Monatractides ventriosus

Monatractides ventriosus —species complex

( Figs. 5A–E View FIGURE 5 A – E , 6A–D View FIGURE 6 A – D , 7A–E View FIGURE 7 A – E )

Material examined. Comoros, Mayotte: River Batirini, 12°45'37,7"S, 45°06'42,0"E, 22-iv-2009, 26[13 juvenile]/ 40[19 juvenile]/13 (2/2/0 mounted); River Bouyouni, upstream, 12°45'38,4"S, 45°08'46,7"E, alt. 105 m asl., 19-iv-2009, 15[4 juveniles]/20[1 juvenile]/1; ibid., 6-ix-2011, 1/0/0 (mounted); ibid., 30-vii-2012, 5/4/0; River Bouyouni, upstream, 12°45'55,6"S, 45°08'46,7"E, alt. 105 m asl., 27-viii-2013, 1/1/0; River Bouyouni, intermediate, 12°44'55,6"S, 45°08'36,4"E, alt. 40 m asl., 2-ix-2013, 2/1/0; ibid., 30-vii-2012, 2/0/0; River Bouyouni, downstream, 12°44'25,3"S, 45°08'33,3"E, alt. 10 m asl., 30-vii-2012, 3[juvenile]/3/0; ibid., 2-ix-2012, 2[1 juvenile]/1/1; River Chirini, upstream, 12°46'39,7"S, 45°06'16,4"E, 22-iv-2009, 5[1 juvenile]/2[1 juvenile]/0; ibid., 28-ix-2011, 0/1/0; River Chirini, downstream, 12°46'39,7"S, 45°06'6,4"E, alt. 25 m asl., 31-vii-2012, 3/5/0; River Combani, intermediate, 12°46'17,2"S, 45°08'51,1"E, alt. 140 m asl., 30-viii-2013, 0/1[juvenile]/0; ibid., 8-ix-2011, 1/0/0; ibid., 29-vii-2012, 0/3/0; River Dembeni, 20-iv-2009, 1/3/0; River Dembéni, 12°50'31,9"S, 45°10'22,9"E, alt. 10 m asl., 5-ix-2011, 0/1/0; Dembéni River, downstream, 12°50'31,9"S, 45°10'22,0"E, alt 10 m, 28-vii-2012, 0/1/0; River Djalimou, downstream, 12°57'14,4"S, 45°06'51,7"E, alt. 15 m asl., 31-viii-2013, 2/1/0; River Gouloué, 12°47'27,25"S, 45°11'22,9"E, 15-iv-2009, 1[juvenile]/0/0; River Gouloué, upstream, 12°47'27,2"S, 45°11'22,9"E, alt. 610 m asl., 5-ix-2011, 8/7/0 (1/1/0 mounted); River Gouloué, intermediate, 12°47'23,4"S, 45°11'32,0"E, alt. 110 m asl., 29-vii-2012, 1/0/1; ibid., 1-ix-2013, 11/24[1 juvenile]/0; River Mroni Mouala, 12°46'17,2"S, 45°08'51,1"E, 20-iv-2009, 3[1 juvenile]/0/0; River Koualé, 12°47'49,7"S, 45°11'08,6"E, 21-iv-2009, 1/0/0; River Koualé, upstream, 12°48'19,5"S, 45°09'49,7"E, alt. 135 m asl., 22-iv-2009, 2[1 juvenile]/1/0; ibid., 31- vii-2012, 7/10[1 juvenile]/0; ibid., 7-ix-2011, 1/1/0; ibid., 30-viii-2013, 5[1 juvenile]/2/0; River Koualé, intermediate, 12°47'49,7"S, 45°11'8,6"E, alt. 50 m asl., 9-ix-2011, 5[2 juveniles]/9[1 juvenile]/0; ibid., 1-viii-2012, 3/4/0; ibid., 29-viii-2013, 3[1 juvenile]/6[3 juveniles]/0; River Koualé, downstream, 12°48'20,4"S, 45°11'54,4"E, alt. 10 m asl., 1-viii-2012, 0/1/0; ibid., 29-viii-2013, 1/0/0; ibid., 9-ix-2011, 0/1/0; River Koualé, tributary, 12°47'57,35"S, 45°09'51,2"E, 21-iv-2009, 1/0/0; River Longoni, 12°44'20,05"S, 45°09'53,6"E, 16-iv-2009, 1/5/0; River Ourovéni, intermediate, 12°47'47,05"S, 45°08'22,1"E, 20-iv-2009, 0/1[juvenile]/0; River Ourovéni, 12°47'47,0"S, 45°08'22,1"E, alt. 80 m asl., 29-vii-2012, 1/0/0; River Ourovéni, downstream, 12°48'29,9"S, 45°07'39,4"E, alt. 40 m asl., 17-iv-2009, 1/2[1 juvenile]/0; ibid., 7-ix-2011, 5/4/0; ibid., 28-vii-2012, 8[juvenile]/ 12[juvenile]/0; ibid., 1-ix-2013, 3/4/0.

