Procorticacarus karanovici, Pesic, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2009

Pesic, Vladimir & Smit, Harry, 2009, New records of water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) from Tasmania, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 2070, pp. 53-62 : 55-57

Procorticacarus karanovici sp. nov.

( Figs. 8–11 )

Type series. Holotype: female ( TMAG G5894) (mouth part dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; idiosoma fixed in ethanol). Tasmania, N of Bicheno, Apsley River just before the entrance into Douglas- Apsley National Park, stony bottom, temperature 11.8 °C,41°51.614΄S 148°14.389΄E, 49 m asl., 12 September 2007, leg. Karanović.

Diagnosis. Idiosoma and mouth parts dimensions large (Idiosoma L/W 688/575, palp total L 498), coxal and genital field sclerotization less extended, P-3 ventral margin convex, P-4 elongated.

Description. Female: Idiosoma L/W 688/575; integument reticulated; dorsum with paired postocularia plates ( Fig. 8 ). Coxae in three groups; Cxgl-2 placed well posterior to the suture lines between third and fourth coxal plates; extensive secondary sclerotization posterior to the posterior coxal groups; three pairs of genital acetabula, these combined into an arc-like sclerite illustrated in the Fig. 9 ; W of this sclerite 300; W between outer edges of the most lateral pair of acetabula 250; gonopore L 125; gland portion of Vgl-3 absent but the associated setae remained. Capitulum ventral L 226, chelicera total L 247, basal segment L 197, claw L 53, L basal segment/claw ratio 3.7; palp ( Fig. 10 ) total L 498, dorsal L and %L (in parentheses): P-1 30 (6.0), P-2 89 (17.9), P-3 145 (29.1), P-4 171 (35.7), P-5 63 (12.7); L P-2/P-4 ratio 0.52; P-2 with ventral projection covered by fine denticulation; P-3 with convex ventral surface covered by fine denticulation; peg-like seta of P-4 on a well-developed tubercle near middle of the segment, a hair–like seta placed proximal to the peg-like seta. Lengths of I-Leg-4–6 ( Fig. 11 ): 118, 122, 112; IV-Leg: 100, 91, 116, 172, 193, 170; swimming setae absent.

Male: unknown.

Remarks. Due to the similar shape of the dorsum (paired postocularia plates), the first coxal plates fused medially, a genital plates incorporated into a single arc-like sclerite and a similar shape of the palp (peg like seta of P-4 on a prominent tubercle, the nearly hair-like seta proximal to the peg-like seta) the new species resembles Procorticacarus togalus ( Cook, 1986) , known from Queensland ( Cook 1986). The new species can be distinguished from P. togalus (in parentheses data taken from Cook 1986) in the larger idiosoma and mouth parts dimensions (e.g., idiosoma L 486, palp total L 311, chelicera L 166), a less extensive coxal and genital field sclerotization (coxal plates and genital field are so close together that they more or less form a ventral shield in P. togalus ), P-3 ventral margin convexly protruding (straight in P. togalus ) and a more elongated P-4.

Etymology. The species is named after Dr Tom Karanović (Hobart).

Distribution. Tasmania; known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 11. Procorticacarus karanovici sp. nov., female: 8 = idiosoma, dorsal view; 9 = idiosoma, ventral view; 10 = palp (P- 1 missing); 11 = I-Leg- 5 – 6. Scale bars = 100 µm.