Phylleremus hunti, Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M. & Walter, David E., 2007

Behan-Pelletier, Valerie M. & Walter, David E., 2007, Phylleremus n. gen., from leaves of deciduous trees in eastern Australia (Oribatida: Licneremaeoidea), Zootaxa 1386, pp. 1-17 : 9-13

Phylleremus hunti n. sp.

Material examined. Holotype: adult female. Australia: Victoria: Wilson’s Promontory National Park, 38º55’S, 146º23’E, Chinamen’s Creek, 100 m elevation, 18.xi.1990, from leaf of Pomaderris aspera ; deposited in the ANIC.

Paratypes: 2 females 1 adult male with same data as holotype; Australia: Victoria: Wilson’s Promontory, Chinamen’s Creek, 17.x.1991, Roaring Meg Gulley, 4 females from leaf of Zieria arborescens ; 1 female from leaf of Bedfordia arborescens ; Victoria: Otway Ranges, Mait’s Rest Rainforest Walk, 38º45’S, 143º34’E, 23.iii.1992, 1 female, 1 male from leaf of Bedfordia arborescens ; Tasmania: Mt. Field National Park, Mawson Plateau, 1.ii.1992, 4 females, 2 males, 1 tritonymph from leaves of Olearia pinifolia ; deposited in the ANIC and CNC.

Diagnosis. Total length of adults 292–328μm; mutual distance of tubercles on notogaster about 5–9 µm; setae le about 5–8 µm long; setae ex about 5–8 µm long; saccule Sa, S1, S2, S3 present; five pairs of genital setae.

Description. Adult. Measurements: Mean total length: female (n = 3) 323 µm (range 320–328); male (n = 9) 301 µm (range 292–312). Mean notogastral width: female (n =2) 192 µm (192, 192); male (n =9) 170 µm (range 160–180).

Color: Notogaster of newly emerged adults distinctly grey­brown medial to notogastral setae and area medially to anteriorly on rostrum; rest of integument pale brown. Color of mature adults brown.

Integument: Underlying microtubercles on all sclerotized integument. Notogaster with large flattened tubercles circular to oval, circular tubercles about 5 µm in diameter, oval tubercles about 5–8 µm long; tubercles irregularly spaced, but mutual distance about 5–9 µm. Tubercles positioned medially of notogastral setae in specimens from Victoria, extending laterally of notogastral setae almost to margin of notogaster in specimens from Tasmania.

Prodorsum: Rostrum rounded. Weak transverse ridges present between setae ro and le, and laterally on prodorsum ( Fig. 19 ). Longitudinal ridges extending between setae le and transverse or U­shaped ridge anterior to setae in ( Fig. 19 ). Transverse or U­shaped ridge poorly developed. Setae ro about 27–30 µm long, barbed distally, smooth basally, acuminate, mutual distance at base about 20 µm. Setae le about 5–8 µm long, thin, barbed, tapered, mutual distance at base about 27–32 µm. Setae in about 26–34 µm long, thick, plumose setae, flattened to abruptly tapered distally; mutual distance at base about 48–50 µm. Bothridial setae 24–28 µm long, with finely barbed globular head, subequal in length to narrow stalk; head wider than long. Bothridium with internal ring­like ridges. Exobothridial setae about 5–8 µm long, thin, smooth, tapered.

Lateral Region: Pedotectum I covering posterior half of acetabulum I, narrowing along length, and curving dorsally to level of seta ex, and merging with taenidium. Pedotectum II covering base of acetabulum II.

Notogaster: Longer than wide, ratio about 1.3:1.0. All nine pairs of notogastral setae about 16 m long, curved to geniculate in posterior to posterolateral direction, barbed along distal half, smooth basally, acuminate ( Fig. 19 ). Saccules Sa very small, positioned anteriorly on notogaster, anterior to seta c, dorsal to porose area Ad, about 8 m long ( Fig. 19 ). Saccules S1, positioned posterior to seta lp, about 3 m long, or reduced to pore; S2 positioned between setae h3 and h2, about 3 m long, or reduced such that only pore discernable; and S3 positioned between setae h2 and h1, dorsal to lyrifissure ip, about 3 m long ( Fig. 19 ).

Ventral Region: Ventral region with short ridges in coxisternal region, on genital plates, and surrounding genital and anal plates. Five pairs of genital setae. Epimeral and genital setae smooth, acuminate, about 11–16 m long. Aggenital, anal and adanal setae about 10–14 m long, smooth acuminate.

