Canterburaturus novaeseelandicus Pesic & Smit

Pesic, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Datry, Thibault, 2010, Water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from the hyporheic waters of the Selwyn River (New Zealand), with descriptions of nine new species, Zootaxa 2355, pp. 1-34 : 21-24

Canterburaturus novaeseelandicus Pesic & Smit sp. nov.

( Fig. 2E , 17A–F )

Type material. Holotype: female dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid. New Zealand, South Island, Selwyn River near Old Bridge, 20.ix.2004. Paratypes: 0/1/0 (mounted), Selwyn River near Ridgens, 20.viii.2004; 0/1/0, Selwyn River near Scoots, 18.i.2005.

Diagnosis. Surface of dorsal sclerites smooth; P-2 relatively expanded and with a pointed projection ventrodistally; P-3 with a pointed projection ventrodistally.

Description. Female (holotype, in parentheses measurements of paratype). Integumental pigment absent; eye pigment reduced; surface of sclerites smooth (as shown in Fig. 2E ); dorsal shield ( Fig. 17A ) L 359 (347), W 331 (320); anteromedial plate L 156 (156), W 230 (211); anterolateral platelets bearing a pair of glandularia; posterolateral platelets with one pair of glandularia; posteromedial plate bearing two pairs of glandularia; anterodorsal portion of ventral forming a hood-like projection which does not extend to the tips of the first coxae ( Fig. 17C ); ventral shield ( Fig. 17B ) L 491 (444), W 418; capitular bay L 141 (117); tips of first, second and third coxae somewhat pointed and with well developed intercoxal slots; projections associated with insertions of IV-L truncate, moderately large and extending to sides of idiosoma; a well developed ridge on each side extending posterolaterally from region of insertion of IV-L; a relatively long apodeme and a glandularium on each side located medial to insertions of IV-L; gonopore terminal L 65 (65); four pairs of small setae immediately flanking the gonopore; palp ( Fig. 17 D-E): total L 211 (204), dL: P-1, 28 (30); P-2, 55 (53); P-3, 34 (35); P-4, 69 (65); P-5 25 (21); %L: P-1, 13.3 (14.7); P-2, 26.1 (26.0); P-3, 16.1 (17.2); P-4, 32.7 (31.9); P-5 11.9 (10.3); P-2 relatively expanded and with a pointed projection ventrodistally; P-3 with a pointed projection ventrodistally; capitulum ventral L (with apodemes) 89 (89); chelicera total L (125); dL of IV-L-2-6: 81 (82), 39 (39), 62 (57), 63 (63), 66 (65); maximum H of IV-L-2, 51 (51); IV-L-2 L/H ratio, 1.6 (1.6); chaetotaxy of IV-L as illustrated in Fig. 17F ; swimming hairs absent.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named for its occurrence in New Zealand.

Remarks. The present species differs from the two other species of the genus in its major idiosoma and gnathosoma dimensions and a palp with P-2 bearing a pointed ventrodistal projection. Moreover, the ornamentation of the dorsal shield differs completely (compare Figs. 2D, 2E and 2F ).

Ecology. The studied material was collected from August to February, from ephemeral-losing (Scotts and Ridgens) and the perennial-gaining (Old Bridge) reaches of the river.

Figures

FIGURE 2 A – L. Photographs of dorsal shield. A— Colobaturus selwynus Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; B— Taintaturus selwynus Pesic & Smit n. sp., male; C— T. rostratus Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; D— Canterburaturus minutus Pesic & Smit n. sp., male; E— C. novaeseelandicus Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; F— C. cooki Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; G— Abelaturus schwoerbeli Pesic & Smit n. sp., male; H— A. schwoerbeli Pesic & Smit n. sp., female; I— Abelaturus cornophorus Cook, 1983, female; J— Piotaturus bovalus Cook, 1983, male; K— Paratryssaturus cantermus Cook, 1983, female; L— Zelandalbia longipalpis Pesic & Smit n. sp., female.

FIGURE 17 A – F. Canterburaturus novaeseelandicus Pesic & Smit sp. nov., female (A – D, F holotype, E paratype): A = dorsal shield; B = ventral shield; C = anterodorsal portion of ventral shield; D = palp; E = capitulum, chelicera and palp; F = IV-L. Scale bars = 100 μm.