Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) truusae, Smit, Harry, 2015

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 : 579

Rhynchaustrobates (Rhynchaustrobates) truusae n. sp.

( Figs 9 A–C)

Type material. Holotype male, Little Wonder Creek, near end of Buckra—Bendinni Road, New South Wales, Australia, 30º 30.034 S 152º 39.387 E, 23-xi-2003 (AMS).

Diagnosis. Dorsum with a large plate, incorporating the postocularia and two pairs of glandularia; chelicerae long, slender and bowed. Palp stocky, P3 with a ventral extension.

Description. Male. Idiosoma papillate, dorsally 397 long and 265 wide, ventrally 470 long. Dorsum with a large plate, 344 long and 308 wide, incorporating the postocularia and two pairs of glandularia. Roof of camerostome with a long pointed process. Venter with a large shield, incorporating coxae and genital field. First coxae fused medially. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula. Gonopore 64 long. Length of P1–P5: 20, 49, 34, 58, 30. Palp stocky, P3 with a ventral extension, P4 with a anteroventral extension. Length of I-leg-4–6: 86, 98, 70. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 108, 120, 90. Legs without swimming setae.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after Truus van der Pal (Alkmaar), who assisted me on all collecting trips to Australia.

Remarks. The new species is close to R. uniscutatus n. sp., but this species differs in a more slender palp, P3 without a ventral extension and the chelicera are not as slender and bowed as in the new species. The structure of the integument is also different in the two species, papillate in R. truusae n. sp. and smooth with fine lineation in R. uniscutatus n. sp .. Moreover, in R. uniscutatus n. sp. the postocularia are not incorporated in the dorsal plate.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Rhynchaustrobates truusae n. sp., holotype male; A. venter; B. dorsum; C. palp + capitulum. Scale bars = 50 µm.