Scapheremaeus lambieae, Colloff, Matthew J., 2009

Colloff, Matthew J., 2009, Comparative morphology and species-groups of the oribatid mite genus Scapheremaeus (Acari: Oribatida: Cymbaeremaeidae), with new species from South Australia, Zootaxa 2213, pp. 1-46 : 22-24

Scapheremaeus lambieae sp. nov.

( Fig. 11 )

Prodorsum. Striate laterally and between costulae. Rostrum rounded, rostral setae (ro) smooth, straight, spinose, ca. 16 long; lamellar setae (le; ca. 13 long) on small tubercles, shorter than broad, connected by translamella. Costulae convergent anteriorly, consisting of thin ridges, extending posteriorly as far as bothridia. Interlamellar setae and their alveoli absent. Sensillus club-shaped, darkly-pigmented, head ca. 20 broad, with tuberculate microsculpture, apex not extending beyond prodorsal margin.

Notogaster. Length 350. Circumdorsal scissure entire, with diagonal extensions into humeral region. Lenticulus present (ca. 30 long, 19 broad), flanked by tuberculate protuberances. Centrodorsal region 260 long, 167 broad; with microsculpture consisting of randomly-arranged tubercles. Microsculpture of region lateral of circumdorsal scissure consisting of parallel ridges and troughs and scattered tubercles. Ten pairs of smooth, spiniform notogastral setae borne on short tubercles, covered in cerotegument giving them clubshaped appearance; lm and lp positioned on centrodorsal region. Caudal region indented slightly. Lyrifissurae ih, ips and ip present on posterior half of laterodorsal region; ih and ips parallel, oblique.

Lateral aspect. Costulae barely projecting above surface of prodorsum; tubercle of lamellar seta on prodorsal surface, not free. Carina an angular ridge ventral of lamella; cusp or free projection absent. Pedotectum I auriculate, covering acetabulum I; pedoctectum II bladelike, midway between acetabula II and III, apex directly ventral of short, cusp-like humeral spine.

Ventral region. Epimeral setal formula, numbers of aggenital, anal and adanal setae typical of genus; 6 pairs of genital setae; g 2 offset laterally from g 1. Ventral microsculpture consisting of series of ridges arranged in radial manner. Lyrifissurae iad in para-anal position.

Gnathosoma . Typical of family. Tectum of mentum slight, not extending anteriorly as far as bases of setae a.

Legs. Claws heterotridactylous. Chaetotaxy not examined in detail. Only lengths of leg segments I and II measurable without dissection: leg I 79, 31, 56, 29; leg II 74, 26, 49, 24.

Material examined: Holotype: pitfall trap, Casuarina woodland, 79 km NNW Renmark, 33°31’S 140°24’E; coll. A. Lambie, 3 May–6 June, 1995. Holotype in ANIC.

Etymology. This species is named after Anne Lambie (ex. Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, SA), who collected it.

Remarks. Scapheremaeus lambieae sp. nov. can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: 1) the tuberculate centrodorsal region; 2) a complete circumdorsal scissure with humeral extensions; 3) the posterior centrodorsal ridge with lateral concavities; 4) the striate prodorsum; 5) short, sub-triangular humeral processes; 6) 10 pairs of setiform notogastral setae with clubshaped cerotegument, those of the p series on dorsal circumnotogastral plate.

This species is most similar morphologically to S. cheloniella (see remarks section for this species above).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Scapheremaeus lambieae sp. nov. a) dorsal aspect; b) ventral aspect; c) lateral aspect.