Piona kimberleyensis, Orginal, 2021

Orginal, Harry Smit, 2021, The water mites of Western Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of 13 new species, Acarologia 61 (4), pp. 928-966 : 946-947

Piona kimberleyensis n. sp.

Zoobank: 3306B3ED-298F-4B2B-9B0A-BD9FE8A25299

( Figures 12 A-D)

Material examined — Holotype male, Lake Kununurra , 10 km SE of Kununurra, Western Australia. Australia, 15°52′7.45″ S 128°45′46.75″ E, 19 Sept. 1998 ( WAM) . Paratypes: one male (juvenile), one female (juvenile), one deutonymph ( WAM), one male ( RMNH), same data as holotype.

Diagnosis — Male gonopore shallow with 2-4 setae, male genital plates with numerous acetabula.

Description — Male: Idiosoma dorsally 1628 (1849) long and 1405 (1427) wide, ventrally

1568 (1708) long. Dorsum with a pair of small platelets, 90-96 long. Apodemes of anterior coxae short. Suture lines Cx-III/IV incomplete. Cx-III and Cx-IV fused medially. Genital plates lightly fused with Cx-IV. Gonopore shallow, laterally with 2-4 setae ( Figure 12A). Genital plates with numerous acetabula, 1-2 acetabula larger than others; genital plates fused posteriorly. Excretory pore sclerotized. Length of P1-5: 92, 373, 160, 429, 182. P2 medially with three setae, P4 with two large setal tubercles, anteroventrally with a tubercle with a peg-like seta ( Figure 12B). Length of I-leg-4-6: 429, 510, 365 (till tip of segment). III-leg-6 with tripartite short claw and a single, stout, short seta ( Figure 12C). Length of IV-leg-4-6: 356, 486, 365. IV-leg-4 with four blunt setae on one side and a group of many blunt setae at the other side, two long setae and four swimming setae ( Figure 12D).

Female: The female is a juvenile, and therefore no measurements of the idiosoma can be given. Genital plates with numerous acetabula. Length of P1-5: 105, 389, 186, 494, 211. Palp as in male. Length of I-leg-4-6: 486, 522, 381. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 486, 522, 381.

Deutonymph. Provisional genital field with two pairs of acetabula.

50 µm.

Etymology: Named after the region where the type locality is situated.

Remarks — The third and fourth leg are very similar to those Piona of cumberlandensis

(Rainbow, 1906), but the latter species has the male genital field with much less acetabula, the gonopore is a deep pit with lateral lobes and IV-leg-4 is with two groups of many blunt setae.

Moreover, the gonopore is without setae in cumberlandensis.