A new genus and species of Nematalycidae (Acari: Endeostigmata)

Figures & data

Figure 1. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Female: (A) dorsal view; (B) ventral view; (C) metapodosoma and genital region (D) genitalia – internal.

Figure 2. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Female, proterosoma: (A) dorsal view (chelicerae slanted downwards into the vessel, making them appear slightly shorter; broad bases of rutella partly behind chelicerae and vessel opening – shaded pale grey); (B) ventral view.

Figure 3. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Integument: (A) extended, vertical view (showing palettes as thin and flat); (B) contracted, vertical view (showing interlocking palettes); (C) extended, diagonal view; (D) contracted, diagonal view.

Figure 4. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Tritonymph, opisthosoma: (A) anal valves and ventral furrow, ventrolateral view; (B) anal valves, dorsal view; (C) anal valves, posterior view; (D) ventral furrow, close-up.

Figure 5. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Female: (A–E) tarsi I–IV; (A) tarsus I; (B) tarsus II, ε obscured; (C) tarsus II, ε visible; (D) tarsus III; (E) tarsus IV. Deutonymph: (F) tibia I. 

Figure 6. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Female: solenidia on legs I and II, female.

Figure 7. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Larva: lateral view.

Figure 8. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Nymphs: lateral view: (A) protonymph; (B) tritonymph.

Table 1. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Mean length of appendages and idiosoma across instars (µm).

	La	PN	DN	TN	F	Overall increase (%)
Palp	10	9	10	10	10	0
Leg I	43	43	48	54	57	33
Leg II	30	30	35	38	39	30
Leg III	29	30	32	34	34	17
Leg IV	–	28	30	32	35	25
Idiosoma	334	363	458	526	611	83

Note: Measurements taken from slide-mounted specimens rather than scanning electron microscopy, for which the integument is generally not fully extended.

Table 2. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Distinguishing attributes of instars.

	La	PN	DN	TN	F
Number of genital setae	0	1	3	3	3
Number of aggenital setae	0	0	0	1	2
Number of genital papillae	0	1	2	2	2
Length of PS setae (µm)	3–7	≥10	≥10	≥10	≥10
Length of AD setae (µm)	–	3–7	≥10	≥10	≥10
Length of AN setae (µm)	–	–	3–7	≥10	≥10
Length of PA setae (µm)	–	–	–	3–7	≥10

Table 3. Osperalycus tenerphagus sp. nov. Setal addition pattern for legs (including coxal fields) across instars.

	La	PN	DN	TN	F
Tarsus I	10 (1) (2) 〈2〉	11 (1) (2) 〈2〉	11 (1) (2) 〈2〉	11 (1) (2) 〈2〉	11 (1) (2) 〈2〉
Tibia I	6	6	7	7	7
Genu I	4	6	6	6	6
Femur I	2	3	4	4	4
Trochanter I	-	-	-	-	-
Coxal field I	1	1 (1)	1 (1)	1 (1)	1 (1)
Tarsus II	2 (6) ((1))	2 (6) ((1))	2 (6) ((1))	2 (6) ((1))	2 (6) ((1))
Tibia II	2	2	2	2	2
Genu II	2	2	2	2	2
Femur II	2	2	2	2	2
Trochanter II	-	-	-	-	-
Coxal field II	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Tarsus III	(6)	(6)	(6)	(6)	(6)
Tibia III	2	2	2	2	2
Genu III	-	-	-	-	-
Femur III	1	1	1	1	1
Trochanter III	-	-	-	-	-
Coxal field III	1 (1)	2 (1)	2 (1)	2 (1)	2 (1)
Tarsus IV	n/a	(5)	(5)	(5)	(5)
Tibia IV	n/a	2	2	2	2
Genu IV	n/a	-	-	-	-
Femur IV	n/a	-	1	1	1
Trochanter IV	n/a	-	-	-	-
Coxal field IV	n/a	-	1	1	1

Notes (Key): Unbracketed: simple seta; bracketed: bifurcate; bracketed and underscored: semi-bifurcate; double bracketed: trifurcate; angle bracketed: conical; hyphen: absence of setae; n/a: leg absent; highlighted grey: seta added in this instar.