Austrocarabodes crassimarginatus, Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2011

Hugo-Coetzee, Elizabeth A., 2011, Three new species of Austrocarabodes (Oribatida: Carabodidae) and notes on Austrocarabodes pinnatus Mahunka, 1986, from South Africa, Zootaxa 3011, pp. 1-15 : 9-10

Austrocarabodes crassimarginatus sp. nov.

( Fig. 7 )

Colour. Brown to light brown

Dimensions. Length: females (n = 6) mean 572 μm (range 550–590), males (n = 6) mean 468 μm (range 440– 510). Width: females mean 363 μm (range 330–380), males mean 283 μm (range 270–310). Holotype (female): length 555 μm, width 370 μm.

Prodorsum ( Fig. 7 A). Surface of lamella and surface between lamellae punctate; rostrum rounded; ro on tubercles originating on translamella, ro curving forwards with distal end curving downwards, ro, le, in phylliform, serrated, with two strong midribs, ro, le ending pointedly, in ending broadly, directed forwards and slightly laterally, longest and largest seta on prodorsum, ss with long peduncle, head thickened, bending downwards, spiculate, bothridium with vertical lines.

Notogaster ( Fig. 7 A). Surface foveolate with foveolae in rows of two or three, between rows large squarelike spaces in which surface is lightly punctate; notogastral setae with thick edges, strongly thickened midribs, ending broadly, serrated.

Coxisternal region ( Fig. 7 B). Surface punctate; apodemes and borders clearly visible; 1a, 1c, 2a, 3a very short, but clearly visible, spiniform, 1b, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c long, smooth.

Anogenital region ( Fig. 7 B). Surface and genital plate surface punctate, anal plates weakly rugulose; ridge extending laterally from genital plates towards anal plates and from anal plates towards genital plates, but not meeting; genital setae spiniform, smooth, ag seta smooth, longer than genital setae, anal setae slightly phylliform with midrib (clearly seen in 100x magnification), weakly serrated, ad setae phylliform with midrib, ending broadly, similar to notogastral setae but smaller; iad situated posterio-laterally to ad3, closer to the seta than to the lateral margin of ventral plate.

Legs. Legs similar to legs of A. nortoni except on average across 4 pairs of legs ± 100 μm shorter and seta v’ on Tr I shorter (see Table 1 for setation detail).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the thick-edged dorsal setae (crassus —thick, marginatus —margin).

Differential diagnosis and remarks. The most important diagnostic characteristics of A. crassimarginatus are the notogastral surface ornamentation (foveolate, foveolae arranged in rows with square-like spaces between rows), the form of the interlamellar setae (large, directed forward and slightly laterally), the form of the sensillus (spiculate, thickened head, bending slightly downwards), the form of the notogastral setae (ending broadly, thickened edges) and the form of the anal setae (slightly phylliform with midribs).

The above-mentioned characteristics have been observed in other Austrocarabodes species. Austrocarabodes gressitti Balogh & Mahunka, 1978 has similar ornamentation. Species with similar interlamellar setae include A. pinnatus and A. bituberculatus . Austrocarabodes pseudoreticulatus Covarrubias, 1967 , A. maculatus Hammer, 1966 , A. hendriksi and A. haradai have sensilli resembling that of A. crassimarginatus . Austrocarabodes mixtus has similar notogastral setae and A. foliaceisetus foliaceisetus Krivolutsky, 1971 and A. foliaceisetus georgiensis Murvanidze & Weigmann, 2007 have phylliform anal setae which resemble the adanal setae.

Type material. The holotype (3716.1.1) and nine paratypes (3716.1.2) were sampled at St Lucia Mission Rocks (28º04’S 32º32’E) in KwaZulu-Natal in open grassland, coastal dune forest and exotic Acacia stands by J. P. Eksteen, 8.xi.1993. The holotype and paratypes are deposited in the Acarology collection of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Collection data. Known distribution of A. crassimarginatus is indicated by filled circles on the map of South Africa, Fig. 4 . Abbreviations for provinces: KZN = KwaZulu-Natal; EC = Eastern Cape.

Cape Vidal State Forest KZN (28º07’S, 32º33’E, indigenous forest); near Highflats KZN (30º15’S, 30º14’E, humid soil and grasses); St Lucia Mission Rocks KZN (28º04’S, 32º32’E, grassland, coastal dune forest, exotic Acacia stands and Pine plantations); St Lucia Mission Rocks KZN (28º22’S, 32º23’E, edge of Pine plantation); Emoyeni KZN (28º00’S, 32º14’E, inland coastal forest); Cintsa EC (32º48’S, 28º05’E, decomposed plant debris).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Known localities of Austrocarabodes nortoni sp. nov. (filled squares), A. longisetosus sp. nov. (filled triangles), A. crassimarginatus sp. nov. (filled circles) and A. pinnatus Mahunka, 1986 (filled stars) in South Africa.

FIGURE 7. Austrocarabodes crassimarginatus sp. nov. holotype female, A. Dorsal view (100 μm). Magnifications of sensillus (ss) and notogastral seta dm (50 μm); B: ventral view (100 μm).