Phyllhermannia strigosa, Colloff, 2011

Colloff, Matthew J., 2011, 2770, Zootaxa 2770, pp. 1-60 : 47-49

Phyllhermannia strigosa sp. nov.

( Figs. 31, 34p)

Dimensions. Holotype female length 602 µm breadth 304 µm. Paratype females (n = 17) mean length 604 µm (range 561–656 µm), breadth 320 µm (range 283–354 µm); paratype males (n = 7) mean length 509 µm (range 485–535 µm), breadth 264 µm (range 248–298 µm).Ratio of length of prodorsum to total length: 0.28 (holotype).

Female. Prodorsum: rostrum rounded, without inverted V-shaped ridge; rostral seta (ro) 17 µm, spiniform, smooth ( Fig. 31a). Lamellar seta (le) 30 µm, curved, spiniform, smooth, on squat median tubercle. Transverse lamellar ridge absent. With lateral ridge between base of lamellar seta and acetabulum of leg I; prodorsum sparingly tuberculate laterally, otherwise porose, smooth. Interlamellar setae (in) 26 µm, slightly phylliform, curved, smooth, on narrow, smooth, acutely pointed, inverted V-shaped interbothridial ridge. Bothridial seta (bs) relatively short, 56 µm, slightly inflated apically, barbed, pointed. Exobothridial seta (ex) 8 µm long. Interbothridial region weakly porose, not divided medially. Median condyles connected by transverse lath; ridges between condyles and interbothridial ridge.

Notogaster: oval, relatively narrow, elongated; ratio of length to breadth 1.48. Dorsosejugal suture and notogaster smooth ( Fig. 31a). Setae curved, narrowly phylliform, uniformly barbed, pointed, not overlapping, sub-equal in length (26–34 µm). Setae of c series directed posteriorly; c 2 closer to c 1 than to c 3. Distance between setae c 1 0.7 × that between d 1; distance between d 2 1.3 × that between d 1; distance between e 1 1.3 × that between f 1. Lyrifissurae im acute.

Coxisternum: Posteriolateral margins of rostrum smooth; lateral margins of epimeres tuberculate; posteriolateral margin of epimere I pointed ( Fig. 31a). Coxisternal region almost as long as anogenital region. Sternal apodeme smooth anteriorly, tuberculate posteriorly. Apodeme III transverse, broader than others, with U-shaped median ridge. Tubercles present on posterior margin of epimeres III and IV; ridge of tubercles anterior of genital plate. Epimere IV without sclerotised projection laterally. Epimeral setal formula 3-1-3-5. Seta 2a and 3a very short (12 µm); 1a, 1b, 1c and 4b longer (20–26 µm); 3b, 4a and 4e longer still (30–34 µm). Setae 3c, 4c and 4d longest (43–52 µm). Setae on epimeral plates III on anterior part; those on epimeral plates IV on medial part; 4d and 4e displaced laterally.

Anogenital region: Posterior and lateral regions of genital plates surrounded by zone of smooth cuticle more heavily sclerotised than rest of ventral plate ( Fig. 31b). Each genital plate 96 µm long, 50 µm broad with six short (8–13 µm), thin setiform setae in median file. With three setae in lateral file, anteriolateral seta (g 4) longer (43 µm) than others (18–23 µm). Aggenital setae sub-equal in length to genital setae in median file. Pre-anal organ pointed. Each anal plate 135 µm long, 33 µm broad, with two spiniform, short (13 µm) setae on anterior and central part. Adanal setae ad 3 considerably thinner and shorter (17 µm) than ad 1 and ad 2 (30–36 µm).

Legs: Femur I 158 µm long, with lateral and medial processes absent from proximal end ( Fig. 34p). Cuticle lightly alveolate. Setae d and l ” spiniform, smooth, sub-equal (22 µm); seta l ' same length and shape as others. Seta v ' minute (11 µm).

Material examined. Holotype female, 20 paratype females, 10 paratype males, pyrethrin knockdown from tree trunk in callidendrous rainforest dominated by Nothofagus cunninghami , in a protected gulley between Mount Michael and Little Mount Michael (ca. 9 km east of Weldborough, Tasmania, 41°10'S, 148°00'E, ca. 740 m., coll. H. Mitchell, 27.ix.1989. Two paratype females, pyrethrin knockdown from tree trunk in callidendrous rainforest dominated by Nothofagus cunninghami , slopes of Mount Victoria, within 100–500 m of the walking track, Mount Victoria Forest Reserve , Tasmania, 41°20'S, 147°50'E, ca. 900 m., coll. H. Mitchell & R. Coy , 25.xi.1989. Nontype material: One male, ANIC 667 . Litter under Nothofagus gunnii and Athrotaxis selaginoides , nr. Lake Fenton , Mount Field National Park , Tasmania, 42°41'S, 146°37'E, 1000 m., coll. J.F. Lawrence & T. A. Weir, 31.i.1980. 26 adults, ANIC 3750 , sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , Warra, end of Manuka Road, 24 km WNW Geeveston, Tasmania, 43°05'27"S 146°39'09"E., 120 m., coll. T. A. Weir & C. Lemann, 7.iii.2008. Two females, ANIC 3751 , sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , Lyrebird Nature Walk, 3.3 km SE Mt. Field East, Mount Field National Park , Tasmania, 42°40'46"S 146°40'15"E., 690 m., coll. T. A. Weir & C. Lemann, 8.iii.2008. Two males, ANIC 3757 , sifted litter and mossy logs, rainforest with Eucalyptus sp. , State Forest , 2.2 km NE Corinna, Tasmania, 41°38'43"S 145°05'50"E., 45 m., coll. T. A. Weir & C. Lemann, 14.iii.2008.

Etymology. The specific name, strigosa , is from the Latin meaning ‘lean’ or ‘thin, referring to the overall proportions of the animal, particularly its elongated coxisternal region and narrow opisthosoma when examined in ventral view.

Remarks. Phyllhermannia strigosa sp. nov. can be differentiated from other member of the genus based on the following combination of characters: 1) the interbothridial ridge linked by lateral ridges to the transverse lath between the median prodorsal condyles; 2) the short bothridial setae; 3) the interlamellar setae shaped differently from the notogastral setae; 4) the short, curved, narrow, phylliform, barbed notogastral setae; 5) the long, narrow notogastral plate, 6) the coxisternal region about the same length as the anogenital region; 7) the short epimeral setae, especially the laterals on plates III and IV; 8) the relatively long adanal setae ad 1 and ad 2 and short setae ad 3; 9) the lateral and dorsal setae of femora I are spiniform, smooth, short, sub-equal and seta v ' minute.

Phyllhermannia strigosa is not particularly morphologically similar to any other Phyllhermannia species. It shares with P. craticula the shape of the lamellar, bothridial and notogastral setae, but it is much smaller and narrower, with a smooth prodorsum and prodorsal lath.