Oribotritia paracontraria Niedbała, 2017

Niedbała, Wojciech & Szywilewska-Szczykutowicz, Anetta, 2017, Ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) of Victoria (Australia), Zootaxa 4344 (1), pp. 47-85 : 50

Oribotritia paracontraria Niedbała sp. nov.

( Fig. 1A–F )

Measurements of holotype: prodorsum: length 475, width 386, height 182, setae: ss 139, in 230, le 68, ro 147; notogaster: length 1000, width 707, height 667, setae: c 1 131, c 1/ c 1- d 1= 0 63, h 1 159, ps 1 121; genital and aggenital plates 268 ×116, anal and adanal plates 470 × 71.

Description. Large-sized species. Color brown. Surface of body punctate.

Prodorsum with strong, single lateral carinae. Sensilli long, smooth, attenuate. Other setae (except vestigial exobothridial) strong, erect, rough, blunt distally.

Notogaster with short (c 1<c 1- d 1), rough, blunt setae (except pointed setae of row ps). Setae c 1 and c 2 remote from anterior margin, setae c 3 near the margin.

Ventral region. Setae h of mentum considerably longer than distance between them. Genital plates each with nine small setae. Two pairs of aggenital setae. Two pairs of minute anal setae located anterior to adanal setae ad 3. Three pairs of adanal setae, ad 3 well developed but feeble, ad 1 and ad 2 minute. Lyrifissures iad antiaxially and anterior to setae ad 3.

Legs. Chaetome of legs: I: 1-4-5(2)-5(1)-21(3)-3; II: 1-4-4(1)-5(1)-19(2)-3; III: 3-2-3(1)-4(1)-14-3; IV: 3-2- 2(1)-3(1)-11-3. Femora I with distinct distal spine.

Material examined. Holotype and two paratypes.

Holotype: Vic. Strzelecki Ranges , Tarra-Bulga NP, Bulga Picnic Area, 38°25'30''S, 146°34'20''E, pitfall traps from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 16 July–10 September 1996, leg . G. Milledge; one paratype: Vic. Strzelecki Ranges , Tarra-Bulga NP, 0.5 km NNE of Tarra Valley Picnic Area, 38°26'40''S, 146°32'30''E, pitfall traps from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 14 September–14 November 1995, leg . G. Milledge; one paratype: Vic. Strzelecki Ranges , Tarra-Bulga NP, 0.2 km W of Tarra Valley Picnic Area, 38°27'S, 146°32'E, pitfall traps from Nothofagus cunninghamii forest, 15 November 1995 – 10 January 1996, leg. G. Milledge.

Etymology. The prefix para is Latin meaning “near” and refers to the similarity of the new species to Oribotritia contraria Niedbała, 1993 from New Zealand.

Comparison. The new species is similar to O. contraria in the presence of a single lateral carinae of prodorsum and similar prodorsal and notogastral setae. It is easily distinguishable by the presence of two anal setae (versus one pair of setae) and long ad 3 setae and minute ad 1 and ad 2 setae (versus all adanal setae short, similar in length).

Figures

FIGURE 1 A – F. Oribotritia paracontraria Niedbała sp. nov. (holotype). A, prodorsum, dorsal view; B, prodorsum, lateral view; C, opisthosoma, lateral view; D, mentum of subcapitulum; E, right side of ventral plates; F, proximal end of femur I. Scale bars 100 µm (A – C, E), 50 µm (D, F).