Anisitsiellides curtipalpis, K & PešićK, 2023

K, Harry Smit & PešićK, Vladimir, 2023, Two new species of the water mite genus Anisitsiellides Lundblad, 1941 from Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Anisitsiellidae), Acarologia 63 (3), pp. 751-756 : 752

Anisitsiellides curtipalpis sp. nov.

Zoobank: F397F81C-585B-4244-BBC4-681CB868 AD 8A

( Figs. 1 A-F)

Material examined. Holotype female, Dalrymple Creek at camping area, Main Range NP, Queensland, Australia, 27°58.793′ S 152°20.782′ E, 708 m a.s.l., 21 Nov. 2014, dissected and slide mounted (terminal segments of both IV-leg lost) ( QM).

Diagnosis — Dorsal shield with five pairs of glandularia; P-2 without seta, ventral margin with two ventral projections, P-4 shortened and stout, dorsomedial seta long and curved.

Description — Female – Dorsal and ventral shields present; dorsal shield L/W 763/631, ratio, dorsal shield bearing the postocularia and five pairs of glandularia ( Fig. 1A ), three pairs of glandularia placed in the posterior part of dorsal furrow; ventral shield ( Fig. 1B ) L/W 850/769, no separate sclerite at anterior end of ventral shield, gnathosomal bay L 95; Cxgl-2

on posterior end of Cx-II close to Cx-II/Cx-III suture line; Cxgl-4 posteromedial to suture Cx-III/Cx-IV; medial suture line evident and extending nearly to genital field, posterior lines of Cx-IV obliterated, no ridges extending anteriorly from the region of IV-leg insertions, distance between I-leg insertions, 539; two pairs of glandularia incorporated into the posterior end of the ventral shield; genital field L/W 170/145, ratio 1.17, three pairs of acetabula, L Ac-1-3: 42, 42, 36. Eggs maximum diameter (n=2) 169-172.

Gnathosoma vL 163; palp: total L 198; dL/H, dL/H ratio: P-1, 23/31, 0.75; P-2, 66/50,

1.31; P-3, 34/38, 0.9; P-4, 45/28, 1.61; P-5, 30/11, 2.7; L ratio P-2/P-4, 1.45. P-2 without seta, ventral margin with one blunt, disto-ventral projection, and one triangular, distally slightly denticulated, projection near centre; ventral seta on P-3 a hair-like and very long, exceeding length of P-4; P-4 short and stout, proximoventral hair-like seta very long, dorsomedial seta long, curved and bluntly pointed, exceeding length of P-5 ( Figs. 1 C-D). Chelicera with dorsal elevation in the proximal part of the basal segment ( Fig. 1F ), total L 153.

Legs — dL of I-leg-3-6: 76, 92, 104, 144; terminal segments of IV-leg lost.

Male — Unknown.

Etymology — Named for its stocky palp.

Discussion — The new species differs from all other members of the genus by the dorsal shield having five pairs of glandularia, a characteristic shape of the palp with two ventral projections on P-2 and a shortened and stout P-4 with a strong dorsomedial peg-like seta. Moreover, no other Anisitsiellides species has the palp as illustrated for the new species. Therefore, is seems reasonable to define a new subgenus to accommodate the new species. However, in regard that in the new species the terminal segments of the fourth legs were lost, we postpone the decision to establish a higher rank for the new species until new material becomes available.

Figures

Figure 1 Anisitsiellides curtipalpis sp. nov., ♂ holotype, Dalrymple Creek. A – idiosoma, dorsal view; B – ventral shield; C-D – palp; E – gnathosoma; F – chelicera. Scale bar = 100 μm.