Phylleremus leei, 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 : 4-9

Phylleremus leei n. sp.

Material examined. Holotype: adult female. Australia: NSW: Mt. Warning National Park, 28º23’S, 153º17’E; 15. iii. 1991, from leaves of Sarcopteryx stipata (F. Muell.) Radlk. ; deposited in the ANIC.

Paratypes: 3 with same data as holotype; Australia: NSW: Border Ranges National Park, Antarctic Beech site, 28º22’S, 153º07’E, 22.ii.1992, 1 from leaf of Caldcluvia paniculosa ; NSW: New England National Park, 30º30’S, 152º26’E, Cascade Trail, 16.vi.1991, 1 male from Vesselowskya rubifolia ; NSW: nr. Armidale, New England National Park, 30º30’S, 152º26’E, Point Lookout, 1563m, 15.vi.1991, 1 female from Banksia collina ; NSW: nr. Nimbin Nightcap National Park, Mt. Matheson, 28º32’S, 153º16’E, 700m, 23.vi.1991, 1 female from Sloanea australis ; NSW: nr. Kyogle Border Ranges National Park, 28º22’S, 153º07’E, Forest Top Rest area, 18.vi.1991, 6 tritonymphs from Sloanea woolsii ; NSW: Washpool National Park, 29º28’S, 152º18’E, Coombadja Creek, 23.vi.1991, 1 DN, 1TN from leaf of Callicoma serratifolia ; QLD: Lamington National Forest, 28º13’S, 153º09’E, O’Reilly’s Guest House, 19.ii.1992, 1 from leaf of Randia benthamiana ; Mick’s Tower, 17.v.1994, 3 females 1 males from stem of Randia benthamiana ; Victoria: Wilson’s Promontory National Park, Chinaman Creek, 38º55’S, 146º23’E, 17.x.1991, 3 males, 2 females 4 nymphs from leaf Olearia lirata ; Victoria: E. Gippsland, Errinundra Plateau, 37º21’S, 148º51’E, 19.ii.1991, from Elaeocarpus reticulatus ; deposited in the ANIC and CNC.

Diagnosis. Total length of adults 280–332μm; mutual distance of tubercles on notogaster about 3–8 µm; setae le about 14–16 µm long; setae ex about 8–10 µm long; saccule Sa present, S1, S2, S3 absent; six pairs of genital setae.

Description. Adult. Measurements: Mean total length: female (n = 9) 322 µm (range 308–332); male (n = 2) 291 µm (280, 296). Mean notogastral width: female (n =8) 184 µm (range 172–192); male (n =2) 152 µm (152, 152).

Color: Mature adults brown.

Integument: Underlying microtubercles on all sclerotized integument. Notogaster with large flattened tubercles extending almost to margin of notogaster laterally, shape circular to oval, circular tubercles about 5 µm in diameter, oval tubercles about 5–8 µm long; tubercles irregularly spaced, mutual distance about 3–8 µm. Tubercles extending almost to margin of notogaster laterally.

Prodorsum: Rostrum rounded. Weak transverse ridges present between setae ro and le and laterally on prodorsum ( Figs 4, 5 ). Longitudinal ridges extending between setae le and in transverse or U­shaped ridge anterior to setae in ( Fig. 1 ). Development of transverse or U­shaped ridge varies from poorly to well­developed within populations. Setae ro 28–38 µm long, barbed along length, except smooth basally, acuminate, mutual distance at base about 22 µm. Setae le about 14–16 µm long, thin, barbed, tapered, mutual distance of pair about 30–36 µm. Setae in 30–36 µm long, thick, plumose, flattened to abruptly tapered distally; mutual distance of pair 40–54 µm. Bothridial setae 24–28 µm long, with finely barbed globular head, subequal in length to narrow stalk. Bothridium with internal ring­like ridges. Exobothridial setae about 8–10 µm long, thin, smooth, tapered ( Figs 3 , 6 ).

Lateral Region: Pedotectum I covering posterior half of acetabulum I, narrowing along length, curving dorsally to level of seta ex and merging with taenidium ( Fig. 3 ).

Notogaster: Longer than wide, ratio about 1.3:1.0. All nine pairs of notogastral setae about 16 m long, curved posteriorly to posterolaterally, barbed along length, except smooth basally, acuminate ( Fig. 1 ). Saccule Sa very small, positioned anteriorly on notogaster, far anterior to seta c, dorsal to porose area Ad, about 11 m long ( Fig. 1 ). Saccules S1, S2 and S3 absent.

