Notophthiracarus dugdalei, Liu, Dong & Zhang, Zhi-Qiang, 2013

Liu, Dong & Zhang, Zhi-Qiang, 2013, The genus Notophthiracarus of New Zealand (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaridae): three new species and a key to 24 described species, Zootaxa 3682 (2), pp. 392-400 : 393

Notophthiracarus dugdalei sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–10 )

Material examined: Holotype: adult ( NZAC, in alcohol, 77/14), New Zealand: FD, Darran Mts., Tutoko Bench, Camp, 950 m a.s.l., from mosses under Dracophyllum scrub, 13 Jan. 1977, leg. J. S. Dugdale. Paratype: one adult ( NIGA, in alcohol, 77/14), same data as holotype.

Etymology. Named after collector, Dr John S. Dugdale, who is a retired entomologist (taxonomist of Lepidoptera) of Landcare Research. He is also the collector of many litter samples preserved in NZAC.

Description. Measurements. Holotype: Prodorsum: length 500, width 350, height 160, setae: ss 28, ro 20, le 10, in 275, ex 30; notogaster: length 995, width 690, height 625; setae: c 1 280, d 1 210, e 1 210, h 1 250, ps 1 300, ps 4 230; ventral region: ad 1 180, an 1 110, an 2 110; genitoaggenital plate 180×250, anoadanal plate 170×440. Paratype: Prodorsum: length 490, width 330, height 155; notogaster: length 890, width 660, height 610.

Integument. Colour grey-brown. Surface of body finely punctate, except prodorsum foveolate.

Prodorsum ( Figs. 1 ̲3). Median crista and lateral carinae absent; sigillar fields distinct, dorsal field short, not reaching insertions of rostral setae; posterior furrows absent; sensilli (ss) short with broad head, covered with minute spines distally; interlamellar setae (in) long and erect, covered with minute spines in distal half; rostral setae (ro) short, thin and spiniform; exobothridial (ex) and lamellar (le) setae short and fine; comparative length: in> ex> ss> ro>le.

Notogaster ( Fig. 1 ). 15 pairs of setae present, moderately long (c 1> c 1– d 1), robust, covered with small spines in distal half, setae c 1 and ps 1 longest, setae d 2 and e 2 shortest; setae c 2 more far away from anterior border than setae c 1 and c 3; setae ps 4 situated posterior to setae ad 1; vestigial setae f 1 positioned posterior to setae h 1; two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present.

Gnathosoma ( Figs. 6–8 ). Subcapitulum normal ( Fig. 6 ); setae h, m, and a simple and smooth; setae h shorter than distance between them; adoral seta or 1 apparently flat with barbs; or 2–3 simple and smooth; palp ( Fig. 7 ) 4- segmented, with femur and genu fused; palpal setation: 0-2-2-7(1); supracoxal seta simple and smooth; chelicera ( Fig. 8 ) with two smooth setae (cha, chb).

Ano-genital region ( Figs. 1, 4–5 ). Nine pairs of genital setae (g) arranged with formula: 5: 4; one pair of aggenital setae (ag) present; anoadanal plates each with five setae (ad, an), setae ad 1 and ad 2 barbed, longer and thicker than other setae; setae ad 3 smooth and minute; comparative length: ad 1 =ad 2>an 1 =an 2>ad 3.

Legs ( Figs. 9–10 ). Setal counts for leg segments (without tarsi): I: 1-4-2(2)-5(1); II: 1-3-3(1)-3(1), III: 2-2- 1(1)-2(1), IV: 2-1-1-2(1); setae d on femora I inserted at level of setae v’’; setae a’’ on tarsi I and setae ft’’ on tarsi II curved distally; setae a’’ on tarsi II curved distally; setae s and pv’ on tarsi IV present; setae s on tarsi I and II absent.

Remark. This new species is similar to New Zealand species Notophthiracarus incomparabilis Niedbała, 2000 in sharing the following features: the presence of minute lamellar, rostral and ad 3 setae, exobothridial setae present, setae ps 4 situated posterior to setae ad 1, vestigial setae f 1 positioned posterior to setae h 1, two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present, genital setae with formula: 5: 4, and setae v’ on femora I present. However, the new species can be easily distinguished from N. incomparabilis by the following ten characters (a versus b): in N. dugdalei sp. nov., (1a) surface of prodorsum foveolate; (2a) lateral carinae absent; (3a) dorsal region of sigillar fields short, not reach the insertions of rostral setae and not bifurcate anteriorly; (4a) sensilli shorter (ss 28), with head not pointed distally; (5a) sinus small and narrow; (6a) interlamellar setae much shorter (in 275); (7a) setae ps 4 and c p much longer, setae d 2 and e 2 shortest, other notogastral setae relatively shorter (e.g. c 1 280); (8a) lyrifissures ia situated posterior to setae c p; (9a) setae ad 1 and ad 2 equal in length; (10a) setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them; in N. incomparabilis , (1b) surface of body finely punctate and very weakly foveolate; (2b) lateral carinae present; (3b) dorsal region of sigillar fields long, reaching the insertions of rostral setae and bifurcate anteriorly; (4b) sensilli longer (ss 40), with head pointed distally; (5b) sinus large and round, much broader; (6b) interlamellar setae much longer (in 353); (7b) setae ps 4 and c p shortest, other notogastral setae relatively longer (e.g. c 1 349); (8b) lyrifissures ia situated dorsal to setae c p; (9b) setae ad 1 and ad 2 not equal in length; (10b) setae h of mentum longer than distance between them.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Notophthiracarus dugdalei sp. nov.: 1, lateral view of body (legs removed); 2, prodorsum, dorsal view; 3, sensillus, dorsal view; 4, left side of genito-aggenital plate; 5, left side of anoadanal plate; 6, subcapitulum, palpi removed; 7, palp, antiaxial view; 8, chelicera, antiaxial view; 9, trochanter and femur I; 10, tibia IV. Scale bars: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10 = 200 μm; 4 = 100 μm; 6, 7, 8 = 50 μm; 3 = 25 μm