Koenikea oliveri, Wiles, 2004

Wiles, P. R., 2004, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from South-East Asia, Thailand and Sulawesi Tenggara (Indonesia): descriptions of new species and new records, Journal of Natural History 38 (17), pp. 2153-2165 : 2159-2161

Family UNIONICOLIDAE Oudemans, 1909 Koenikea oliveri new species ( figure 5 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ”, S381”, 2 August 2001, S. Toruku,

Lambusanga Reserve , base camp, Buton, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia. PARATYPE

1: S415”.

Description. Female: colour, dorsal shield buff/brown. Dorsal and ventral shields present, dorsal furrow complete; dorsal shield without apophyses 511 long, 484 wide. Dorsal shield with six pairs of glandularia, A2, D1–D4 and L3. Ventral shield oval (becomes broader over time in prepared specimens), length

563, initial width 570, distorted width 616. Suture lines between epimera indistinct. Apodemes of EpI extending to EpIV. V 2 located at back of genital field; approximately 28–31 acetabula on each side of genital pore. Anus terminal. Dorsodistal seta of PIII long, ventral PIV with spine on small tubercule, dorsal claw of PV longer than ventral claws; length PI –PV 16, 61, 29, 65, 23. Well-developed rillborsten (sensu Cook, 1986) on I–II-Legs. Length I-Leg-2–6 65, 67, 83, 87, 126; II-Leg-2–6 65, 74, 91, 98, 126; III-Leg-2–6 65, 63, 87, 97, 117; IV-Leg-2–6

73, 87, 106, 113, 124. Swimming setae on II-Leg-3–5 1, 1, 3; III-Leg-3–5 1, 3, 3;

IV-Leg-3–5 1, 2z2, 3.

Etymology. Named after Steven Oliver for his help on many expeditions in Indonesia.

Remarks. This is the first true Koenikea species from the Asian side of Wallace’s line. Previous references to Koenikea , including Koenikea asiatica n. sp. ( Wiles, 1990: table 2, species 23), are in fact Neumania (Ecpolopsis) multiscutata (Piersig, 1906) . The large dorsal claw of the palp P5 is similar to that of Recifella . All Australian and New Guinean Recifella have this feature, which is absent in Australasian Koenikea species. However, the dorsal plate has six pairs of glandularia like other Australasian Koenikea species. Recifella have three to four pairs. Thus the taxonomic status can only be confirmed when a male is found to determine the degree of leg sexual dimorphism which is diagnostic of Recifella . Either way, both Recifella and Koenikea are not reported north of Wallace’s line.

Figures

FIG. 5. Koenikea oliveri new species ”. (a) Venter (dotted line distorted shape of glycerin jelly-mounted specimen); (b) dorsal shield; (c) IV-Leg; (d) I-Leg; (e) pedipalp. Scale bar: 90 Mm (a, b); 65 Mm (c, d); 23 Mm (e).