Austrotritia fissurata, Liu, Dong, Chen, Jun & Qiao, Gexia, 2009

Liu, Dong, Chen, Jun & Qiao, Gexia, 2009, Review of Austrotritia (Acari: Oribatida: Oribotritiidae), with descriptions of two new species from China, Zootaxa 2144, pp. 54-64 : 59-61

Austrotritia fissurata sp. nov.

( Figs. 9–15 )

Material examined: Holotype: adult (in alcohol), China: Heilongjiang Province, Ningan City (43°59'30.24"N, 129°14'8.97"E), from litter, 23 Aug., 1995, leg. Bing-Feng Zhou. Paratypes: one adult (in alcohol, C-29), China: Jilin Province, Changbai Mt. (43°52'24.75"N, 126°28'7.66"E), Hanconggou, from litter, 750M, 31 July, 1980, leg. Hui-Fu Wang and Yun-Qi Cui; one adult (in alcohol, C-44), China: Jilin Province, Changbai Mt. (43°52'24.75"N, 126°28'7.66"E), Yihaodi, from litter, 750M, 2 Aug., 1980, leg. Hui- Fu Wang and Yun-Qi Cui.

Etymology. The new specific name “ fissurata ” is Latin for “ fissure ” and refers to the transversal furrow on genito-aggenital plate.

Diagnosis: Prodorsum with two pairs of lateral carinae and one dorsal carina; sensillus short, rough and rigid, exobothridial seta relatively long, and all other prodorsal setae fine and short; notogastral setae short and fine; genito-aggenital plate with one transversal furrow; nine pairs of genital and two pairs of aggenital setae present; one pair of anal and three pairs of adanal setae present.

Measurements: Holotype: prodorsum: length 365, width 275, height 120, sensillus 85, setae: ro 40, in 30, le 50, ex 55, distance between setae: ro -ro 83, in -in 80, le -le 205, in -le 75; notogaster: length 630, width 470, height 450; setae: c1 60, c2 45, c3 25, c p 40, d1 42, d2 30, e1 20, e2 25, h1 20, h2 20, h3 20, ps1 23, ps2 40, ps3 45; distance between setae: c1-d1 132, d1-e1 167, e1-h1 225, h1- ps1 120; ventral region: genito-aggenital plate 195×109, anal and adanal plates 285×82. Paratypes: prodorsum: length 448–470, width 329–350, height 135–140; notogaster: length 790–810, width 559–620, height 540–602; ventral region: genito-aggenital plate 225×121, anal and adanal plates 365×85.

Colour grey-yellowish to brown. Integument finely dotted, anterior part of prodorsum with longitudinal striations.

Prodorsum with two parallel lateral carinae on each side, upper carina shorter than lower one, anterior part of prodorsum with one distinct dorsal carina; bothridial scale situated above bothridium, posterior median apodeme absent; sensillus short, rough and rigid; exobothridial seta relatively long, and all other prodorsal setae fine and short, lamellar seta inserted more close to interlamellar seta than to rostral seta; comparative length: ex> le> ro> in.

Setae of notogaster short (c1 <c1-d1) and fine, setae c1-3 far from anterior border, setae c1 and c2 slightly more so than seta c3; two pairs of vestigial setae f1 and f2 situated in normal position; openings of opisthosomal glands and five pairs of lyrifissures present.

Genito-aggenital plate with one transversal furrow; nine pairs of genital setae present, among them four pairs anteriorly of the furrow and five pairs posteriorly of the furrow; two pairs of minute aggenital setae present; anal plates with one pair of minute anal setae; three pairs of minute adanal setae present, seta ad2 situated more close to ad3 than to ad1; lyrifissure iad situated laterally between setae ad2 and ad3.

Seta h of mentum considerably longer than their distance; palp five-segmented with setal formula: 0-3-0- 2-9(1); setation of legs (without tarsi): I: 1-4-5(2)-5(1); II: 1-4-4(1)-4(1), III: 3-2-3(1)-3(1), IV: 3-2-2(1)-3(1); tarsi heterotridactylous.

Distribution. China (Heilongjiang, Jilin).

Remarks. This new species is similar to A. bryani ( Jacot, 1928) , A. carinata Niedbała, 2000 and A. saraburiensis Aoki, 1965 in having one distinct dorsal carina and one pair of anal setae. It differs from them by the following combination of characters: prodorsum with two pairs of lateral carinae; exobothridial seta relatively long, not vestigial; notogastral setae short and fine; three pairs of setae on femur of palps; genitoaggenital plate with one transversal furrow. This new species is also similar to A. finlandica Niedbała & Penttinen, 2006 , but can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of one distinct dorsal carina, one transversal furrow on the genito-aggenital plate, the shorter prodorsal and notogastral setae, and the minute adanal setae.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 15. Austrotritia fissurata sp. nov.: 9, lateral view of body (legs removed); 10, prodorsum, dorsal view; 11, left side of ventral plate; 12 – 15, trochanter, femur, genu and tibia: 12, leg I; 13, leg II; 14, leg III; 15, leg IV. Scale bars = 100 μm.