles is the same as that of the adult animal.
Gnathosoma
The gnathosoma measures 30 × 20 µm. The bristles below the head are 12-14 µm long. The antennae have the same bristle pattern as in the adult animal; 25–30 long, short thick, divided in two and shaped like a spine.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Schatz, Heinrich: New Sphaerochthonius species from the Neotropical region (Acari: Oribatida). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 110 (1), pp. 111-124, 2003, pp. 111-112
- ^ Schatz, Heinrich: New Sphaerochthonius species from the Neotropical region (Acari: Oribatida). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 110 (1), pp. 111–124, 2003, p. 115
- ^ A b c Schatz, Heinrich: New Sphaerochthonius species from the Neotropical region (Acari: Oribatida). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 110 (1), pp. 111–124, 2003, p. 113
- ↑ a b c d e f Schatz, Heinrich: New Sphaerochthonius species from the Neotropical region (Acari: Oribatida). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 110 (1), pp. 111–124, 2003, p. 114
- ^ Schatz, Heinrich: New Sphaerochthonius species from the Neotropical region (Acari: Oribatida). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 110 (1), pp. 111–124, 2003, p. 118
literature
- Heinrich Schatz: New Sphaerochthonius species from the Neotropical Region (Acari: Oribatida). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 110, 1, pp. 111–124, 2003 (first description; online in the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) , accessed April 1, 2013).