Arphthicarus donnabuangensis Niedbała, 2017

Niedbała, Wojciech & Szywilewska-Szczykutowicz, Anetta, 2017, Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Victoria (Australia), Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 47-85 : 56

Arphthicarus donnabuangensis Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 5A–G )

Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 255, width 182, height 101; setae: ss 30, in and le 28, ro 35; notogaster: length 510, width 313, height 283; setae: c 1 66, h 1 56, ps 1 58, c 1/ c 1- d 1=0.58; genitoaggenital plate 126 ×114; anoadanal plate 210 × 144. Measurements of paratype from Reefton: prodorsum: length 202, height 76; notogaster: length 379, height 192.

Description. Medium–sized species. Color brown. Surface of body covered with deep, round concavities, especially on notogaster.

Prodorsum with weak median crista. Lateral carinae and posterior furrows absent. Sigillar fields distinct, long, median field with anterior incision. Sensilli short with small pedicel and globose, ciliate head. Other setae (except vestigial exobothridial) short, spiniform, stout, rough.

Notogaster with 18 pairs of short (c 1<c 1- d 1), rigid, densely barbed in distal half setae, blunt distally. Additional setae in rows h and ps. Setae c 1 and c 3 situated near anterior margin, setae c 2 far from anterior margin. Vestigial setae f 1 located posterior of h 1 setae. Two pairs of lyrifissures: ia and im present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum longer than distance between them. Genitoaggenital plates with 9 pairs of setae with formula: 9(4+5): 0. Anoadanal plates each with two longer, rough anal setae and four shorter adanal setae similar to notogastral setae with cilia in distal half.

Legs. Chaetome of legs of “complete type ”. Setae d on femora I long and remote from distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and two paratypes.

Holotype: Vic. Central Highlands, Cement Creek Reserve, 2.2 km ESE of Mt Donna Buang , 37°43'S, 145°42' 15''E, pitfall traps from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 29 November 1994 – 20 January 1995, leg. G. Milledge; one paratype: Vic. Central Highlands, Acheron Gap, 6 km NE of Mt Donna Buang , 37°40'43''S, 144°44'20''E, moss from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 28 December 1995, leg . G. Milledge; one paratype: Vic. Reefton, East Warburton , 37°40'S, 145°55'E, dry site, litter, NMV Survey , August 1983, leg. A. Yen, P. Lillywhite.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the typical locality Mt Donna Buang.

Comparison. The new species is slightly similar to Austrophthiracarus willmanni Niedbała, 1987 , Austrophthiracarus mutabilis Niedbała et Colloff, 1997 and Austrophthiracarus paralargus Niedbała et Penttinen, 2007 in the neotrichy of notogastral and adanal setae, shape of sensilli, length and shape of prodorsal setae and length and location of setae of femora I. It is distinguishable from these species by deep, rounded concavities of the body, especially on notogaster, and furthermore from A. willmanni and A. mutabilis by the number of 18 pairs of notogastral setae (versus 20, 21 pairs), the presence of incision at median sigillar field of prodorsum (versus the absence of incision), vestigial exobothridial setae (versus well developed exobothridial setae) and the absence of posterior furrows of prodorsum (versus the presence these furrows in A. willmanni ); from A. paralargus also by number of 18 pairs notogastral setae (versus 22 pairs) and furthermore by the presence of sigillar fields (versus these fields not visible), four pairs of adanal setae (versus five pairs arranged in another position).

Figures

FIGURE 5 A – G. Arphthicarus donnabuangensis Niedbała sp. nov. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, mentum of subcapitulum; E, left genitoaggenital plate; F, left anoadanal plates; G, trochanter and femur of leg I. Scale bars 100 µm (A – C, E, F), 50 µm (D, G).