Notophthiracarus parausitatus, 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 : 208

Notophthiracarus parausitatus n. sp.

( Figure 11 A-G)

Type material — Holotype and three paratypes (one in ANIC, two in NHC): ANIC-546, Mt. Lewis , 960 m, 16°35’S 145°17’E, rainforest, 30 Oct. 1976, coll. R. W. Taylor and T. A. Weir; one paratype ANIC-952, Mt. Haig, 1150 m, 17°06’S 146°34’E, rainforest, 3 Apr. 1984, coll. A. Calder and T. Weir.

Measurements of holotype — Prodorsum: length 172, width 129, height 73, sensillum 61, setae: interlamellar 58, lamellar 10, rostral 33, exobothridial 10; notogaster: length 313, width 202, height 197, setae: c 1 56, h 1 53, p 1 51; genitoaggenital plate 76 × 58; anoadanal plate 111 × 51.

Description — Colour brown. Surface of the body covered with concavities.

Prodorsum with distinct, lateral carinae of medium length. Sigillar fields weakly discerned. Sensilla with long pedicel and short fusiform head covered with small cilia. Interlamellar setae thick, erect, covered with small cilia in distal half. Lamellar setae needleform, short, smooth. Rostral setae bent, thick, short, with cilia in distal part. Exobothridial setae similar to lamellar setae.

Notogaster with 15 pairs of rather short (c 1 <c 1 - d 1), rigid, thick setae, covered with short cilia in distal part, in shape as interlamellar setae. Setae c 1 and c 3 situated close to the anterior border, setae c 2 shifted away from the border. Among all lyrifissures, only large ia was observed.

Ventral region — Setae h of mentum longer than distance between them. Arrangement of genital setae: 6: 3. Genital setae very small. Five pairs of setae on anoadanal plate. Setae ad 1 and ad 2 rough and longer than other setae, setae ad 3 very short and needleform, setae ad 1 and ad 3 situated near proximal margin.

Legs setation of complete type. Seta d on femora I bifurcated distally and distinctly remote from distal end of segment.

Other localities — DOR-001, Dorrigo NP, Never Never camping, rainforest, sieved litter, sample 7, 16 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 30; DOR-010, Dorrigo NP, Never Never camping, rainforest, litter, near dead log, 16 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 6; DOR-005, Dorrigo NP, Never Never camping, rainforest, unsieved wood dust, sample 1, 16 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 2; DOR1-002, Dorrigo NP, rainforest litter, un-sieved material, sample 3, 17 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 12; DOR1-005, Dorrigo NP, rainforest, sieved litter, sample 1, 17 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 12; NBP-001, Nymboi-Binderay NP, Eucalyptus forest, sieved material, 17 Aug. 2007, coll. J. Błoszyk and S. Konwerski - 2.

Etymology — The prefix para is Latin meaning "near" and refers to the similarity of the new species to Notophthiracarus usitatus Niedbała, 1989 .

Comparison to related species — The new species looks like Notophthiracarus usitatus Niedbała, 1989 in the shape of body, shape of notogastral setae, shape and proportion of interlamellar and lamellar setae. However, the new species is distinguishable from the latter one in the presence of lateral carinae of prodorsum, shape of sensilla with fusiform head, rostral setae bent distally, presence of exobothridial setae, large lyrifissures ia, small setae ad 3 on anoadanal plates, bifurcate setae d of femora I.

Figures

FIGURE 11: Notophthiracarus parausitatus n. sp. (holotype): A – prodorsum, dorsal view, B – prodorsum, lateral view, C – lateral view of opisthosoma, D – mentum of infracapitulum, E – genitoaggenital plate, F – anoadanal plate, G – trochanter and femur I.