Procorticacarus neocaledonicus, Smit, Harry, 2015

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

Procorticacarus neocaledonicus n. sp.

( Figs. 5A–E )

Type material. Holotype male, Trou Bleu River, New Caledonia, 22º 20’12.3” S 166º 57’44.4” E, 4-xi-2012, leg. N. Mary ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Hair-like papillae of the idiosoma absent, dorsally with one anteromedial plate, palp stocky, P2 without ventral projection, P2 and P3 without papillae.

Description. Male: Idiosoma somewhat rectangular, smooth, lineated, dorsally 397 long and 316 wide, ventrally 429 long. As a result of fixing in ethanol a number of structures are hardly visible, but one anteromedial plate present with the postocularia. Glandularia platelets small. First coxae fused medially. Margins of coxae not visible. Cxgl–4 near suture line of third and fourth coxae. Vgl–2 with glands and associated setae. Genital field 108 wide, with three pairs of acetabula lying close to each other. Gonopore 35 long and 30 wide. Length of P1–P5: 24, 72, 36, 88, 40. P2 without ventral extension, P2 and P 3 without papillae, P4 without peg-like seta. Length of I-leg- 4–6: 88, 88, 82. Length of IV-leg-4–6: 112, 116, 104. All legs with heavy setae. IV-leg-5 with three heavy setae and two swimming setae, III-leg-5 with two swimming setae.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. Named for its occurrence on New Caledonia.

Remarks. The new species from New Caledonia differs from its Australian congeners in the absence of hairlike papillae of the idiosoma. Moreover, the absence of a ventral extensions of P2, papillae on P2 and P3 and a ventral peg-like seta of P4 is, apart from P. curtipalpis n. sp., not found in any species from Australia or New Guinea. The chaetotaxy is also completely different as heavy setae and swimming setae are not known in all other known species. Apparently a rare species, as the numerous collections made so far on New Caledonia yielded the holotype male only.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A – E. Procorticacarus neocaledonicus n. sp., holotype male: A = dorsum; B = venter; C = palp; D = I-leg- 1 – 6; E = IV-leg- 4 – 6. Scale bars = 50 µm.