Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) stylatus Smit, 2001

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 : 577-578

Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) stylatus Smit, 2001

( Fig 8 A)

Material examined. Victoria. 0/1/0, Mackenzie River at Zumsteins Picnic Area, Grampians NP, 37º 0 5.565 S 142º 23.206 E, alt. 330 m asl, 16-iii-2008. New South Wales. 0/1/0, Spencer Creek, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 25.758 S 148º 21.574 E, alt. 1739 m asl, 5-xii-2003; 0/1/0, Clublake River before confluence with Snowy River, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 25.785 S 148º 19.290 E, alt. 1727 m asl, 7-xii-2003; 0/1/0, Leatherbarrel Creek at crossing with Alpine Way, Mt Kosciuszko NP, 36º 31.559 S 148º 11.611 E, alt. 999 m asl, 8-xii-2003.

Description. Female. Some additional measurements are given here. Idiosoma dorsally 494–567 long and 405–498 wide, ventrally 567–630 long. Postocularia platelets 40–42 long. The female from Spencer Creek has 4 + 5 acetabula, the extra acetabulum small, the female from Leatherbarrel Creek has 2 x 5 acetabula. The chelicere of the latter female is 340 long (holotype: 295), and the straight cheliceral claw is 160 long (holotype: 180). In other aspects (dorsal glandularia platelets, location of Cxgl–4) it is similar to R. stylatus , and therefore assigned to that species. The number of acetabula of R. stylatus is apparently variable, from 2x 4 till 2 x 5 acetabula.

Remarks. Thus far known only from Victoria, and here reported for the first time from New South Wales.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Rhynchaustrobates stylatus Smit, female; A. dorsum. Scale bar = 50 µm.