Phyllhermannia hunti, Colloff, 2011

Colloff, Matthew J., 2011, 2770, Zootaxa 2770, pp. 1-60 : 23-25

Phyllhermannia hunti sp. nov.

( Figs. 12, 34i)

Dimensions. Holotype female length 893 µm breadth 506 µm; paratype females length 822, 825 µm, breadth 435, 490 µm. Paratype males (n = 5) mean length 745 µm (range 732–763 µm), mean breadth 365 µm (range 346–377 µm). Ratio of length of prodorsum to total length: 0.31 (holotype).

Female. Prodorsum: rostrum acute, without inverted V-shaped ridge; rostral seta (ro) 31 µm, curved, setiform, smooth ( Fig. 12a). Lamellar seta (le) 49 µm, phylliform, curved, barbed, on squat tubercle on lateral margin of prodorsum. Transverse lamellar ridge absent. With lateral ridge between base of lamellar seta and acetabulum of leg I inflated laterally, then strongly waisted. Surface of prodorsum porose, smooth. Interlamellar setae (in) 40 µm, phylliform, narrow, pointed apically, finely barbed along entire length, on broad, smooth inverted V-shaped interbothridial ridge. Bothridial seta (bs) elongate, 170 µm, evenly thick, apex tapering, sharply pointed, smooth. Exobothridial seta (ex) 12 µm long. Interbothridial region densely and strongly porose, divided medially by nonporose region. Median condyles present.

Notogaster: ratio of length to breadth 1.17. Dorsosejugal suture with undulating ridges. With network of longitudinal and transverse lines of wrinkled cuticle between bases of median setae and midline, extending posteriorly between lyrifissurae im, setae e 2 and f 1 ( Fig. 12a). Setae straight, pointed, barbed, narrow phylliform setae, each with a well-developed basal stalk; not overlapping ( Fig. 12c). Setae of c series all directed posteriorly, c 2 equidistant between c 3 and c 1. Distance between bases of setae c 1 about 0.8 × that between c 1 and c 2 and 0.5 × that between bases of d 1. Distance between d 2 1.3 × that between d 1; distance between bases of e 1 equal to that between those of f 1. Lyrifissurae im transverse.

Coxisternum: Posteriolateral margins of rostrum smooth, lateral margins of epimere I sparsely alveolate; posteriolateral margin of epimere I a blunt spur pointing laterally ( Fig. 12b). Anterior sternal apodeme straight, tuberculate, broadening anteriorly. Epimeral plates III with sparse tubercles. Apodeme III transverse, broader than others, with curved median ridge. Posterior margin of epimere IV with well-developed tubercles, but tubercles anterior of genital plate absent. Epimere IV without sclerotised projection laterally. Epimeral setal formula 3-1-3-5. Setae 1a, 2a and 3a short, sub-equal (ca. 10 µm); 1b and 4b longer (ca. 20–26 µm). Setae 3c and 4d longest of epimeral setae (132–150 µm); setae on epimeral plate III on anterior part of plate. Setae 4e shortest of lateral setae on epimeral plate IV (98 µm) then 4c (110 µm). Setae of epimeral plate IV on posterior half of plate.

Anogenital region: Posterior and lateral regions of genital plates surrounded by zone of smooth cuticle, more heavily sclerotised than ventral plate ( Fig. 12b). Each genital plate 145 µm long, 63 µm broad with six short (10–18 µm) spiniform setae in median file; g 1 displaced laterally. With three setae in lateral file, anteriolateral seta (g 4) long (43 µm), thick, spiniform; others same length as median setae; two pairs of longer (24 µm) aggenital setae. Pre-anal organ pointed. Each anal plate 181 µm long, 63 µm broad, with two very short (5–8 µm) setae on central and posterior part of plate. Adanal setae ad 1 longer (37 µm) than others (26 µm).

Legs: Femur I 214 µm long, with prominent medial and posteriolateral spur proximally ( Fig. 34i). Cuticle with sparse alveoli. Setae d (32 µm) and l ” (38 µm) straight, phylliform, barbed, pointed, l ” narrower than d; seta l ' on prominent tubercle, curved, barbed, pointed, much longer than others (105 µm). Seta v ' 41 µm long.

Material examined. Holotype female, two paratype females, five paratype males, ANIC 298 , litter, wet sclerophyll forest, Black Spur, south of Marysville , Victoria, 37°30'S 145°53'E, 380 m., coll. R. W. Taylor & R. J. Bartell, xi.1970 . Holotype and paratypes deposited in the Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra .

Etymology. Phyllhermannia hunti is named in memory of my friend and colleague, the late Dr Glenn Hunt (Australian Museum, Sydney), in recognition of his contribution to the systematics and taxonomy of Australian oribatid mites.

Remarks. Phyllhermannia hunti can be differentiated from other member of the genus based on the following combination of characters: 1) the pointed rostrum and strongly waisted lateral ridge between base of lamellar seta and acetabulum of leg I; 2) the stout, curved, barbed lamellar setae; 3) the flat, straight, barbed, pointed, phylliform notogastral setae each with a pronounced basal stalk; 4) the network of longitudinal and transverse lines of wrinkled cuticle on the notogastral plate; 5) the tuberculate sternal apodeme broadening anteriorly; 6) the weakly alveolate lateral margins of epimere I; 7) the anterior genital region opposite the posterior margin of epimere IV lacking tubercles; 8) the smooth perigenital region; 9) with genital seta g 4 longer than others in the lateral file; 10) setae 4a 2–3 longer than 4b; 11) the minute anal setae on the central and posterior regions of the anal plates.

Phyllhermannia hunti is morphologically most similar to P. bandabanda and P. leei (cf. remarks section for these species). The network of longitudinal and transverse lines of wrinkled cuticle, characteristic of this species amongst those described from Australia, is also found in P. leytensis Corpuz-Raros & Gruezo, 2009 and P. malindangensis Corpuz-Raros, 2009 from the Philippines. This unusual structure is considered homologous with the network of minute notogastral tubercles of most of the species described herein. The network is confined to adult stages, immatures of P. bandabanda , P. lemannae and P. sauli showing the typical plicate pattern of notogastral ridges. The network can be seen only in specimens that have been well cleared and it is probable that this character has been overlooked in previous descriptions of Phyllhermannia species.