Carolinea 77

L amos : Discovery of Belba sculpta M ihel č i č , 1957 161 setal sclerites are fairly small, largest on the longest notogastral setae and positioned on di- stinct apophyses. Setal pair c1 is located on a single basally fused sclerite in nymphs. Setal pair h1 similarly inserted on a larger common sclerite. Setal lengths for the tritonymph are as follows: c1 (329 µm), c2 (326 µm), c3 (39 µm), la (273 µm), lm (252 µm), lp (175 µm), h3 (161 µm), h2 (105 µm), h1 (154 µm), ps1 (101 µm), ps2 (46 µm), ps3 (42 µm). Seta c3 gets lost in the adult. Nymphs eupheredermous with a thin, relatively straight cornicle k present. Each lightly sclero- tized nymphal cornicle inserts into the cornicle of the scalp of the preceding stage, thereby con- necting the scalps. Cornicle is absent in larva, but a functionally equivalent internal indentation in the larval scalp exists. Nymphs carry the ex- uvial scalps of the previous ontogenetic stages on their notogaster in a conspicuous stacked fa- shion resembling a pagoda. They never transport a compact mass of organic debris. Adult without cornicle k. Cupules ia, im, ip and ih are present in the larva, with ips added in the protonymph, and iad in tritonymph. The latero-ophistonotal gland occurs in all stages. Anogenital region (Figs 9, 12) Genital, aggenital, adanal and anal setal formu- lae are: larva 0-0-0-0; protonymph 1-0-0-0; deuto- nymph 3-1-3-2; tritonymph 5-1-3-2. In the adult, a single genital seta is added on each genital valve. Number of papillae in the genital chamber: larva 0; protonymph 1; deutonymph 2; tritonymph 3. Larva without genital aperture. Ovipositor and sperma- topositor absent in juveniles. Lyrifissure ian pre- sent in tritonymph, missing in earlier stages. Epimeral region (Figs 9, 10, 12, 13) Epimeral setation of larva 3-1-2, of protonymph 3-1-2-1, of deutonymph 3-1-2-2 and of tritonymph 3-1-3-3. Urstigma or Claparede´s organ present on epimere I in larva, absent in later stages. Seta 3c of larva modified as a broad scale covering Claparede´s organ (included in setal formula). Epimeres lightly sclerotized, except for a longitu- dinal median strip, particularly in the tritonymph. Epimeral region without sclerotized tubercles. Tracheal vestibules absent. Gnathosoma Palp setal formulae: larva 0-1-1-3-9 + 1 ω ; nymphs 0-2-1-3-9 + 1 ω . Seta inf of the palpfemur first found in the protonymph. Chelicerae and in- fracapitulum of larva and nymphs very similar to those of the adult, excepting some differences in size and proportion. Suture of labio-genal articu- lation occurs in the form of an integumental fold in the larva and nymphs. Legs (Tabs 2-4, Figs 14 - 17) Five segments present. Leg shapes in the larva simple, almost cylindrical. The leg segments of the tritonymph are already more similar to that of the adult in shape and character and possess more clearly defined bulbs. Legs are not or only slightly sclerotized. Leg IV absent in larva, pre- sent in nymphs. Legs I-III are relatively short with leg I being about equal in length to the total body length (b.l.) in each stage. Leg II measures about 0,7-0,8 b.l. and leg III slightly less than the body length in all developmental stases. Leg IV achieves about 1,14 times the body length when it first arises in the protonymph. In the tritonymph it already reaches a length of 1,4 b.l., very similar to that of the adult leg IV which measures 1,45 b.l. Arranged according to length, the order of the legs in the nymphs is L4 > L1 > L3 > L2. Porose areas located distally on the ventral fe- mora of the legs in the tritonymph. During on- togeny these are displaced so that in the adult they are positioned approximately dorsally on the posterior region of the bulb instead. In the larva and nymphs, setae on trochantera- and femora I-IV slender, smooth, long to very long. Genual seta d of larva regressed, extremely short, with its associated solenidion σ strongly bent towards the segment surface and longer than the seta. In nymphs, seta d of genua I-III elongate, longer than their coupled solenidion σ , with the latter being erect. In the tritonymph, seta d on genu IV slender, smooth, flagellate distally and exceptio- nally long, l’ similar in appearance and only mi- nimally shorter. Setae d and l’ of tibia IV of tri- tonymph smooth, flagelliform and extremely long. The relative lengths of the individual leg setae Table 2. Leg lengths of ontogenetic stages of Belba sculpta (in µm). Stage Leg I Leg II Leg III Leg IV larva 244 189 213 – protonymph 319 247 287 338 deutonymph 406 270 362 497 tritonymph 485 341 458 705 adult 536 406 510 770