Barbenigma biza Powell & Miller & Keller 2024, sp. nov.

Barbenigma biza Powell & Miller, sp. nov. Material examined Holotype: adult ♀, mounted singly. FLORIDA: Alachua Co., Gainesville, 23 III 1999, on Rumex hastatulus (Polygonaceae), coll. R. Esser, E99-879, FSCA_00073114 (FSCA). Paratypes: FLORIDA: Alachua Co., Gainesville, Paynes Prairie Preserve, 23 III 1999, on Rumex hastatulus, coll. R. Esser and C. Zamora, E99-879 (1 ad. ♀ and 1 first-instar? nymph (FSCA_00073115) on 2 slides) (FSCA); Brevard, Co., Merritt Island, 4 VII 1988, on Stenotaphrum secundatum (Poaceae), coll. S. Walker (5 ad. ♀♀ (FSCA_00073116– FSCA _00073120), 1 second-instar? nymph (FSCA _00073121) on 6 slides) (FSCA, USNM); Palm Beach Co., West Palm Beach, 15 XI 1965, on Stenotaphrum secundatum, coll. R.S. Mullin, N. Bezona, 124942 (2 ad. ♀ (FSCA_00073122–FSCA_00073123 on 2 slides) (FSCA). Other material examined: FLORIDA: Broward Co., Lighthouse Point, 17 VI 1974, on Stenotaphrum secundatum, coll. F. Donaldson (1 second-instar? nymph (FSCA _00073124) and 1 third-instar? nymph (FSCA_ 00073125) on 2 slides) (FSCA); Orange Co., Maitland, 5 XI 1969, in soil (lawn), coll. H.M. VanPelt, DPI# 125664 (3 second-instar? nymphs (FSCA_00073126–FSCA_00073128) on 3 slides) (FSCA); Marion Co., Belleview, 15 IX 1966, in soil, coll. H. Myers (1 second-instar? nymph (FSCA_00073129) on 1 slide) (FSCA); Miami-Dade Co., Miami, 14 X 1971, on Cocos nucifera (Arecaceae), coll. R. Brown, B-7925 (1 second-instar? nymph (FSCA _ 00073130) on 1 slide) (FSCA). Etymology: The epithet “ biza ” is an abbreviation of the English word “bizarre” and is to be treated as a noun in apposition. Adult female (Figs 1–4) Description: Slide-mounted holotype 1.25 mm long, 1.1 mm wide; paratypes (n=8) 0.64−1.26 mm long, 0.23−0.95 mm wide; body rotundly oval in mature female (Figs 1–2), narrow elongate in young females (Fig. 3). Dorsum with robust fimbriate setae (Figs 1c, 3m), each with up to five tines, sparse, two present marginally on each side of each abdominal segment, one present submedially on each abdominal segment, roughly in single longitudinal line on thorax and head, holotype with one instance of two setae arising from single socket on head, longest seta on submedial area of abdomen 19 µm long (paratypes 18–23 µm), longest seta on margin 22 µm long (paratypes 16–30 µm), longest seta on head 22 µm long (paratypes 19–24 µm). Dorsal spines each without setal base (Figs 1o, 3n), with swollen, rounded apex, sparse, one to three on each side of each abdominal segment, longest spine on submedial area of abdomen 17 µm long (paratypes 14–19 µm), longest spine on thorax and head 14 µm long (paratypes 14–23 µm). Tubular ducts scattered over body (Figs 1q, 3o). Multilocular pores absent. Short conical setae similar to simple pores, either dome-shaped or acorn-shaped, with conical projection, definite setal base (Figs 1b, 3a), one to several clustered near base of each antenna, 4 µm in height, 4 µm wide (paratypes 3–5 µm by 3–4 µm). Simple pores each with slightly raised, rounded center, scattered over body (Figs 1e, 3f). One paratype specimen with structure near each antenna with unequal sides, without base, longest side 7 µm. Anal lobes each bearing enlarged fimbriate seta 48 µm long (paratypes 27–33 µm), enlarged capitate seta broken on holotype (paratypes 48–53 µm), spine with swollen apex, 27 µm long (paratypes 17–21 µm), on each side of anal ring (Fig. 1n). Microtrichia absent. Derm smooth. Anal ring (Fig. 3l) wrapping around margin, invaginated in pocket, forming setal basket, with ring of conical pores, bearing six robust anal-ring setae with truncate apices, about equal in size, each about 39 µm long (paratypes 29−33 µm), 0.7 times (paratype 0.7−1.0 times) as long as greatest diameter of anal ring. Venter with two pairs of thoracic spiracles (Figs 1d, 3d), spiracular openings projecting above derm, three pairs of abdominal spiracles (Fig. 1f), spiracular openings flush with derm.Atria of thoracic and abdominal spiracles each with ring of pores, without loculi, in single row. Anterior thoracic spiracles with 10 (paratypes 6–9) pores in ring around opening, 12 µm in diameter (paratypes 10–12 µm). Abdominal spiracles with 7–11 (paratypes 7–11) pores in ring around opening, anterior abdominal spiracular opening 13 µm in diameter (paratypes 12–15 µm). Body setae (Fig. 1k) with blunt apices, not capitate, those on abdomen longer than those on thorax and head, longest seta on thorax or head 14 µm long (paratypes 10–14 µm), longest seta on abdomen 36 µm long (paratypes 31–39 µm). Robust fimbriate setae and spines with swollen apices marginal. Eye absent. Labium two-segmented, small, about as wide as long, round, bent upward on holotype (paratypes 34–44 µm long by 31–42 µm wide), only one seta arising from basal sockets. Vulva wide, 230 µm wide (paratypes 72–201 µm), with smooth margins, one heavily sclerotized lateral bar on each side of vulva. Margins of abdominal segments with heavily sclerotized areas (probably muscle attachment points) (not illustrated in Figs 1, 3, see Fig. 2), the posterior two sclerotizations each typically with two associated tubular ducts on each side. Compound duct clusters (Figs 1i, 3i, 4 Ab and Ba) present marginally, clusters of tubular ducts with quadrilocular centers, spines arising from between quadrilocular tubular ducts, clusters set in sclerotized ring, three pairs on submargins of abdomen, one on each side of each of segments VI –VIII, two medially (one posterior to vulva, one anterior to vulva), eight duct clusters total on abdomen, median clusters 32–34 µm in diameter (paratypes 19–39 µm), 26 ducts per median cluster (paratypes 14–27), marginal clusters 27–28 µm in diameter (paratypes 22–32 µm), 15–21 ducts per marginal cluster (paratypes 10–18). Multilocular pores absent. Dome- and acorn-shaped setae, with raised rounded blunt apex, singly or in cluster on head, about same size as those on dorsum. Simple pores few, scattered on thorax and abdomen, about same size as those on dorsum. Microtrichia absent. Derm smooth. Anal lobes indistinct, each side of lobe area bearing group of two enlarged capitate setae, 52 µm long (paratypes 52–53 µm), one small fimbriate seta (both broken on holotype) (paratypes 10–12 µm), one spine with swollen apex, 21 µm long (paratypes 20–21 µm). Antennae (Fig. 1a) each three-segmented, segments short, segments I and III subequal in length, total length about 78 µm (paratypes 53–66 µm), segment I about 30 µm long (paratypes 18–37 µm), segment II about 17 µm long (paratypes 15–18 µm), apical segment about 31 µm long (paratypes 24–35 µm). Apical segments each with one long fleshy apical seta, straight with rounded blunt tip (broken on holotype) (paratypes 34–38 µm), one short fleshy subapical seta, curved with rounded blunt tip, 17 µm long (paratypes 15–20 µm), third fleshy seta at apex, microseta adjacent to apical setae, one capitate spine on apex, unspecialized setae long and straight. Pseudobasal antennal segment absent. Legs (Figs 1h, 3e) reduced in size, all about equal, trochanter and femur fused, two campaniform sensilla on each surface of trochanter, tibia and tarsus not fused, tarsus one-segmented, coxa 54 µm long (paratypes 45–51 µm), trochanter + femur 60 µm long (paratypes 54–63 µm), tibia 25 µm long (paratypes 19–22 µm), tarsus 43 µm long (paratypes 34–38 µm), tibia/tarsus 0.6 (paratypes 0.5–0.6), claw 19 µm long (paratypes 14–23 µm). Leg setae sparse, straight, spiniform dorsally and setiform ventrally, enlarged spines between tibia and tarsus absent. Sensory pore between tibia and tarsus present, sensory seta between tibia and tarsus absent. Tarsal digitules absent. Claw digitules each spine-like with acute apex, shorter than claw, claw denticle absent. Notes: Barbenigma biza differs from B. boscus (described below) (B. boscus character states in parentheses) in having: more spines on the dorsal abdomen, spines typically occurring in pairs on submargin of each side of each abdominal segment (spines occurring singly); body setae with blunt, but not capitate, apices (body setae with capitate apices); spines on the dorsum short, 14–23 µm long (spines on the dorsum long, 22–31 µm long); and dorsal fimbriate setae short, 16–30 µm long (dorsal fimbriate setae long, 26–39 µm long). We illustrated two forms of adult female. The change in body shape between young adult females (Fig. 3) and older females with eggs (Fig. 1) is remarkable, with the young adult females thin and elongate, half the length and only a quarter of the width of mature females. These young adult females are so different in body shape that they were labeled as “male”, perhaps because previous curators thought they were second-instar nymphs or pre-pupae. However, they have both a distinct vulva, with lateral sclerotized bars, and quadrilocular duct clusters that we posit are homologous with an ovisac band (Figs 3, 4B). We found no morphological differences between either form beyond the difference in body shape. The simple pores on the thorax and abdomen may not be homologous to the ones on the head, and we call these simple pores rather than setae. The ones on the head have a lot of depth, easily visible when the structures are viewed from the side. However, those on the thorax and abdomen (both ventral and dorsal) did not have such obvious depth. Third-instar? nymph (Fig. 5) Description: Slide-mounted specimen 0.76 mm long, 0.28 mm wide, body elongate oval (n=1). Dorsum with robust fimbriate setae (Fig. 5j, n), often with up to five tines, sparse, in segmental rows on abdomen, thorax, and head, arranged in two pairs of longitudinal lines (submedial and lateral) on abdomen, longest seta on submedial area of abdomen 20 µm long, longest seta on margin 23 µm long, longest seta on head 17 µm long. Dorsal spines without setal base (Fig. 5m), with enlarged base, swollen, rounded apices, in segmental rows on abdomen, thorax, and head, arranged in two pairs of longitudinal lines near fimbriate setae, longes