Morphology. General features—Idiosoma roundish; shoulder platelets elongated (shoulder/frontal platelet L ratio 1.5–1.7); frontal margin medially with large anterolaterally pointed apodemes ( Figs. 5A View FIGURE 5 A – E , 6A View FIGURE 6 A – D ); Cxgl-4 located far anteriorly, near tips of Cx-I; gnathosomal bay moderately deep, narrow, V-shaped, three pairs of knob-like protrusions at the lateral margins of gnathosomal bay ( Figs. 5C View FIGURE 5 A – E , 6C View FIGURE 6 A – D ); suture line of Cx-IV distinct, originating from lateral edge of genital field; posterior line of primary sclerotization close to posterior margin of genital field; excretory pore posterior to the line of primary sclerotization, Vgl–2 posterior to excretory pore; distal margin of P-3 and P-4 medially with several pointed extensions; P-4 with two ventral setae, one very long and away from distal edge ( Figs. 5D View FIGURE 5 A – E , 6D View FIGURE 6 A – D ). Male: medial margin of Cx-II/III relatively short; genital field subrectangular; ejaculatory complex ( Figs. 5E View FIGURE 5 A – E , 7C View FIGURE 7 A – E ) slightly elongated with small proximal chamber. Female: genital field pentagonal, anteriorly rounded, laterally straight, tapering posteriorly.

Measurements: Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Remarks. Since the original description of Monatractides ventriosus based on a single female from Cameroon ( K. Viets, 1916), water mites from different regions of Africa have been assigned to this species. As stated by many authors ( Cook 1966, Goldschmidt & Smit 2009, Smit et al. 2010, Pešić & Smit 2014), the variability of populations from different regions of the whole distribution area needs to be examined to clarify the taxonomy. Pešić & Smit (2014) recently stated that specimens from Western Africa ( Ghana and Liberia) assigned to M. ventriosus probably represent an undescribed species.

Comparison with figures from the original description of K. Viets (1916) suggests that specimens in our study cannot be conspecific with M. ventriosus . The ventral setae on P- 4 in the type specimen are short, not reaching the tip of P-5. In our specimens, one of P-4 ventral setae is characteristically very long and away from the distal edge, as illustrated by Lundblad (1952) for M. ventriosus from Kenya. Moreover, the specimens from our study resemble the latter specimens in the shape of the ejaculatory complex (elongated, with a small proximal chamber, see Lundblad 1952: fig. 39E). Lundblad (1952) synonymized M. lemnius ( Lundblad, 1927) and M. elgonensis ( Lundblad, 1941) , both decribed from Kenya ( Lundblad 1927 and Lundblad 1941, respectively) with M. ventriosus . Monatractides elgonensis differs from M. lemnius in smaller dimensions of the genital field and suture line of Cx-IV medially starting from posterior margin of genital field in a more right angle to the main idiosoma margin, features which may not be reliable taxonomic characters ( Lundblad 1952). It is likely the specimens from our material from Comoros and those described from Kenya ( Lundblad 1952) represent the same species ( M. lemnius ) or possibly a group of similar species. This should be clarified by additional sampling of material from Kenya, and/or by the application of molecular techniques.