Apoplophora paraserrata, Niedbała, 2012

Niedbała, W., 2012, An Updated Study Of Ptyctimous Mite Fauna (Acari: Oribatida) Of The Australasian Region With A Description Of Thirteen New Species, Acarologia 52 (2), pp. 183-228 : 190-192

Apoplophora paraserrata n. sp.

( Figures 1 E-G)

Type material — Holotype: ANIC- 1062, 11 km Northest of Mt. Tozer , 12°43’S 143°18’E, rainforest, litter, 11-16 June 1986, coll. T. A. Weir; 22 paratypes (11 in ANIC, 11 in NHC): ANIC-571 Credition Ck., 750 m, Eungella NP, 21°11’S 148°33’E, rainforest, 13 Nov. 1976, coll. R. W. Taylor and T. A. Weir.

Measurements of holotype — Prodorsum: length 252, width 192, height 111, sensillum 88, setae: interlamellar 105, lamellar 96, rostral 91, exobothridial 43; notogaster: length 353, width 308, height 202, setae: c 1 96, d 1 91, e 1 101; genital plates 30 × 23; anal plates 86 × 40, distance between genital and anal plates 114.

Description — Colour dark yellow, surface of body punctate, only prodorsum finely striated dorsally.

Prodorsum with traces of weak lateral carines. Sensilla rod-like covered with 30 cilia approximately. Interlamellar setae longer than other prodorsal setae. Lamellar and rostral setae of similar length and similar mutual distances, covered with 17-20 cilia. Exobothridial setae long some times longer than diameter of bothridia, covered with some cilia.

Notogaster with eight pairs of strong setae covered with 17-20 cilia. Setae of row c remote from anterior border, setae c 2 more than others.

Ventral region with eight pairs of setae covered 13-16 pairs of cilia, except two pairs smooth anterolateral setae h 2 and h 3 of similar length. One pair of anteromedian setae situated far anteriorly from anal plates on the level of anterolateral setae. Six pairs of smooth genital setae and four pairs of rough anal setae.

Other localities — ANIC-357 12 km South of Ravenshoe, 1000 m, rainforest, 17°43’S 145°30’E, 3 July 1971, coll. R.W. Taylor and J. Feehan - 10; ANIC-355 Tully Falls NP, 17°47’S 145°33’E, 750 m, rainforest, 2 July 1971, coll. R.W. Taylor and J. Feehan - 12; ANIC-536 Mt Archer, 608 m, nr Rockhampton, 23°20’S 150°35’E, 25 Oct. 1976, coll. R.W. Taylor and A. Weir - 2; ANIC-1395, Mount Duval, Tin Weir Creek, 15 km Northwest of Armidale, alt. 1300 m, 30°25’S 151°38’E, dry sclerophyll, Eucalyptus viminalis litter, 13 Mar. 1993, coll. D.S. Chandler - 2; RBO-004, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter, sample 1, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 1; RBO-006, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter, sample 2, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 9; RBO-012, Range Bor- der NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter, 18 Aug. 2007, sample 3, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 7; RBO-013, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter, sample 4, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 3; RBO-012, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter, sample 5, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 2; RBO-010, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter, sample 6, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 5; RBO-011, Range Bor- der NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, un-sieved litter under sedges, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 2; RBO-002, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, sieved litter, sample 1, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 14; RBO-007, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, sieved litter, sample 2, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 5; RBO- 003, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, sieved litter, sample 4, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 1; RBO-008, Range Border NP, Camping, rainforest with palms, rotten leafs of palms, material un-sieved, 18 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 1; NAM-002, Namagi NP, Eucalyptus forest, un-sieved wood dust, 11 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 1.

Etymology — The name alludes to some resemblance to Apoplophora serrata Niedbała, 2004 .

Comparison to related species — The new species is distinguishable from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: sensilla rod-like covered with 30 cilia, most setae of body covered with cilia, one pair of anteromedian setae situated far anteriorly from anal plates on the level of anterolateral setae, 2 pairs smooth anterolateral setae of similar length. This species is similar to Apoplophora serrata Niedbała, 2004 from Sarawak in the length of serrate notogastral setae, number of pairs of ventral setae (8) and pairs of rough anal setae (4) but this oriental species has smooth sensilla, shorter exobothridial setae, anterolateral setae unequal in length and anteromedian setae near anal plates

Figures

FIGURE 1: Mesoplophora (Mesoplophora) parapulchra n. sp. (holotype): A – prodorsum, dorsal view, B – prodorsum, lateral view, C – lateral view of opisthosoma, D – ventral view of opisthosoma; Apoplophora paraserrata n. sp. (holotype): E – prodorsum, dorsal view, F – lateral view of body, G – ventral view of opisthosoma.