Australiobates ombatus Cook, 1986

Smit, Harry & Pešić, Vladimir, 2025, New records of hygrobatid water mites from SE Australia (Acari: Hydrachnidia Hygrobatidae) with the description of ten new species, Zootaxa 5566 (3), pp. 481-521 : 487

Australiobates ombatus Cook, 1986

Figure 2

Material examined. Victoria. 0/1/0, Macalistair River upstream Licola, 37°36.373 S 146°37.936 E, 216 m asl, 18- ii-2024 . New South Wales. 0/1/0, Bugong Creek near Morton NP, 5-xi-2001 ; 0/1/0, Nymboida River at Platypus Flat , Nymboi-Binderay NP, 30°11.146 S 152°41.499 E, 443 m asl, 9-xi-2003 ; 1/2/0, Bimberamala River , 35°25.879 S 150°11.594 E, 50 m asl, 30-i-2024, 1/0/ dissected and slide mounted .

Remarks. Thus far, the male was unknown, and therefore a description is given below.

Description. Male. Idiosoma ventrally 534 long and 413 wide. Coxae fused, forming coxal shield, which incorporates Vgl-3 ( Figure 2A ), coxal shield 450 long and 419, Cx-III width 372. Genital plate free, not fused with the coxal shield, 106 long and 123 wide, genital plate anterior margin equally convex, posterior margin with an indentation, three pairs of acetabula in obtuse triangle, maximum diameter Ac 1–3: 31–34, 30–31, 34–36; gonopore 53 long.

Palp as illustrated in Figure 2C : dorsal length/height (ratio given in parentheses): P1, 30/27 (1.13); P2, 72/48 (1.49); P3, 96/47 (2.05); P4, 113/20 (5.8); P5, 45/12 (3.75); ventral margin of P3 without setae, ventral margin of P4 with two peg-like setae distanced from each other, setae at tip of P5 enlarged and decidedly downturned.

Dorsal lengths of I-leg: 53, 69, 106, 140, 141, 145; dorsal lengths of IV-leg: 97, 103, 166, 209, 231, 178; IV-leg- 5 with two very short swimming setae.

Distribution. New South Wales. Reported here for the first time for Victoria.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Australiobates ombatus Cook, 1986, male, Bimberamala River: A—idiosoma, ventral view; B—I-leg-5 and 6; C—palp. Scale bars = 100 µm.