Limbodessus windarraensis ( Watts & Humphreys, 1999 )

Michat, Mariano C., Alarie, Yves & Watts, Chris H. S., 2012, 3584, Zootaxa 3584 (1), pp. 1-110 : 85-89

Limbodessus windarraensis ( Watts & Humphreys, 1999)

( Figs 216 –233)

Source of material. One specimen of instar I, one of instar II and one of instar III were used for the description ( Table 1). Larvae were collected in association with adults at the following localities: Australia, Carey palaeovalley, Mount Windarra calcrete, Leverton Downs Station, MEB site 90, BES 10305, 28.39120S, 122.20378E, 20–III–2004, coll. W. F. Humphreys and S. J. B. Cooper ; Mount Windarra calcrete, Leverton Downs Station, MEB site 95 bore line, BES 10307, 28.40192S, 122.19969E, 20–III–2004, coll. W. F. Humphreys and S. J. B. Cooper.

Diagnosis (instar III). Medium-sized species (HL 0.55–1.15 mm); head (Fig. 230) subpentagonal; nasale subtriangular; half-circle of dense spinulae on lateroventral margins of nasale absent; hole-like structure on ventrodistal surface of nasale absent; lateral margins of nasale not inflated in dorsal view; lateral branches of nasale minute; slender spinulae anterior to seta FR13 scarce (20 or less); occipital foramen well developed (HW/OCW less than 1.90); occipital suture present; lateral margins of parietal straight; secondary spiniform setae on lateral margins of parietal scarce; seta AN2 present; distal half of MN broad; setae LA3, LA4, LA5 and LA8 hair-like; secondary setae on U absent (Fig. 233).

Instar I ( Figs 216–229 ). Head ( Figs 216–224 ). Cephalic capsule not strongly elongate (HL/HW less than 1.55); seta PA3 inserted far from setae PA1 and PA2; A3 2.20–2.75 times longer than A1; A3 more than 2.25 times longer than A2; MP2 less than 1.45 times longer than MP1; MP2 1.95–2.65 times longer than MP3; LP2 1.40–2.00 times longer than LP1. Legs ( Figs 225–226 ). L3 less than 2.85 times longer than HW. Abdomen ( Figs 227–229 ). Chaetotaxy. Frontoclypeus with 12 lamellae clypeales; additional setae on U absent. Measurements and ratios that characterize the body shape are shown in Table 4.

Instar II. Head. A3 more than 2.50 times longer than A1; A4 less than 0.70 times as long as A3; MN less than 4.70 times longer than broad; MP2 1.05–1.45 times longer than MP1; MP2 2.10–2.95 times longer than MP3; LP2 1.00–1.70 times longer than LP1. Legs. L3 2.25–2.95 times longer than HW; CL(L3) less than 0.40 times as long as TA. Abdomen. U 3.00–4.00 times longer than LAS; U less than 2.15 times longer than HW; U1 less than 1.45 times longer than U2. Chaetotaxy. Anteroventral margin of nasale with 26 lamellae clypeales distributed in a single row; anterior secondary setae on proCO present; meso- and metaCO with less than 5 posterodorsal secondary setae; ventral secondary setae on pro- and mesoCO present; proFE with less than 3 posteroventral secondary setae; metaFE with less than 11 secondary setae; anterodorsal secondary setae on pro-, meso- and metaTI present; anteroventral and posterodorsal secondary setae on proTI present; meso- and metaTI with less than 2 posterodorsal secondary setae; posteroventral secondary setae on pro-, meso- and metaTI absent; metaTI with less than 5 secondary setae; anterodorsal secondary setae on proTA absent; anteroventral secondary setae on proTA present; posterodorsal secondary setae on meso- and metaTA present; posteroventral secondary setae on pro-, meso- and metaTA absent; metaTA with less than 4 secondary setae; secondary setae on U absent. Measurements and ratios that characterize the body shape are shown in Table 7. Secondary leg setation detailed in Table 15.

Instar III (Figs 230–233). Head (Fig. 230). A3 less than 2.25 times longer than A1; A3 less than 1.45 times longer than A2; MN more than 4.85 times longer than broad; MP less than 1.75 times longer than labial palpus; MP2 2.10–3.10 times longer than MP3; LP2 more than 0.65 times as long as LP1. Legs (Figs 231–232). L3 2.25– 2.85 times longer than HW. Abdomen (Fig. 233). Chaetotaxy. Anteroventral margin of nasale with 52 lamellae clypeales distributed in 2 rows; proCO with 1–4 anterior secondary setae; mesoCO without anterior secondary setae; pro-, meso- and metaCO without posterior secondary setae; proCO with less than 11 secondary setae; metaCO with less than 20 secondary setae; anterodorsal secondary setae on pro- and metaFE present; metaFE with less than 12 anteroventral secondary setae; posterodorsal secondary setae on meso- and metaFE absent; metaFE with 9–27 secondary setae; anterodorsal secondary setae on proTI absent; anteroventral and posterodorsal secondary setae on proTI present; mesoTI with less than 4 anteroventral secondary setae; metaTI with less than 9 anteroventral secondary setae; metaTI with less than 16 secondary setae; anterodorsal and posteroventral secondary setae on pro-, meso- and metaTA absent; anteroventral secondary setae on pro-, meso- and metaTA present; posterodorsal secondary setae on proTA absent; posterodorsal secondary setae on meso- and metaTA present; proTA with 1–7 secondary setae; mesoTA with less than 7 secondary setae; metaTA with less than 16

Remarks. The instars I and III of L. windarraensis examined had the second urogomphomere broken, which prevented the evaluation of urogomphal morphometry. This species belongs to the group of stygobitic species characterized by the absence of secondary setae on the urogomphus ( L. challaensis , L. exilis , L. fridaywellensis , L. hillviewensis , L. hinkleri , L. leysi , L. masonensis , L. millbilliensis , L. morgani , L. ordinarius , L. pulpa , L. raeae , L. yuinmeryensis ) (Fig. 233), from which it can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: lateral margins of the nasale not inflated in dorsal view (Fig. 230), presence of anterior secondary setae on the procoxa (Fig. 231), metacoxa with four secondary setae, presence of anteroventral and posterodorsal secondary setae on the protibia (Figs 231–232), presence of anteroventral secondary setae on the protarsus (Fig. 231), and absence of posteroventral secondary setae on the tarsus (Fig. 231).

Figures

FIGURES 216–224. Limbodessus windarraensis, first-instar larva. 216, cephalic capsule, dorsal aspect; 217, cephalic capsule,

FIGURES 225–229. Limbodessus windarraensis, first-instar larva. 225, left metathoracic leg, anterior aspect; 226, right metathoracic leg, posterior aspect; 227, abdominal segment VIII, dorsal aspect; 228, abdominal segment VIII, ventral aspect; 229, right urogomphus, dorsal aspect. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.