Plonaphacarus paravicinus Niedbała, 2017

Niedbała, Wojciech & Szywilewska-Szczykutowicz, Anetta, 2017, Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Victoria (Australia), Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 47-85 : 52-53

Plonaphacarus paravicinus Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 2A–G )

Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 202, width 144, height 76; setae: ss 68, in 78, le 20, ro 38; notogaster: length 379, width 252, height 207; setae: c 1 71, h 1 56, ps 1 53; genitoaggenital plate 101 × 88; anoadanal plate 152 × 101. Measurements of one of paratype: prodorsum: length 184, height 73, notogaster: length 328, height 182.

Description. Small-sized species. Color light brown. Surface of body covered with distinct concavities.

Prodorsum with narrow sigillar fields. Lateral carinae absent. Posterior furrows distinct. Sensilli long, rod-like, slightly fusiform in distal half covered with small cilia. Interlamellar setae long, semi-erect, rigid covered with small spines in distal half. Lamellar setae small, spiniform. Rostral setae spiniform, smooth, situated near each other. Exobothridial setae vestigial.

Notogaster with relatively short (c 1<c 1- d 1) setae, thick, rigid, covered with dense distinct spines in distal half, pointed distally. Setae c 1 implanted near anterior margin, setae c 3 slightly remote, c 2 far remote. Vestigial setae f 1 situated posterior of setae h 1. Only one pair of lyrifissures im present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them. Genitoaggenital plates with 9 pairs of setae with formula: 7(5+3): 2. Anoadanal plates each with 5 well-developed setae, adanal setae similar to notogastral setae, anal setae slender, rough, adanal setae ad 1 and ad 2 longer than other setae.

Legs. Setal formula of legs of “complete type ”. Setae d on femora I situated at distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and 23 paratypes.

Holotype and 14 paratypes: Vic. Errinundra Plateau , Coast Range Rd, 37°17'S, 148°56'E, soil & litter from below Doryphora sassafras, Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 14 September 1983, leg. A. Yen, P . Lillywhite; six paratypes: Vic. Errinundra Plateau , Coast Range Rd, 37°17'S, 148°56'E (sample 03), soil from below Doryphora sassafras, Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 14 September 1983, leg. A. Yen, P . Lillywhite; one paratype: Vic. Errinundra Plateau , Coast Range Rd, 37°17'S, 148°56'E (sample 01), soil from below Doryphora sassafras, Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 14 September 1983, leg. A. Yen, P . Lillywhite; one paratype: Vic. Errinundra Plateau , Coast Range Rd, 37°17'S, 148°56'E, (sample 10) litter from below Doryphora sassafras, Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 14 September 1983, leg. A. Yen, P . Lillywhite; one paratype: Vic. Errinundra Plateau , Coast Range Rd, 37°17'S, 148°56'E, (sample 08) litter from below Doryphora sassafras, Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 14 September 1983, leg. A. Yen, P. Lillywhite.

Etymology. The name alludes to resemblance of the new species to Plonaphacarus vicinus Niedbała, 2012 .

Comparison. The new species is very similar to Plonaphacarus vicinus especially by the vicinity of rostral setae but is distinguishable by the presence of concavities of body (versus integument punctuate), thicker notogastral setae, absence of lyrifissures ia, shorter rostral setae (versus longer rostral setae> ½ interlamellar setae), different arrangement of genital setae, setae d of femora I situated at distal end of article (versus setae d remote from distal end).

Figures

FIGURE 2 A – G. Plonaphacarus paravicinus Niedbała sp. nov. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, mentum of subcapitulum; E, right genitoaggenital and anoadanal plates; F, trochanter and femur of leg I; G, tibia of leg IV. Scale bars 100 µm (A – C, E, F), 50 µm (D, G).