Albia (Albiella) longipalpis Wiles, 1992

Smit, Harry, 2012, The genus Albia Thon from Australia, with the description of two new species (Acari: Hydrachidia: Aturidae), Zootaxa 3309, pp. 62-67 : 64-65

Albia (Albiella) longipalpis Wiles, 1992

( Fig. 4 )

Material examined. QUEENSLAND: 0/1/1, unnamed creek 29 km E of Pascoe River, at crossing with road to Iron Range NP, Cape York Peninsula, 10-ix-2000; 0/1/0, Cockatoo Creek, Cape York Peninsula, 11-ix-2000.

Description. Female: Idiosoma dorsally 747–786 long and 551 wide, central part purple, anterior margin rounded. Coxal suture lines incomplete, not reaching lateral coxal margins. Suture line of Cx-2/3 fusing with suture line of Cx-1/2 just anterior of median fusion point of Cx-1/2. L1 and L2 close to each other. Cxgl4 lying on suture line of Cx-3/4. Width of genital field 227, genital plates with approximately 34 acetabula. Lengths of PI-PV: 40, 79, 76, 102, 60; palp as in male. Lengths of I-leg-4-6: 70, 90, 62 (104 till tip of segment). Lengths of IV-leg-4-6: 110, 102, 86. Swimming setae (number in brackets) on II-leg-5 (4), III-leg-5 (4-6) and IV-leg-6 (4).

Deutonymph: Idiosoma 567 long and 437 wide. Dorsal shield split in two by a median suture line. Suture lines of coxae extending to lateral coxal margin.

Remarks. The female of this species has not yet been described. There are small differences between the male described by Wiles (1992) and the female collected in Australia. In the male, the suture lines of Cx-3/4 are not reaching the median suture line, while in the female from Australia the suture lines of Cx-3/4 do reach the median suture line. However, more material is needed before we can decide whether this difference warrants a separate status or not. Thus far, only known from Papua New Guinea ( Wiles 1992), and here reported for the first time from Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 7. Albia longipalpis Wiles, 4 female; Albia yorkensis n. sp., 5 – 7 holotype female: 4 = ventral view; 5 = dorsal view; 6 = ventral view; 7 = palp. Scale bars: 4 – 6 = 200 µm, 7 = 50 µm.