Alismobates reticulatus Luxton, 1992

Alismobates reticulatus Luxton, 1992 View in CoL

Larva and protonymph unknown.

Deutonymph

(N = 1): length 222 µm.

Gastronotic region. Large centrodorsal plate showing reticulate surface pattern, except for inverted Y-shaped area on posterior third of gastronotic region. Fifteen pairs of short spiniform notogastral setae (8–10 µm); c 1-3, da, dm, dp, la, lm, lp, h 1-3, p 1-3.

Podosoma and venter. Epimeral setation 3-1-2-1. Two pairs of short genital setae (5–6 µm). One pair of aggenital setae. Three pairs of adanal setae ad 1-3 flanking anal orifice. Two pairs of vestigial anal setae.

Legs. Setation and solenidia are shown in Table 4.

Tritonymph

(N = 4): length 262–283 (mean 276 µm).

Gastronotic region ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 (a)). Fifteen pairs of notogastral setae (8–10 µm), no difference from deutonymph.

Podosoma and venter ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 (b)). Epimeral setation 3-1-2-2, seta 4b close to trochanter IV. Three pairs of genital setae g 1-3. One pair of aggenital setae. Three pairs of adanal. Two pairs of anal setae, fully developed.

Legs. Setation and solenidia see Table 4.

Remarks

Adults of A. reticulatus are characterized by the name giving reticulate cuticular notogastral pattern, whereas this pattern is best observed around the medial notogastral setae (e.g. Luxton 1992, own observation). The reticulation results from slightly elevated cuticular lines that are connected at various points. Juveniles also show a distinct reticulate pattern on their centrodorsal plate, but the pattern is clearly visible all over this plate (except for the inverted Y on the posterior half) and it results from irregular scalelike elevations (a negative shape from the structure shown in the adults, so to speak). Juveniles of Alismobates pseudoreticulatus show the exact same pattern ( Pfingstl 2015) but the adults of this species possess only remnants of the reticulate pattern framing the bases of centrodorsal notogastral setae. So, adults can be distinguished based on this trait, while juveniles cannot be. Moreover, we could not find any difference between juveniles of both species that makes an identification on species level impossible.