Aspidiobatella smola Cook, 1986

Smit, Harry, 2015, The water mite family Hygrobatidae Koch in Australia. The genera Aspidiobatella Cook, Australorivacarus Viets, Gondwanabates Imamura and Rhynchaustrobates Cook (Acari: Hydrachnidia), Zootaxa 4033 (4), pp. 567-583 : 568

Aspidiobatella smola Cook, 1986

( Figs 1 A–B)

Material examined. New South Wales. 0/1/0, Snowy River, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 25.836 S 148º 19.303 E, alt. 1736 m asl, 5-xii-2003; 0/1/0, Unnamed creek near Carruthers Peak, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 24.621 S 148º 18.338 E, alt. 1931 m asl, 6-xii-2003; 0/1/0, Thredbo River near Dead Horse Gap, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 31.354 S 148º 15.825 E, alt. 1589 m asl, 8-xii-2003; 1/0/0, Twins Creek at crossing with Olsen Road, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 19.399 S 148º 16.612 E, alt. 1058 m asl, 9-xii-2003.

Description. Male: Idiosoma dorsally 483 long, ventrally 537 long and 353 wide. Dorsum in most aspects similar to the description for the female by Cook (1986), but lateral platelets more elongate, and pair of posterior glandularia fused with posteromedial plate. Measurements of dorsal plates: anteromedial plate 292 long and 320 wide, posteromedial plate 168 long and 254 wide, lateral platelets 98 and 106 long. First coxae extending beyond anterior idiosoma margin. Suture lines of coxae obliterated. Cxgl-4 shifted anteriorly onto third coxae. Genital field with three acetabula; gonopore 42 long. Length of PI-PV: 13, 30, 40, 51, 21. Length of I-leg-4–6: 82, 80, 90. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 130, 126, 102. Legs without swimming setae.

Female: Idiosoma dorsally 648–729 long, ventrally 697–770 long and 478–548 wide.

Remarks. Thus far known from the holotype female only, collected in Mt Kosciuszko NP ( Cook 1986). The male is described here for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aspidiobatella smola Cook, 1986, male; A. venter; B. dorsum. Scale bars = 50 µm.