Gondwanabates vietsi (Imamura, 1984)

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 : 575-576

Gondwanabates vietsi (Imamura, 1984)

Material examined. Tasmania. 1/4/0, Julius Rivulet, Julius River Forest Reserve, 41º 0 9.296 S 145º 0 1.707 E, alt. 123 m asl, 21-iii-2008; 7/4/0, Sumac Rivulet at crossing with South Arthur River Forest Drive, 41º 0 9.934 S 145º 0 4.152 E, alt. 127 m asl, 22-iii-2008; 1/3/0, unnamed creek crossing road Kanunnan Bridge—Couta Rocks, 41º 0 8.142 S 144º 57.003 E, alt. 50 m asl, 22-iii-2008; 0/1/0, Blackwater Rivulet at crossing with road Kanunnan Bridge—Couta Rocks, 41º 10.006 S 144º 54.801 E, alt. 132 m asl, 22-iii-2008; 1/2/0, Sterling River at crossing with road A10, 41º 46.162 S 145º 36.573 E, alt. 222 m asl, 23-iii-2008; 4/3/0, Collingwood River at crossing with road A10, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers NP, 42º 0 9.770 S 145º 55.658 E, alt. 370 m asl, 24-iii-2008; 0/3/0, Newton Creek at crossing with road B28, 41º 54.520 S 145º 34.199 E, alt. 493 m asl, 24-iii-2008; 0/1/0, Cuvier River upstream of confluence with Hugel River, Lake St. Clair –Cradle Mountain NP, 42º 0 6.581 S 146º 0 9.820 E, alt 760 m asl, 25-iii-2008; 3/5/0, Tyenna River at campground, Mt Field NP, 42º 41.071 S 146º 43.026 E, alt. 350 m asl, 26-iii-2008; 1/1/0, Franklin River at crossing with road A10, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers NP, 42º 12.916 S 146º 0 1.170 E, alt. 421 m asl, 26-iii-2008; 0/1/0, Apsley River at waterhole, Douglas Apsley NP, 41º 51.758 S 148º 11.186 E, alt. 71 m asl, 28-iii-2008; 2/2/0, South Esk River, upstream of Upper Esk, 41º 25.182 S 147º 43.147 E, alt. 362 m asl, 29-iii-2008. Victoria. 0/1/0, Buckland River at Twelve Mile, 36º 51.199 S 146º 51.621 E, alt. 328 m asl, 12-iii-2008; 1/8/0, Cambell River upstream of caravan park, Great Otway Ranges NP, 38º 34.335 S 143º 56.731 E, 31-iii-2008; 0/1/0, Aire River at crossing with Binns Road, Great Otway Ranges NP, 38º 40.103 S 143º 34.805 E, alt. 240 m asl., 1-iv-2008. New South Wales. 1/3/0, Macleay River at Temagog, 30º 58.572 S 152º 39.284 E, alt. 6 m asl, 24-xi-2003; 5/1/0, Carters Creek at crossing with Western Distributor Road, 35º 30.914 S 150º 0 3.546 E, alt. 187 m asl, 16-xii-2003. Queensland. 0/1/0, Babinda River, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 20.484 S 145º 52.113 E, 16-x-2005; 0/1/0, Kongaboola Creek before confluence with Carnarvon Creek, Carnarvon NP, 29- x-2005; 1/0/0, Ward’s Canyon, upstream of Lower Aljon Falls, Carnarvon NP, 25º 2’34.75” S 148º 12’8.97 “ E, 29- x-2005. Specimens with the posterior dorsal plate with four pairs of glandularia: 2/0/0, Mulgrave River near outflow Kearney’s Creek, Goldsborough Valley, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 14.430 S 145º 46.456 E, alt. 69 m asl, 1-xi- 2014; 1/2/0, Babinda Creek, Babinda, 17º 20.386 S 145º 52.102 E, alt. 57 m asl, 2-xi-2014; 1/2/0, Tully River at campground, Tully Gorge NP, 17º 46.280 S 145º 39.073 E, alt. 86 m asl, 4-xi-2014; 1/0/0, Unnamed creek N of Tully River, at Creek Bridge 15, Tully Gorge NP, 17º 47.954 S 145º 41.104 E, alt. 49 m asl, 5-xi-2014; 0/1/0, Gooligan Creek at crossing with Palmerston Highway, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 36.267 S 145º 45.726 E, alt. 370 m asl, 7-xi-2014; 1/0/0, Broadwater Creek, Broadwater State Forest, 18º 24.922 S 145º 56.639 E, alt. 52 m asl, 8-xi- 2014; 0/1/0, Big Crystal Creek downstream of rock pools, Paluma Range NP, 18 º 59.013 S 146º 14.188 E, alt. 88 m asl, 9-xi-2014.

Remarks. A species known from Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, and here reported for the first time from Queensland. The female from Aire River, Victoria has the middle pair of glandularia not fused with the posterior dorsal plate. However, the shape of palp, first leg and other structures is similar to that of G. vi e t s i. A number of specimens from Queensland, on the contrary, have the posterior pair of glandularia fused with the posterior dorsal plate. All these specimens are morphologically similar (including measurements) to G. vietsi and I have assigned all these specimens therefore to G. vietsi .