Unionicola (Unionicola) novaeguineae, 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 : 220-223

Unionicola (Unionicola) novaeguineae n. sp.

( Figures 35–39 )

Material examined. Holotype male, Lake Sentani, Papua province, 2° 33.576 S 140° 25.438 E, alt. 84 m asl, 28-x- 2011 (RMNH). Paratypes: 6 males, 22 females, same data as holotype (RMNH).

Diagnosis. Genital field of male surrounded completely by secondary sclerotization; PIV with three tubercles: two, bearing hair-like setae, in the centre of the ventral margin (one very long, the other very short), a third distoventrally, bearing a peg-like seta shorter than the long ventral one.

Description. Both sexes: Integument soft. A pair of glandularia tubercles lateral of genital field. Apodemes of anterior coxal plates extending well beyond anterior margin of third coxal plates. Cx-IV with short posterior projections. I-leg with long grooved setae, I-leg-6 slightly bowed. Claws of legs small. III-leg-5 and IV-leg-5 with three swimming setae. Genital field located terminal with five pairs of acetabula. PIV with three tubercles: two, bearing hair-like setae, in the centre of the ventral margin (one very long, the other very short), a third distoventrally, bearing a peg-like seta shorter than the long ventral one. Male: Idiosoma 607 (656–737) long and 454 (486–535) wide. Genital field completely surrounded by secondary sclerotization, the anterior two pairs of acetabula distanced from the posterior three pairs; anterior pair larger than other acetabula or all equal in size. Gonopore 120 long. Lengths of PI-PV: 12, 100, 52, 92, 68; Lengths of I-leg-4–6: 267, 178, 154; Lengths of IV-leg- 4–6: 259, 324, 332.

Female: Idiosoma soft, 770 (640–786) long and 575 (502–632) wide. Genital field 110 wide, with two pairs of platelets. Anterior platelet with two acetabula and a two stiff, long setae, posterior platelet with three acetabula and one stiff seta. Gonopore 170 long, including pre- and postgenital sclerite. Lengths of PI-PV: 12, 106, 52, 108, 72. Lengths of I-leg-4–6: 284, 194, 154; lengths of IV-leg-4–6: 251, 348, 300.

Remarks. The new species is close to U. longiseta Walter, 1915 , U. affinis (Piersig, 1906) and U. neoaffinis Cook, 1986 in the shape and setation of the genital field and in the shape of the palp. The new species differs from the first two of these species in having PIV with two long tubercles and one short tubercle, while the two forementioned species have three long tubercles, U. affinis and U. longiseta differ in their horseshoe-shaped genital field, which is open anteriorly. From U. neoaffinis , with a closed male genital field, it differs in a longer distoventral tubercle, a shorter short seta-bearing tubercle and a larger area of secondary sclerotization around the male genital field. The subgeneric assignments follows Vidrine (1992, 1996), although his subgeneric system is being discussed by Hevers (2012).

Figures

FIGURES 35 – 39. Unionicola novaeguineae n. sp., 36 – 37 holotype male, 35, 38 paratype male, 39 paratype female: 35. Ventral view; 36. Genital field; 37. Palp; 38. Palp; 39. Genital field. Scale bars = 50 µm.