Notophthiracarus whakau, Liu, Dong & Zhang, Zhi-Qiang, 2013

Liu, Dong & Zhang, Zhi-Qiang, 2013, The genus Notophthiracarus of New Zealand (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaridae): three new species and a key to 24 described species, Zootaxa 3682 (2), pp. 392-400 : 397

Notophthiracarus whakau sp. nov.

( Figs. 21–30 )

Material examined: Holotype: adult ( NZAC, in alcohol, 72/227), New Zealand: CL, Red I. Mercury Is., from mainly Myrsine litter, 24 Nov., 1972, leg. G. W. Ramsay. Paratype: one adult ( NIGA, in alcohol, 72/227), same data as holotype.

Etymology. Named after the type locality of this new species: Whakau is the Māori name for the Red Island; used here as a noun in apposition.

Description. Measurements. Holotype: Prodorsum: length 330, width 215, height 160, setae: ss 80, ro 15, le 25, in 130; notogaster: length 632, width 365, height 420; setae: c 1 150, d 1 120, e 1 132, h 1 150, ps 1 150, ps 4 40; genitoaggenital plate 150×140, anoadanal plate 120×215. Paratype: Prodorsum: length 320, width 210, height 155; notogaster: length 610, width 358, height 410.

Integument. Colour yellowish. Surface of body covered with large foveolae. Median region of prodorsum and notogaster with distinct railing-like structure (reticulation-like in dorsal view), which is nearly identical in all specimens.

Prodorsum ( Figs. 21 ̲22). Strong median crista present; lateral carinae absent; sigillar fields indistinct; posterior furrows present; sensilli (ss) with long, narrow pedicel and short, pointed and covered with minute spines distally; interlamellar setae (in) long and strong, procumbent, densely barbed in distal half; lamellar (le) and rostral setae (ro) thin, smooth and short, but rostral setae slightly thicker; exobothridial setae (ex) vestigial; comparative length: in>ss> le> ro.

Notogaster ( Fig. 21 ). Median crista present, interrupted from insertion level of setae d 2 to e 2; 15 pairs of notogastral setae present, medium long (c 1<c 1– d 1), robust, and densely barbed in distal half; setae c 1, h 1 and ps 1 longest, setae ps 4 shortest; setae c 2 more far away from anterior border than setae c 1 and c 3; setae ps 4 situated posterior to setae ad 1; vestigial setae f 1 positioned posterior to setae h 1; two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present.

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 26–28 ). Subcapitulum normal ( Fig. 26 ); setae h, m, and a simple and smooth; setae h longer than distance between them; adoral seta or 1 apparently flat with barbs; or 2–3 simple and smooth; palp ( Fig. 27 ) 4-segmented, with femur and genu fused; palpal setation: 0-2-2-7(1); supracoxal seta simple and smooth; chelicera ( Fig. 28 ) with two smooth setae (cha, chb).

Ano-genital region ( Figs. 21, 24–25 ). Nine pairs of genital setae (g) arranged with formula: 5: 4; one pair of aggenital setae (ag) present; anoadanal plates each with five pairs of fine and minute setae (an, ad), adanal setae (ad) situated very close to paraxial margin.

Legs ( Figs. 29–30 ). Setal counts for leg segments (without tarsi): I: 1-3-2(2)-5(1); II: 1-3-2(1)-3(1), III: 2-2- 1(1)-2(1), IV: 2-1-1-2(1); on femora I, setae d situated near distal end of article, setae v’ absent, and setae v’ ’ medium long; setae a’’ on tarsi I and setae ft’’ on tarsi II curved distally; setae a’’ on tarsi II curved distally; setae s and pv’ on tarsi IV present; setae s on tarsi I and II absent.

Remark. This new species is similar to Notophthiracarus unicarinatus Niedbała, 2000 in the presence of median crista on prodorsum and notogaster, lateral carinae absent, lamellar and rostral setae short, exobothridial setae vestigial, vestigial setae f 1 positioned posterior to setae h 1, and anoadanal plates with fine and minute setae, but can be easily distinguished from the latter species by the following ten characters (a versus b): in N. whakau sp. nov., (1a) foveolae on surface of body obviously larger; (2a) dorsal region of prodorsum and notogaster with distinct railing-like structure; (3a) sensilli with short head; (4a) lamellar and rostral setae thin and smooth; (5a) interlamellar, lamellar and notogastral setae much shorter (in 130, le 25, c 1 150, c 1/ c 1– d 1=0.68); (6a) median crista on notogaster interrupted from the insertion level from setae d 2 to e 2; (7a) lyrifissures im positioned dorsally of setae h 3; (8a) formula of genital setae: 5: 4; (9a) setae d on femora I situated near distal end of article, setae v’ absent, and setae v’’ normal; (10a) body size smaller (length of notogaster=632); in N. unicarinatus , (1b) foveolae on surface of body much smaller; (2b) dorsal region of prodorsum and notogaster without distinct railing-like structure; (3b) sensilli with elongate head; (4b) lamellar and rostral setae thick and spinose; (5b) interlamellar, lamellar and notogastral setae much longer (in 227, le 50.6, c 1 227, c 1/ c 1– d 1=1.04); (6b) median crista on notogaster not interrupted; (7b) lyrifissures im positioned ventrally of setae h 3; (8b) formula of genital setae: 6: 3; (9b) setae d on femora I situated far away from distal end of article, setae v’ present, and setae v’’ very long; (10b) body size larger (length of notogaster=902).

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 30. Notophthiracarus whakau sp. nov.: 21, lateral view of body (legs removed); 22, prodorsum, dorsal view; 23, sensillus, dorsal view; 24, left side of genito-aggenital plate; 25, left side of anoadanal plate; 26, subcapitulum, palpi removed; 27, palp, antiaxial view; 28, chelicera, antiaxial view; 29, trochanter and femur I; 30, tibia IV. Scale bars: 21, 22, 24, 25, 29, 30 = 100 μm; 23, 26 – 28 = 50 μm.