Planaturus serratus, Smit, Harry, 2017

Smit, Harry, 2017, Notoaturine water mites from New Zealand (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Notoaturinae) with the description of five new species, Zootaxa 4247 (1), pp. 16-30 : 20

Planaturus serratus n. sp.

( Fig. 3A–F )

Material examined. Holotype female, Kuripapango River, North Island , New Zealand, 39° 23.658 S 176° 19.701 E, alt. 458 m asl, 9-xii-2014 ( MONZ) .

Diagnosis. Hood rectangular; P2 with a ventral extension, P3 ventrally with an irregularly serrated hyaline membrane.

Description. Female: Characters of genus Planaturus as described by Cook (1983). Idiosoma ventrally 405 long and 235 wide, dorsal shield 284 long. Integumental pigment absent, eye pigment reduced. Hood rectangular with a straight anterior margin, 44 wide. Suture lines of coxae obliterated. Genital field with numerous acetabula, but difficult to see. Gonopore 60 long. Length of P1-5: 12, 32, 22, 36, 18. P2 with a ventral extension, P4 stocky with a ventral hyaline membrane with irregular serrations, less in right palp then in left palp. First leg not measurable. Length of IV-leg-4-6: 34, 36, 32; IV-leg-2 longer than other segments of fourth leg, but unfortunately still attached to idiosoma. Swimming setae absent.

Etymology. Named for the serrated P4.

Remarks. Currently, three Planaturus species were known. Planaturus setipalpis Cook, 1983 has P2 with a large seta (absent in the new species). Planaturus lundbladi Cook, 1983 has the gnathosoma with a distinct dorsodistal protuberance (absent in the new species) and is larger, ventrally 744 µm long. Planaturus rugosus has P2 anteroventrally with teeth (absent in the new species).

Figures

FIGURE 3 A – F. Planaturus serratus n. sp., holotype female. A = dorsum; B = venter; C = gnathosoma + palp; D = P 3 – 5; E = IV-leg- 3 – 6; F = IV-leg- 1 – 2. Scale bars = 50 µm.