Procorticacarus wenlockensis, Smit, Harry, 2015

Smit, Harry, 2015, The water mite genus Procorticacarus K. O. Viets in Australasia (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae), Zootaxa 3956 (1) : -

Procorticacarus wenlockensis n. sp.

( Figs. 11A–C )

Type material. Holotype female, Wenlock River at crossing with Telegraph Road, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia, 12º 27’20.65” S 142º 38’27.87” E; 10-ix-2000 (QM).

Diagnosis. Female with enlarged genital plates with three pairs of acetabula; pregenital sclerite elongated; glands of Vgl–2 present, but separated from associated setae; one pair of dorsal glandular platelets shifted to posterior venter.

Description. Female: Idiosoma dorsally 356 long and 330 wide, ventrally 421 long, with hair-like papillae arranged in a reticulate pattern on the anteromedial plates and the larger glandularia platelets. Dorsum with a pair of anteromedial plates with the postocularia, 124 long and 90 wide. Posterior to the anteromedial plates three pairs of enlarged glandularia platelets, especially anterior two pairs enlarged. First coxae fused medially, Cxgl–4 anteriorly to middle of fourth coxae. Vgl–2 on a small platelets, separated from associated setae. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula lying on a somewhat elongated and rounded genital plate. One pair of dorsal glandularia platelets shifted to a position posterior to genital plates. Length of P1–P5: 21, 70, 106, 128, 50. P2 with a long and slender ventral extension, with a few papillae at its tip; P3 with papillae, P4 with a ventral peg-like seta and a hyaline ventral margin. Length of I-leg-4–6: 74, 78, 70. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 122, 124, 108. Legs without swimming setae. Male: Unknown.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, the Wenlock River.

Remarks. No other Australian Procorticacarus female has similar shaped genital plates, nor does one species has the glands of Vgl–2 separated so far from the associated setae. Procorticacarus pinguipalpis (Wiles, 1991) from New Guinea has somewhat similar genital plates, but this species has four pairs of acetabula and one anteromedial plate.

Figures

FIGURE 11. A – C. Procorticacarus wenlockensis n. sp., holotype female: A = dorsum; B = venter; C = palp. Scale bars = 50 µm.