Tyrphonothrus taylori, Colloff, Matthew J. & Cameron, Stephen L., 2013

Colloff, Matthew J. & Cameron, Stephen L., 2013, A phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of the oribatid mite family Malaconothridae (Acari: Oribatida), with new species of Tyrphonothrus and Malaconothrus from Australia, Zootaxa 3681 (4), pp. 301-346 : 315-318

Tyrphonothrus taylori sp. nov.

( Figs. 9 , 10 )

Dimensions. Holotype female length 611 μm, breadth 341 μm. Paratypes (n = 4) mean length 608 μm (range 585– 617 μm); mean breadth 343 μm (318–354 range μm) Ratio of prodorsum to total length: 0.3 (holotype).

Female. Prodorsum. Rostrum acute ( Fig. 9 a). Rostral seta (ro) heavily barbed, thick, curved, setiform, 56 μm long, longer than mutual distance, emerging from alveolus. Lamellar seta (le) barbed, setiform, 145 μm long, almost four times mutual distance, emerging from squat tubercles posterior of apex of incurved S-shaped lateral carina. Anterior portion of ridge projecting laterally. Interlamellar seta (in) barbed, flagelliform apically, extremely long (198 μm), longer than mutual distance, 4 × longer than barbed seta ex. Prodorsum porose, with welldeveloped posterior transverse ridge and medial curved ridges extending from in to posterior of le.

Notogaster. Dorsosejugal suture slightly convex ( Fig. 9 a). Humeral region obtusely angled, with lateral longitudinal ridge between c 2 and c 3, extending posteriomedially of e 2, bearing long lyrifissurae ia. With 15 pairs of barbed, setiform notogastral setae. Setae e 2, h 1-2 and p 2 much longer than others. Seta c 1 72 μm long, longer than distance to d 1; c 2 75 μm long, same as distance to cp; c 3 56 μm long, same as distance to cp; cp 86 μm long, overlapping d 2; d 1 72 μm, as long as mutual distance; d 2 58 μm, same as distance to e 2; e 1 91 μm long, longer than mutual distance; e 2 142 μm, longer than distance to f 2; f 2 64 μm long, same as distance to h 2; h 1 182 μm long, almost twice distance to p 1; h 2 174 μm long, twice distance to p 1; h 3 67 μm long; p 1 46 μm long, a third of mutual distance; p 1 positioned dorsally; p 3 28 μm long, extending beyond base of p 2 (121 μm long). Notogaster with median longitudinal ridges joined with posterior M-shaped ridge diverging medially; with curved ridge between bases of setae p 1. Notogastral margins narrowing anteriorly, caudal region broadest between f 2 and e 2. Ratio of length to breadth 1.28. Caudal margin indented between setae h 2 and p 1; otherwise broadly rounded. With short concave ridges between h 3 and p 2 and between p 2 and posterior margin of notogaster. Lyrifissurae ip transverse. Notogaster with large foveolae. Notogastral cerotegument granular.

Coxisternum. Epimeral setal formula 3-1-3-4; setae barbed, setiform ( Fig. 9 b). Seta 1c extremely long (56 μm), prominent; other setae on epimeral plates I and II 13–20 μm long, 4c and 4d longer than others on plates III and IV (35–46 μm); 3b and 4b in lateral position. All epimeral plates separated medially; plates II with sub-rectangular anterior foramen. Apodeme IV straight, transverse; blunt spine laterally.

Anogenital Region. Genital setae five pairs, barbed, setiform, subequal (38–43 μm), g 1-4 closely spaced, g 5 same distance from g 4 as from g 4 to g 3 ( Fig. 9 b). Each plate 131 μm long, 59 μm broad, broadest medially. Posterior margin of genital plate transverse. One pair of anal setae 16 μm long, longer than width of anal plate. Each adanal plate 129 μm long, 40 μm broad; three pairs of barbed, setiform adanal setae, 48–56 μm long, longer than width of adanal plate. Anterior margin of adanal plate acute, overlapped by posterior margin of genital plate, with thickened transverse ridge.

Legs. Pre-tarsi homotridactylous; claws smooth ( Fig. 10 ). Tarsi long, thin: ratio of lengths to breadths: I 3.5; II 3.25; III 4.1; IV 5.2. Setal formula: Leg I 1-6 -4(1)-4(1)-11(3); Leg II 1-5 -4(1)-4(1)-10(1); Leg III 2-3 -1-2(1)-10; Leg IV 1-2 -1-2-10. Most setae of tibiae, genuae and femora barbed; tarsal setae smooth. Proral setae (p) short, broad basally; those on Tarsi I pointed apically, others blunt ( Figs. 10 a–d). Tarsus I with primiventral setae (pv) very long, broad, blunt, smooth; solenidia ω1-3 clustered. Famulus (ε) spiniform, peg-like, 4 μm long. Fastigial setae (ft) homeomorphic: both long, curved, smooth and pointed. Setae ft ” and ft ’ on tarsi II similarly shaped, but ft ’ barbed and ft ” smooth ( Fig. 10 b); those on tarsi III homeomorphic; long, curved, smooth and pointed ( Fig. 10 c). Tarsus IV with seta ft ” curved, pointed, smooth; seta s same shape and length as paired primiventral setae ( Fig. 10 d).

Material examined. Holotype and four paratypes, ANIC 345 Rainforest, Mount Tiptree, Queensland, 17°03'S 145°38'E, 730 m., coll. R.W. Taylor and J.E. Feehan, 29.vi.1971. Holotype and paratypes deposited in the Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra.

Etymology. This species is named for its co-collector, Dr Bob Taylor, in recognition of his contribution to Australian Entomology and for his extensive collection expeditions from which a considerable part of the ANIC bulk Berlesate collection is derived, which has provided an invaluable source of oribatid material.

Remarks. Tyrphonothrus taylori sp. nov. differs from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: 1) the long, curved, heavily-barbed rostral setae; 2) the very long lamellar and interlamellar setae; 3) the long lyrifissurae ia on the lateral notogastral ridge; 5) the large notogastral foveae; 6) the median part of the M-shaped notogastral ridge diverging, forming a curved ridge between bases of setae p 1; 7) the extremely long setae 1c; 8) four setae on epimeral plate IV; 9) the rectangular median foramen on epimere II; 10) five pairs of barbed genital setae.

Tyrphonothrus taylori sp. nov. is one of a small group of Tyrphonothrus species that have five pairs of genital setae and well-developed centrodorsal and M-shaped notogastral ridges, as listed in the remarks section for T. gnammaensis . It is morphologically most similar to T. gringai (cf. above).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Tyrphonothrus taylori sp. nov., holotype female; a) dorsal; b) ventral.

FIGURE 10. Tyrphonothrus taylori sp. nov., holotype female, left legs, antiaxial view; a) Leg I; b) Leg II; c) Leg III; d) Leg IV.