Tubophorella queenslandica, Smit, 2022

Smit, Harry, 2022, New records of water mites of the family Limnesiidae Thor from Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of seven new species, Acarologia 62 (1), pp. 193-222 : 218-221

Tubophorella queenslandica sp. nov.

Zoobank: 02B8C107-BD90-4795-9823-DD45478E2930

( Figure 10 A-F)

Material examined — Holotype male, Big Crystal Creek , downstream of rock pools, Paluma Range NP, Queensland, Australia, 18°59.013′ S 146°14.188′ E, 88 m a.s.l., 9 Nov. 2014 ( QM) . Paratypes: One male, same data as holotype ( RMNH); three females, Whyanbeel Creek, N of Mossman, Queensland, Australia, 16°22.205′ S 145°19.633′ E, 143 m a.s.l., 15

Oct. 2005 ( RMNH); one female, Henrietta Creek, Wooroonooran NP, Queensland, Australia, 17°35.884′ S 145°45.548′ E, 390 m a.s.l., 19 Oct. 2005 ( RMNH); one male, two females, same location, 3 Nov. 2014 ( QM). Other material. Queensland. 0/1/0, Lacey Creek, Mission Beach, 17°51.068′ S 146°03.871′ E, 81 m a.s.l., 20 Oct. 2005 ; 1/1/0, Mulgrave River near outflow of Kearneys Creek, Wooroonooran NP, 17°14.430′ S 145°46.456′ E, 69 m a.s.l., 1 Nov. 2014 ; 0/1/0, unnamed creek N of Tully River, Tully Gorge NP, 17°46.590′ S 145°39.871′ E, 80 m

a.s.l., 4 Nov. 2014 ; 1/0/0, unnamed creek N of Tully River, Tully Gorge NP, 17°46.159′ S 145°39.461′ E, 134 m a.s.l., 4 Nov. 2014 ; 0/1/0, Tully River at campground, Tully Gorge

NP, 17°46.280′ S 145°39.073′ E, 86 m a.s.l., 4 Nov. 2014 ; 0/1/0, Gooligan Creek at crossing with Palmerston Highway, Wooroonooran NP, 17°36.267′ S 145°45.726′ E, 370 m a.s.l., 7

Nov. 2014.

Diagnosis — Anterior dorsal plate larger than posterior dorsal plate. Genital field located between Cx-IV. Male gonopore large.

Description — Male: Idiosoma dorsally 907 (850-899) long (including camerostome)

and 502 (462-486) wide, ventrally 907 (850-899) long. Camerostome long and anterodorsally indented. Dorsum with two large plates, anterior dorsal plate larger than posterior dorsal plate ( Figure 10A ). Anterior dorsal plate 389 (364-373) long and 421 (389-409) wide, with four pairs of glandularia. Posterior dorsal plate 292 (292) long and 397 (356) wide, with two pairs of glandularia and the postocularia. Dorsal furrow with three pairs of glandularia. Gnathosoma and chelicera long, but gnathosoma unfortunately broken during mounting; cheliceral claw 74 long, slender with small teeth ( Figure 10D ). Cxgl-4 close to associated setae, located near suture line Cx-III/IV. Genital field 160 long and 136 wide with three pairs of elongated acetabula. Genital field lying between Cx-IV, with indented anterior and posterior margins ( Figure 10B ). Gonopore 112 long and 64 wide. Length of P1-5: 14, 72, 58, 64, 34. Ventral margin of P-2 without a seta ( Figure 10C ). Length of I-leg-4-6: 116, 126, 110. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 144, 160, 162. IV-leg-6 without a terminal seta ( Figure 10E ). Swimming setae absent.

Female: Idiosoma dorsally 932 (850-915) long (including camerostome), 518 (486-543) wide, ventrally 932 (850-915) long. Dorsum as in male, anterior plate 397 (381-385) long and

437 (429-478) wide, posterior plate 312 (287-308) long and 405 (373-429) wide. Genital field 178 long, lying between Cx-IV ( Figure 10F ). Length of P1-5: 14, 74, 38, 68, 30. Length of I-leg-4-6: 134, 132, 114. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 169, 150, 152. Legs as in male.

Etymology — Named for its occurrence in Queensland.

Remarks — The new species shares the same number of glandularia on the dorsal plates as in T. amoena , but in the latter species the posterior dorsal plate is longer than the anterior dorsal plate. In the new species the anterior dorsal plate is distinctly longer than the posterior dorsal plate. Moreover, the genital field of the male of the new species is located between Cx-IV, while in T. amoena the genital field is located more or less posterior to Cx-IV. Furthermore, the male gonopore of the new species is larger than the male gonopore T of. amoena .

Figures

Figure 10 Tubophorella queenslandica sp. nov., A-E – holotype male, F – paratype female. A – dorsum; B – venter; C – palp; D – cheliceral claw; E – IV-leg-6; F – venter. Scale bars: A-B, F = 100 µm; C-E = 50 µm.