Notophthiracarus otwayensis Niedbała, 2017

Niedbała, Wojciech & Szywilewska-Szczykutowicz, Anetta, 2017, Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Victoria (Australia), Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 47-85 : 59-61

Notophthiracarus otwayensis Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 7A–G )

Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 273, width 207, height 116, setae: ss 51, in 147, le 25, ro 56, ex 12; notogaster: length 596, width and height 384, setae: c 1 126, h 1 114, ps 1 101; genitoaggenital plate 164 × 139, anoadanal plate 207× 119.

Description. Medium-sized species. Color brown. Surface of body covered with concavities.

Prodorsum without lateral carinae. Sigillar fields distinct and narrow, median field with deep anterior incision, longer than laterals. Posterior furrows feeble and in small numbers. Sensilli clavate, relatively short with narrow pedicel and rounded head, covered with small spines at distal end. Interlamellar setae very long, thick, erect, covered with small spines in distal half, especially stronger at distal end, similar in shape to notogastral setae of row c. Lamellar setae short, spiniform. Rostral setae spiniform, rough, bent downwards. Exobothridial setae minuscule.

Notogaster with 15 pairs of fairly long (c 1 almost equal as distance c 1- d 1) setae, rigid, thick, covered with small spines in distal half, not pointed distally. Setae of row c covered with stronger spines at distal end than other setae. Setae c 1 and c 3 slightly remote from anterior margin, setae c 2 far from margin. Vestigial setae f 1 posteriorly of h 1. Two pairs of lyrifissures ia and im present.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum shorter than distance between them. Genitoaggenital plates with formula: 5: 4. Anoadanal plates with 5 pairs of setae; 2 anal and 3 adanal setae; setae ad 1 situated almost at same distance from an 1 as distance between anal setae, setae ad 2 the longest and thickest, equally narrowed, bent distally, setae ad 3 shortest, spiniform.

Legs. Chaetome of legs of “complete type ”. Setae d on femora I forked distally and remote from distal end of article.

Material examined. Holotype and 163 paratypes.

Holotype: Vic. Otway Ranges, Maits Rest, 10 km W of Apollo Bay, 38°45'S, 143°34'E, litter from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 11 December 1991, leg. G. Milledge, P. Lillywhite, C. McPhee, B. Van Praagh; three paratypes: Vic. Otway Ranges, Phillips Track, Youngs Creek crossing, 0.5 km N of Triplet Falls, 38°40'S, 143°29'E, moss from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 18 March 1992, leg. G. Milledge, C. McPhee; 48 paratypes: Vic. Errinundra Plateau, Coast Range Rd, 37°17'S, 148°56'E, (sample 16) soil from below Doryphora sassafras, Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 14 September 1983, leg. A. Yen, P. Lillywhite; 16 paratypes: Vic. Central Highlands, Road 26, 0.2 km WNW of Donna Buang Rd junction, 37°43'S, 144°39'30''E, flight intercept traps from Eucalyptus sp. forest, 21 January–7 April 1995, leg. G. Milledge; 80 paratypes: Vic. Central Highlands, Myrtle Gully Reserve, 3.4 km WSW of Mt Donna Buang, 37°43'S, 145°38'30''E, flight intercept traps from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 21 January–7 April 1995, leg. G. Milledge; 16 paratypes: Vic. Errinundra Plateau, Spotmill Tk, 37°19'S, 148°51'E, litter from young Eucalyptus sp. forest (forestation 1974), Tullgren funnels, NMV Survey, 19 November 1982, leg. A. Yen, P. Lillywhite

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the locality of this species—Otway Ranges.

Comparison and diagnosis. This species is distinguishable from congeners by the deep incision of median sigillar field, small difference in the shape notogastral setae c and other setae, shape of setae ad 2, short setae h of mentum, forked setae d of femur I. The most similar species from New South Wales— Notophthiracarus repostus Niedbała, 1989 has vestigial lamellar and exobothridial setae, different shape of notogastral setae, all equal, pointed distally, setae h of mentum longer than distance between them.

Figures

FIGURE 7 A – I. Notophthiracarus otwayensis Niedbała sp. nov. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, seta c 1; E, mentum of subcapitulum; F, left genitoaggenital plate; G, right anoadanal plates; H, trochanter and femur of leg I; I, seta d of femur I. Scale bars 100 µm (A – C, F, G), 50 µm (D, E, H), 10 µm (I).