Dropursides aberratus, Smit, Harry, 2013

Smit, Harry, 2013, New records of water mites mainly from Vogelkop, New Guinea (Acari: Hydrachnidia), with the description of one new genus and thirteen new species, Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 207-235 : 220

Dropursides aberratus n. sp.

( Figures 29–34 )

Material examined. Holotype female, stream Wasai, SW of Manokwari, West Papua province, New Guinea, Indonesia, 0° 55.563 S 133° 58.380 E, alt. 27 m asl, 12-xi-2011 (RMNH). Paratypes: two females, same data as holotype. (RMNH)

Diagnosis. As for genus. First and second leg modified, ventral margin of PIV with two closely located heavy setae.

Description. Female: Integument soft, without sclerotized plates on dorsal or posteroventral surface. Idiosoma 575 (591–842) long and 437 (454–591) wide. Anchoral process of capitulum and posterior apodemes of Cx-IV long. Cx-I and Cx-II fused on each side, but medially separate, posteriorly extending in long, pointed apodemes. Cxgl-4 lying on Cx-IV near suture line to Cx-III. Genital field with three pairs of acetabula lying on a slightly curved genital plates. Lengths of PI-PV: 26, 66, 64, 68, 26. Ventral margin of PIV with two heavy setae located close to each other. Lengths of I-leg-4–6: 132, 178, 124. I-leg-6 curved, with numerous fine setae on ventral margin. Ventral margin of I-leg-5 with eight heavy setae differing in length. A row of 16 short, hyaline setae parallel to the heavy setae only visible in ventral view. II-leg similar to I-leg, except in the longer anteroventral setae of the fourth segment. Lengths of II-leg-4–6: 128, 170, 126; of IV-leg-4–6: 216, 232, 150. Legs without swimming setae. Excretory pore not sclerotized.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. Named for the aberrant second legs.

Remarks. Besides the modified second leg the heavy setae of PIV located close to each other is not found in other Dropursa species.

Figures

FIGURES 29 – 34. Dropursides aberratus n. sp., holotype female: 29. Ventral view; 30. Palp; 31. Palp; 32. I-leg- 4 – 6; 33., IIleg- 4 – 6; 34. IV-leg- 5 – 6. Scale bars = 50 µm.