Gnathosoma: Mentum with fingerprint pattern laterally. Subcapitular setae a, m and h smooth, tapered, relative lengths: h> m> a.

Legs: Leg segments, other than genua, with 10–20 ridges running dorso­ventrally. Claws of legs I and II proportionally larger than those on legs III and IV; all claws with small spines proximodorsally. Pulvilli of tarsi I and II smaller than those of tarsi III, IV. Tibiae of legs I and II longer than respective tarsi. Leg setal formulae (trochanter to tarsus): leg I, 1­5­3(1)­4(2)­18(2); leg II, 1­5­4(1)­3(1)­15(2); leg III, 2­2­1(1)­3(1)­13; leg IV, 1­2­1­3(1)­12. Setae (v) not developed on tarsus I, and (it) not developed on tarsus III.

Tritonymph. Measurements: Length: (n = 2) 286 µm (280, 293).

Prodorsum: Aspis with transverse porose area posterior to setae in and bothridia. Lateral porose areas present anterior of bothridia, broadest posteriorly, narrowing anteriorly. Seta ro finely barbed along length, about 16 µm long. Seta le thin, smooth, about 3 µm long. Seta in about 25 µm long, thick, barbed, tapered ( Fig. 20 ). Setal pairs ro, le and in about 8, 20 and 50 µm apart, respectively. Seta ex about 4 µm long, smooth. Bothridial seta about 20 µm long, globular, head subequal in length to stalk, identical in shape to that of adult.

Gastronotic Region: Integument of plicae alternatively slightly sclerotized and unsclerotized, area medial to setae c1, l and h series more heavily sclerotized than lateral areas; sclerotization indicated by stippling on Fig. 20 . Gastronotal setae c, l and h series about 15 µm long, with minute barbs. Gastronotal setae of d and p series short, thin, tapered, about 5–8 m long ( Fig. 20 ).

Ventral Region: Medial margins of epimeral plates weakly to well­defined; coxisternal porose areas present. Epimere I with narrow mentotectum, greatest width about 5 µm, overlying base of subcapitulum.

Sclerotization in genital region with pattern of about 10 irregular plates, absent in single tritonymph from Tasmania. Epimeral, genital, aggenital, anal and adanal setae smooth, acuminate, about 5–13 µm long, with seta 1b longest. Epimeral setae 3­1­2­2; genital setae 4 pairs.

Legs: Setation as for tritonymph of P. l e e i ( Table 1 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honour of our deceased colleague and friend, Dr. Glenn Hunt, who contributed so much to our knowledge of Australian acarology.

Figures

FIGURES 19, 20. Phylleremus hunti n. sp.: 19, dorsal aspect of adult female; 20, tritonymph, dorsal aspect.

Tables

TABLE 1. Development of setiform organs in Phylleremus leei n. sp. Setae (Roman) and solenidia (Greek) are listed opposite the instar in which they first appear; parentheses indicate pairs of setae.

	Trochanter Femur	Genu	Tibia	Tarsus
Leg I
Larva	­ d bv”	(l) σ	(l) v’ φ1	(ft) (tc) (p) (u) s (a) (pv) (pl) e ω1
Protonymph	­ ­	­	­	ω2
Deutonymph	­ l’	­	φ2	­
Tritonymph	v’ l”	­	­	(it)
Adult	­ v’	v’	v”	­
Leg II
Larva	­ d bv”	(l) σ	(l) φ	(p) (tc) (ft) (u) s (a) (pv) ω1
Protonymph	­ ­	­	­	ω2
Deutonymph	­	­	­	­
Tritonymph	v’ (l)			(it)
Adult	­ v’ v’ v’	v’	v’
Leg III
Larva	­ d ev’ l’ σ	l’ σ	v’ φ	(p) (tc) (ft) (u) s (a) (pv)
Protonymph	­ ­	­	­	­
Deutonymph	v’ ­	­	­	­
Tritonymph	l’ ­	­	­
Adult	­ ­	­	(l)	­
Leg IV
Protonymph	­ ­	­	­	(p) ft” (u) (pv)
Deutonymph	­ d ev’ d v’ φ	d	v’ φ	(tc) (a) s
Tritonymph	v’ ­	­		­
Adult	­ ­	­	(l)	­