Ventral Region: With short ridges in coxisternal region, on genital plates, and surrounding genital and anal plates ( Fig. 2 ). Six pairs of genital setae. Epimeral and genital setae smooth, acuminate, about 16 m long. Aggenital, anal and adanal setae about 11 m long, smooth, acuminate.

Gnathosoma: Mentum with fingerprint pattern laterally ( Fig. 2 ). 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 ( Figs 8–11 ). Claws of legs I and II proportionally larger than those on legs III and IV; all claws with small spines proximodorsally ( Figs 15, 16 ). Pulvilli of tarsi I and II smaller than those of tarsi III, IV ( Figs 8–11 , 15, 16 ). Leg setal formulae (trochanter to tarsus): leg I, 1­5­3(1)­4(2)­18(2); leg II, 1­5­3(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. Seta tc” absent unilaterally from tarsus IV on one specimen (illustrated in Fig. 11 ).

Description. Immatures. Measurements: Mean length: larva (n = 1) 195 µm; protonymph (n = 1) 200 µm; deutonymph (n = 2) 247 µm (240, 254); tritonymph (n = 6) 288 µm (range 270–296).

Tritonymph. Prodorsum: Aspis with transverse porose area posterior to setae in and bothridia. Lateral porose areas present anterior of bothridia, broadest posteriorly, narrowing anteriorly ( Fig. 12 ). Seta ro finely barbed along length, about 20 µm long. Seta le thin, smooth, about 8 µm long. Seta in about 25 µm long, thick, barbed, tapered. Setal pairs ro, le and in about 13, 16 and 36 µm apart, respectively. Seta ex about 5 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, slight sclerotization indicated by stippling on Fig. 12 . Gastronotal setae c, l, and h series about 15 µm long, with minute barbs. Gastronotal setae of d series and p1 and p2 short, thin, tapered, about 5–8 m long ( Fig. 12 ).

Ventral Region: Medial margins of epimeral plates weakly defined ( Fig. 13 ). Epimere I with narrow mentotectum, greatest width about 5 µm, overlying base of subcapitulum ( Fig. 13 ). Epimeral, genital, aggenital, anal and adanal setae smooth, acuminate, about 5–13 µm long, with seta 1b longest. Integument of genital region weakly sclerotized. Development of epimeral setae (protonymph–adult): 3­1­2­1, 3­1­2­2, 3­1­2­2, 3­ 1­2­2. Development of genital, aggenital, anal and adanal setae (protonymph–adult): 1­3­5­6, 0­1­1­1, 0­0­2­ 2, 0­2­2­2, respectively.

Legs: Development of setae and solenidia given in Table 1 . Proral setae of tarsus I appear eupathidial in all nymphal instars. Subunguinal seta of tarsus I of normal form and inserted proximal to antelateral pair in all nymphs; becoming eupathidial in adult, and moving distal to antelateral pair. Porose areas on femora I to IV clearly present. Tarsal pulvilli present in all instars.

Protonymph and deutonymph. As for tritonymph except overall size and length of setae proportionally shorter.

Larva. As for tritonymph, except overall size and length of setae proportionally shorter. Seta c2 barbed, about 13 µm, other gastronotal setae, smooth, about 8 µm long ( Fig. 14 ).

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

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 7. Phylleremus leei n. sp., scanning electron micrographs of adult females: 4, lateral aspect; 5, frontal aspect; 6, detail of lateral view of prodorsum with taenidium indicated by arrow; 7, posterior aspect showing overlapping notogastral tectum.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Phylleremus leei n. sp., adult female: 1, dorsal aspect; 2, ventral aspect (legs removed); 3, prodorsum, lateral aspect (gnathosoma, notogaster and legs removed; taenidium indicated by arrow).

FIGURES 8 – 11. Phylleremus leei n. sp., legs of adult female, all abaxial aspect: 8, leg I (trochanter removed); 9, leg II (trochanter removed); 10, leg III (solenidion φ broken from tibia); 11, leg IV.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Phylleremus leei n. sp., scanning electron micrographs; 15, adult: distal half of tarsus I (pulvillus indicated by arrow); 16, adult: distal half of tarsus IV (pulvillus indicated by arrow); 17, adult: lateral aspect of palp; 18, tritonymph, anterior half, dorsolateral aspect.

FIGURES 12 – 14. Phylleremus leei n. sp., immatures; 12, tritonymph, dorsal aspect, 13, tritonymph, ventral aspect (gnathosoma incomplete; legs I and II represented only by trochanters and femora, legs III and IV removed); 14, larva, dorsal aspect.