Procorticacarus queenslandicus, Smit, Harry, 2015

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

Procorticacarus queenslandicus n. sp.

( Figs. 9A–E )

Type material. Holotype female, Babinda River, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 20.484 S 145º 52.113 E, 16-x-2005. Paratypes: 4 females, 4 males (QM), 4 females, 4 females ( RMNH), same data as holotype; one female, Davies Creek, Davies Creek NP, Queensland, Australia, 17º 0 0.212 S 145º 34.180 E, alt. 753 m a.s.l., 13-x-2005 ( RMNH); 2/5/0, Behana Creek, S of Gordonvale, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 10.705 S 145º 49.750 E, 16-x-2005 ( RMNH); 4/13/ 0, Double Barrel Creek, Babinda, 17º 20.852 S 145º 53.075 E, 20-x-2005 (QM). Other material. Queensland. 0/4/ 0, Hutchinson Creek, at crossing with Cooktown-Daintree Road, 2-ix-2000; 0/5/0, Whyanbeel Creek, N of Mossman, 16º 22.205 S 145º 19.633 E, alt. 143 m a.s.l., 15-x-2005 0/1/0, Lacey Creek, Mission Beach, 17º 51.068 S 146º 0 3.871 E, alt. 81 m a.s.l., 20-x-2005; 1/1/0, Birthday Creek, Paluma Range NP, 18º 58.799 S 146º 10.012 E, 21-x-2005; 1/2/0, Unnamed creek N of Cape Tribulation, 16º 0 2.409 S 145º 27.428 E, alt. 28 m, 17-x-2014; 0/1/0, Woobadda Creek, S of Bloomfield, 15º 57.204 S 145º 20.891 E, alt. 21 m a.s.l., 17-x-2014; 0/2/0, Davies Creek, at Upper Davies Creek camping area, Dinden NP, 17º 0 0.968 S 145º 35.147 E, alt. 600 m a.s.l., 30-x-2014; 1/3/0, Emerald Creek below falls, Dinden NP, 17º 0 3.159 S 145º 32.494 E, alt. 467 m a.s.l., 31-x-2014; 1/0/0, small stream near Goldsborough Valley camping area, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 14.154 S 145º 46.335 E, alt. 83 m a.s.l., 31-x-2014; 2/1/0, stream downstream of Kearney Falls, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 14.286 S 145º 46.907 E, alt. 139 m a.s.l., 1-xi-2014; 1/4/0, Babinda Creek, Babinda, 17º 20.386 S 145º 52.102 E, alt. 57 m a.s.l., 2-xi-2014; 1/1/0, Tully River at campground, Tully Gorge NP, 17º 46.280 S 145º 39.073 E, alt. 86 m a.s.l., 4-xi-2014; 1/3/0, Unnamed creek N of Tully River, 17º 46.590 S 145º 39.871 E, alt. 80 m a.s.l., 4-xi-2014; 1/4/0, Unnamed creek N of Tully River, at Creek Bridge 15, Tully Gorge NP, 17º 47.954 S 145º 41.104 E, alt. 49 m a.s.l., 5-xi-2014; 0/2/0, Kaarru Creek, Wooroonooran NP, 17º 38.750 S 145º 43.962 E, alt. 453 m a.s.l., 5-xi-2014; 1/0/0, Birthday Creek upstream of falls, Paluma Range NP, 18º 58.559 S 146º 0 9.498 E, alt. 786 m a.s.l., 9-xi-2014; 0/1/0, Big Crystal Creek, downstream of rockpools, Paluma Range NP, 18º 59.013 S 146º 14.188 E, alt. 88 m a.s.l., 9-xi-2014.

Diagnosis. Cxgl-4 absent. Palp stocky, with two well separated setal tubercles. Female: two anteromedial dorsal plates; genital field with three pairs of acetabula lying close to each other; genital plates lying on a sclerotized platelet, pregenital sclerite large, arrow-shaped; third and fourth coxae surrounded by secondary sclerotization. Male: Dorsum with an unpaired anteromedial plate; a solid ventral shield present; acetabula lying close to each other, anterior two pairs separated from posterior pair by a short ridge.

Description. Idiosoma yellowish; integument with hair-like papillae. Cxgl-3 well away from suture line of third and fourth coxae. P2 with a ventral projection, with minute papillae at its tip, P3 with a slightly convex ventral margin, P4 stocky, with two distinct, well separated setal tubercles. Legs without swimming setae. Female: Idiosoma 470 (300–494) long dorsally, ventrally 506 (340–531) long and 381 (263–421) wide. Dorsum with a pair of anteromedial plates, 112–117 long. Posterior of anteromedial plates four pairs of glandularia, the first pair farther apart than posterior three pairs. First coxal plates separated medially. Third and fourth coxae surrounded by a large area of secondary sclerotization, especially posterior to fourth coxae. Genital field 200 wide, with three pairs of acetabula lying on a sclerite, acetabula close to each other; anterior acetabulum 22 in diameter. Pregenital sclerite large, arrow shaped. In teneral females arrow-shaped pre-genital sclerite not yet developed. In one female the arrow-shaped pregenital sclerite fused with the acetabular sclerites. Length of P1-5: 17, 64, 122, 106, 44. Length of I-leg-4–6: 82, 82, 72. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 114, 128, 104.

Male: Idiosoma dorsally 316 (267–308) long, ventrally 348 (308–356) long and 267 (243–284) wide. Dorsum with an anteromedial plate, 112 long and 124 wide. First coxal plates fused medially. Coxal field fused with genital field, forming a solid ventral shield, but in a teneral male the genital field is separated. Vgl–2 lacking, only associated setae present. Genital field 136 wide, with three pairs of acetabula; gonopore 30 long, anterior acetabulum 18 in diameter. Acetabula lying close to each other, anterior two pairs separated from posterior pair by a short ridge. Length of P1–P5: 12, 50, 81, 78, 36. Length of I-leg-4–6: 66, 70, 60. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 92, 100, 82.

Etymology. Named for its occurrence in Queensland.

Remarks. The female is well separated from other species by the shape of the pregenital sclerite, the acetabula lying close to each other on a sclerite and the stocky palp. The male is characterized by the stocky palp, and the anterior two pairs of acetabula separated from the posterior pair by a short ridge.

Figures

FIGURE 9. A – E. Procorticacarus queenslandicus n. sp., A – C holotype female, D – E paratype male: A = dorsum; B = venter; C = palp; D = dorsum; E = venter. Scale bars = 50 µm.